MBA Switchers: Managing Career Expectations and Mapping the Way - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

MBA Switchers: Managing Career Expectations and Mapping the Way Forward

D AW N G R A H A M | S W I T C H E R S

Takeaways

✓Strategies for helping

MBAs overcome common career switch challenges.

✓The 5 steps for MBAs to

make a successful switch in today’s job market.

✓Psychological principles

underlying the job search and how MBAs can use these to their advantage.

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Market Trends

• 52%
• 64%
• 98%

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CAREERS TODAY:

• Constant Reinvention
• Creating Ambassadors
• Career Stories

A “Traditional” career:

• represents our expertise, profession, and ultimately IDENTITY.
• builds over time INCREMENTALLY and endures.
• gives us financial and psychological REWARDS.

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Drivers of Long-Term Career Success

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MBA Career Switch killers

Hazy or dual job search target. Desire for quick results post-MBA. Limited training or experience conducting a job search in the current market. Believing a hirer cares about passion, an MBA, or coursework. Underestimating the need to rebrand. Resistance to networking.

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1. Choose Your Switch

I N D U S T R Y E X P E R I E N C E

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY

F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S

• 2. Moderately

Challenging Single Switcher (Industry) Key Strategies: Job Board, Networking

• 1. Least Challenging

Traditional Switch Key Strategies: Job Board, Headhunters, Networking

• 3. Very Challenging

Single Switcher (Function) Key Strategies: Internal company move, Networking,

• 4. Most Challenging

Double Switch (Function & Industry) Key Strategies: Networking

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The Double- Switch

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• 2. Clarify

Your Plan A

Plan A

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• 3. Craft

Your Brand Value Proposition

Who Am I?

KEY TITLES

• Licensed Psychologist
• Recruiter/HRM
• National Radio Host
• Published Author
• Senior Consultant
• Global Talent Director
• Career Coach
• Certified Personal

Trainer

• Forbes Columnist
• Entrepreneur
• Board Member x 2
• Adjunct Professor
• Victim Advocate for

Denver Police Dept.

• Operations Manager
• Market Researcher
• Drug & Alcohol

Counselor

• Writer/Blogger
• Black Jack Dealer
• EAP Counselor
• Volunteer
• Podcaster

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Wrote/edited 1000s of

resumes; Cover letters

• Facilitated 100s of career,

HR & leadership seminars

• Built a global talent

mgmt function & team (across 4 continents)

• Managed largest client of

firm ($14B earning $3M annually)

• Youngest leader at firm
• Recognized as “One to

Watch”; Denver Magazine

• Exceeded Annual BD

goals within 6 mos of joining a new firm

• Created a Career Mgmt

Tool for the Big 6; rolled

• ut nationally
• Published original

psychology research

• Pitched and launched a

Sirius XM show

• Started two businesses

KEY EXPERTISE/TRAINING

• MS in Org Development
• PhD in Psychology
• Ex-pat in Europe (twice)/
• Website development/

HTML; newsletters

• SPHR (Senior

Professional of HR certification)

• Extensive training design

and facilitation

• Hired, trained and

managed global/virtual teams; Recruiting;

• Deep assessment skills
• Defined, built and

implemented global infrastructures

• Program/Project

Management

• Career/Interview

Coaching

• Deep industry expertise in

talent mgmt/HR

• Editing/publishing a book
• Podcasting expertise

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Your CAREER STORY must:

• 1. Demonstrate COMMITMENT to the target
• 2. Sound LOGICAL to your audience
• 3. Be GENUINE (but not TMI)
• 4. Communicate VALUE (e.g., align your

strengths with solving your target’s pain points)

• 5. Incorporate your USP (unique selling point)

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EXAMPLE: BRANDED Career Switch Story

“After partnering with clients to help them to mitigate risk, remain compliant and develop retention strategies for 10 years, I was ready to broaden my client base. I decided to return to school to earn my EMBA with a specialty in organizational management, while simultaneously accepting the role of overseeing employment policy and compliance in my company. Over the last two years, I’ve successfully implemented two new

• rganization-wide programs, a performance review plan that contributed to

decreased attrition rates by 22%, as well as the creation of contracts and related policies that allowed eligible employees the flexibility to work from home without legal risk. Now, I’m ready to bring these skills to an emerging tech company like yours where mitigating risks to save costs and creating a worker-friendly employment model are core values.

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(Transition from Lawyer to HR Director)

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• 4. Create

Ambassadors

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The Psychology

• f the

Job Search

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• 5. Keep

the Ball in your court

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To learn more:

• Purchase Switchers on Amazon or

from other great booksellers.

• Follow me on social media:

DrDawnGraham

• Check out “Career Talk” on

SiriusXM radio (Channel 132) or catch podcast replays on Player.fm

• r iTunes.

THANK YOU!