Everybody comes to the MBA application process with different end goals in mind. Many of you will be hoping to advance your career within the same industry. Others may be hoping to start a new business. And a sizeable group of you will be thinking about making a career switch.

Fortuna’s Judith Silverman Hodara, Wharton’s former acting Director of Admissions, offers some top tips to help career switchers in her recent video Insider Tips for Career Switchers.

If you want to use an MBA to start a different career path, it’s helpful to have some idea of what that ultimate role might look like. You also need to develop a linear story to link the role you’re currently in, with the one you’re aiming for.

Think about transferable skills. How does what you‘re doing in your job now translate into a future post-MBA role? From our experience reading thousands of MBA applications, we know how important it is that you clearly convey the existing skills and personal qualities that can get you your dream job in marketing, consulting or finance.

For example, if you come from the military, you probably have a host of leadership experiences that could translate into many possible future roles. If you come from teaching you’re probably used to managing large groups and liaising across different levels of an organization. And if you come from a medical background you’re likely to work well under pressure. Use your experiences to tell a story – show the admissions committee exactly what you are bringing to the MBA class.

Don’t forget that business schools carefully consider your employability. Top MBA programs are very concerned about whether you will get a job when you finish – after all, the FT and The Economist use career placement data to help determine whether it’s Wharton, Stanford or Harvard that gets that coveted #1 spot each year. So make sure your story ties together, and that you make a logical case for your career switch.

At Fortuna, as MBA admissions consultants with prior experience as b-school admissions directors, we work with all types of candidates. Telling your story successfully and securing a place at the school of your choice is incredibly rewarding. So if you’re thinking of applying to b-school this coming year, schedule your Free Consultation here. To get advice on any other aspect of your MBA application, please contact us at Fortuna.