Writing a clear and convincing MBA goals essay can make the difference between acceptance and rejection when applying to b-school.
Having clear goals will help you because:
- Having a clear career path will help you decide which school to apply to (since each MBA program has its own strengths or tracks for particular areas of study).
- Knowing what you want to do or why will help you justify spending the time and money it takes to complete your b-school degree.
- If you know what you want to do post-MBA, your time at b-school will be more focused and productive.
- Schools like applicants who have clear career goals – they are easier to place when it comes time for recruiting, and ultimately, graduates with good jobs make the school look good.
So what do you do if your post-MBA plans haven’t crystallized for you yet? Here are a few ways you can clarify your goals and narrow down the options.
#1 Build on Past Experiences
Consider past job experiences you’ve had. What did you like about the positions you held? What did you dislike? Use this as a springboard to generate more ideas of what you’d appreciate in your future — or, conversely, what you definitely do not want to see in your future work environment.
#2 Have a Conversation
Find someone in the business world who you admire or view as particularly successful in certain areas of business, and take them out to lunch. Get into the nitty-gritties of the position and find out everything you can about this field. Then do the same thing with people in other fields or positions that you may be considering. This will give you a more global understanding and perspective of the choices out there.
#3 Reach Out for Help
Getting help from a reliable career counselor can give you the direction, clarity, and answers you need to make a better, more informed decision. Accepted has many experienced advisors we can recommend, so allow us to make the connection.
#4 Make a Choice
You’ve done a great job narrowing down your options, and now it’s time to make some decisions. Look at a list of possible careers, and see which opportunities fit the criteria you’ve unearthed from the previous steps above. You’ll be surprised to see how much clearer the path becomes once you’ve defined your MBA goals in this manner.
Getting your MBA is now more substantial than ever. Read our admissions guide, Why MBA?, for more tips on how to answer this all-important question. Next time you encounter this question on an application or during an interview, you’ll be able to answer with confidence!
The post MBA Goals: Getting Them Down & Doing it Right appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog.
