Profile Evaluation Request

Hi everyone,

I am a 32 year old male from Jammu and Kashmir.
Married: Wife is a top class government officer. Have a 1 year old daughter. They will join me abroad after I finish my course.

Education:
Bsc: Botany + Zoology + Chemistry. 74.5% overall (college topper in 2 out of 3 years). Jammu University (A+ according to NAAC. Public universities are most prestigious in India). Belonged to No.1 college
Msc. Zoology: 1st division. Jammu University

Career Break for around 4 years due to some serious challenging family issues. Being the eldest son, tried to take the initiative. Prepared for Indian Civil Services and gave mains, but no interview call.

Work:
Job 1: Quality Control Inspector at Food Corporation of India. 3-stage exam in 2 years. Got top 100 rank in North West India. Performed diverse jobs due to staff shortage in the most challenging situations, ex, foodgrain procurement near Indo-Pakistan border during the cross border firing (saw tanks placed in the fields and people had bunkers made).

Job 2: Assistant Extension Officer/ Manager of Industrial Estates. Under Directorate of Industry and Commerce of State Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Selected in top 8 among thousands who applied. Promotion of self employment via government schemes (acutally hand hold many budding small scale entrepreneurs, kinds like consulting job & take final decision in extension of bank loans for starting their businesses), roles like inspection of industries, etc. Recently involved in acquisition of land for establishment of industrial estates in Udhampur district.

Positives about my jobs (both government jobs)
1. Challenging work: Terrorism infested areas. Working in deep interiors as well as border areas. Handholding downtrodden to make them stand on their own feet and generate employment
2. Multitasking: Due to perpetual shortage of staff, had to done various jobs involving operations, etc.
3. Getting through rigorous examination systems: Though I am from a general degree but my batchmates are among the best, some from NIT srinagar, etc. Among toppers in both exams.
4. Performance: Done work worth millions of dollars. Led to prosperity in far flung areas, faith in Indian state, employment, etc. Done better work than what was done earlier. Due to managerial skills, was transferred to control cell of the biggest food storage godown in J&K where work was done manually on huge registers. Under the leadership of my then manager, became a part of small team that led to computerization of the 1st godown in the state (gave inputs to software developers in design of software), etc.
5. Ethical: Refused various enticements, etc. Withstood danger of labour physically harming (many with criminal records)
6. Soft skills: Listen to other. team work. Above average communication skills (praised a lot for command on spoken English). Confident nature (don't get intimidated. Recently, discussed political issues with a retired Chief Secretary of a state and convinced him in favour of my views). Stopped a distant relative from committing suicide but counseling him (relative is prominent person in arts). Many people say that I am super-motivating. Negoiating with various departments like Revenue department, Public Sector Banks, etc.
7. Showed initiative and self-motivation in career and life: No help from parents. Almost failed in 10th class (passed by 1 mark) but no tuitions. Due to self study, became college topper.
8. Extensively knowledgable: Years of intensive and extensive civil services preparation led to this. Knowledge buff since childhood. Understand subjects like History, Polity, Economics, World Issues, Science and Technology, etc.

Negatives
1. no promotions: In government jobs, promotions are time based. Would have been promoted in the 1st job but left to join the 2nd one as prospects and salaries were better. No bright prospects in near or medium term.
2. No formal leadership: Whatever I have done leadership wise, was done informally. Nothing to show like led a team of this many members, etc.
3.No very high level jobs: But all recruits were highly educated, some even phds, etc. Poor salaries, no saving.
4. No certificates for my social work: But did as much as was possible. Once, used social media to help abandoned puppies found outside my home and people adopted them.
5. Stream of failures: Was doing civil services for wrong reasons like family reputation (badly damaged), etc. My college professors always praised me and motivated me to go for the best goal (but failed to get the target)
6. Kinda serious personality: Due to personal issues still continuing (harrowing me. Cant help it, none can change family).
7. No formalization of knowledge gained: Could have done some certificates. But honestly, money was always tight.


Extra-curriculars:
1. Unionism: Part of labour union in FCI to demand better conditions for lower staff. Appreciated by higher leaders and officially given a rank.
2. Hobbies: Hva excellent knowledge on my hobbies.
a. Football
b. Heath and Fitness
c. Nutrition
d. Hollywood

3. Developmental work at large scale
a. Part of Elections machinery: During Panchayat elections (village level) & General Elections (largest management exercise in the world). In GE, I was involved in auditing of election machines and 3-4 people worked under me.
b. Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (Sanitation campaign): Awarness work in villages to motivate people to make toilets. Recommended homes for financial help. This scheme of government is a huge success.

Brief Explanation for Gaps and Loopholes
1. unemployment: Family issues, so couldnt leave the state (parents life in danger). No private sector in the state (most terrorist affected area in the world), so had to depend on the slow cycle of government exams. Reservation of 60%, so competition for 40% seats is skewed.
2. no promotions: Given idea above
3. failure to crack civil services: No interst in state civil services. Plan was always either to crack IAS (do the job for some years, go to Harvard for MBA and join a think tank) or give my tries, if fail, go for mba
4. Age: 32 years. I am so late because, believe or not, had no awarness (perks of being in a state where internet regularly shuts, current shutdown is longest in human history), Can explain this in interview and essays


GMAT: Averaging around 700. Confident of 730

B-Schools: tolerant towards age, background, goals, etc. Will apply in R1 of 2020 for 2021 session. Reasons for MBA are moving to career of my dream, natural flair in management (poor in technical skills), leadership roles, etc.
1. US-Schools: Will apply to 5 US colleges in R1. Crazy gut feeling that I may hit atleast one (I could be seriously under-estimating competition). All these are my dream colleges. Can risk H-1 scenario considering their brand names.
a. Kellogg: Dream college.
b. Tuck: Seems really friendly and warm
c. Fuqua: Same as Tuck
d. Ross: Seen some government officers from India applied here.
e. Haas: Really, helpful. Will they select me in such a small class???

2. Canada Schools:
a. Rotman: Best college in Canada for my needs. But on some discussion threads read that they dont want older candidates. Only Canadian college where I will apply in
R1
b. Rest Canadian colleges in R2: Schulich + McGill + Sauder
c. worst case scenario: No selection in above colleges at all. Then John Molson, Alberta, De Groote, etc.

3. European: These next year (R1 in 2021), if I dont get the school of my choice this year. Reasons are brand name, tolerance towards age, can work in SE Asia, etc.
a. HEC Paris
b. Said Oxford

Post MBA Goals:

Job: Really interested in healthcare sector. reasons: Academic Background (Its very easy for me to understand various issues and give inputs), Intersted in the sector (keep track of all currents), confidence that my soft and hard skills will make me excel (considering not everyone is intersted in healtcare), Natural flair, etc. I wanted to be a Management Consultant in healthcare but realised that recruitment for older candidates is low esp in US, so, interested in other roles like Project manager, Development and Strategy, etc.

Career place: Want to settle in a developed nation, Canada is the best option due to obvious reasons. Later, may move to US or Europe at senior positions. Long term goal is to head a biopharma MNC. Dont want to work in India in any case.


Thanks guys for reading such a long post. Please feel free to give any kind of inputs.