The hard part of switching industries is not your skills. You probably have what they need. The hard part is that a recruiter scanning your resume cannot see it. Your job is to translate.
Stop listing your old responsibilities
If you are moving from teaching to product management, "Developed lesson plans for 30 students" tells a PM hiring manager nothing. "Designed a curriculum from a blank page, ran weekly user feedback sessions, iterated based on what was working" is the same job described in the language of the role you want. Same work, translated.
Find the three skills they actually need
Pull up three job listings for the role you want. Underline every phrase that shows up in all three. Those are the skills they are screening for. Now go through your real experience and find where you have done each of those things, even if you called them something different.
The summary line at the top
If you are switching industries, your resume needs a two-sentence summary at the top. The first sentence positions you for the new role. The second sentence explains why you are credible. Example, switching from law to product:
"Product-focused operator with seven years in legal practice translating ambiguous requirements into clear, shipped processes. Looking to apply structured thinking and customer empathy to a product manager role."
That tells them who you are now (line one), gives them confidence (line two), and stops them from filing you under "lawyer who is confused."
Use the cover letter for the story
This is one of the few times a cover letter actually helps. One paragraph: why you are making the switch, why now, why this company. Be honest. "I have spent the last five years doing X, and I have realized the part I love most is Y, which is the core of this role" works. "I want a change" does not.
Network like a normal person
Find three people in the role or industry you want. Send them a short, specific note: "I am a [your background] looking to move into [their role]. I have been reading about [specific thing]. Would you be open to a 15-minute call to share what surprised you about the transition?"
Most people say yes. About half of switched-industry hires come from someone introducing you in, not from cold applications. Plan for that.
The honest part
You will probably take a small pay cut or a junior title for the first move. That is the cost of the switch, and it is worth it if the new direction is what you actually want. The second job in the new field gets you back to where you were, and the third job pays for the patience.