More career switching tips

"For 75 percent of B-school students, the MBA is a new start—the first step in a journey from one field to another. And more often than not, that new field is consulting, banking, or marketing.

To compete, career switchers need to think strategically. They need to position themselves exactly right. They need, among other things, to highlight the key similarities between their previous jobs and the ones they're gunning for. This goes for resumés, cover letters, and especially interviews.

Switching to marketing: While bankers dress to display power and consultants dress to fit the client, marketers need to look like they just flew in from the coast. That's because marketing requires a visionary sense, a personal style to match the panache you'll lend to new product lines. And yet, behind all that vision and flair, you've got to have the numbers to back up your decisions. "You have to be someone who is comfortable with numbers—analyzing numbers, speaking with numbers, presenting numbers," says Ellen Gilbert, director of recruitment marketing for Johnson & Johnson. Marketers also have to play well with others. "You'll need to look for input from finance, sales, market research, and product supply departments. The challenge is going to be to leverage the opinions of everyone," says Camille Pierce, senior recruiting manager for Procter & Gamble."

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