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[quote=Anonymous]I have multiple advanced degrees in different but related fields...including a PhD in physics from Harvard (and an MS in Engineering from another top 5 school), though I'm pretty good at crossing the street;)

I've never thought/felt that an employer was intimidated by my degrees, and I am also a career changer (twice actually, due to a move necessitated by DH's job and a lack of opportunities in my prior line of work).  What I have felt is that employers are concerned about hiring me in a junior position that may be appropriate to my skills/experience in their industry; because, they think that I would probably leave or want to jump to a higher position as soon as I come up to speed in what they do (I've had a recruiter tell me this based only on my degrees, before the interview even began).  It's not an unreasonable concern, especially for a smaller employer that may have limited advancement opportunities in the short term.  They may also be concerned that you will want a higher salary because of your previous experience, even if it isn't directly relevant to your job...also a valid concern based on age and degree.

I think the PP who talked about crafting a good narrative has a good point.  You might also look for programs/fellowships that are specifically designed to help PhDs move into another field (e.g. AAAS policy fellowships or the mini-MBA programs the major consulting firms offer to their new PhD recruits).  An alternative is looking for jobs that are closely related to what you do, but provide a stepping stone to a different sector/industry etc.  For me, specifically due to my research background, I was able to bring a lot of value immediately as a data scientist, and on-the-job training gave me a lot more insight and recognized expertise in a new industry.  It's not the ideal path I would've taken, since I wanted to leave behind doing a lot of technical work.  But it's also unrealistic to expect an employer to just ignore the last decade(s) of your life and training.  And at this point I'm recognized as one of very few people with expertise applying my skills in my industry...and I can see a path over time where that will evolve into more of the kind of role I would ideally like to have.

Just like research, you need to take baby steps to get to where you want to be.[/quote]

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