Switchers

How Smart Professionals

Change Careers and Seize Success

Dawn Graham is a psychologist and director of career management for the Executive MBA program at Wharton.

Switchers is written specifically for the career changer and will help you to realize your dream. The first step is recognizing that the usual rules and job search tools won’t work for you. Resumes and job boards were designed with traditional applicants in mind. As a career switcher, you have to go beyond the basics, using tactics tailor-made to ensure your candidacy stands out. Switchers reveals how to:

• Understand the concerns of hiring managers—and think like they do

• Craft a resume that catches their attention within six seconds

• Spotlight transferable skills that companies covet

• Rebrand yourself—aligning your professional identity with your new aspirations

• Reach decision-makers by recruiting “ambassadors” from within your network

• Nail interviews by turning tough questions to your advantage

• Convince skeptical employers to take a chance on you

• Negotiate a competitive compensation package—even as a “newbie” to the field