If you’re aiming to change industries after your MBA, admissions committees want proof that your goal is realistic. The most persuasive way to do this is by highlighting transferable skills that connect your current experience to your future ambitions.
For example, if you’re moving from engineering to investment banking, you could emphasize your analytical problem-solving, data-driven decision-making, and ability to manage high-pressure deadlines — all directly relevant to finance. If you’re pivoting from marketing to sustainability consulting, stress your stakeholder engagement, project management, and strategic planning experience.
Simply describing the challenges of your target industry or stating that you’re willing to start at the bottom won’t reassure the committee. They need to see that your skills and accomplishments already form a bridge to your new career path.
By making these connections explicit, you signal not only that you understand your destination, but also that you have the foundation to hit the ground running post-MBA.
In short: industry-switching success starts with translating your past into your future — and showing admissions exactly how the MBA will help complete that journey.