Whether you\u2019re convinced that you want to do an MBA, or are just toying with the idea, we suggest that you spend a significant amount of time on self-reflection. Most business schools want to know more about you than just what\u2019s written on your CV. They want to get a sense of what makes you tick. You\u2019ll have to answer some reflective questions in the application essays and at the interviews. Such as, \u2018why are you unique?\u2019 Or \u2018what are your motivations and career ambitions?\u2019 Chicago Booth asks candidates to \u201cBroaden our perspective about who you are\u201d in a four slide presentation. Answering such questions in a way that will draw the admission officer\u2019s eye requires considerable self-awareness and maturity.<\/p>\n
So before diving in directly to your admissions essays, our advice is to take a big step back and think about where you are in your life and career; where you\u2019ve been, and where you\u2019re heading. With the frenetic pace of life, especially for young fast-track professionals, it can be difficult to find the time and peace of mind to pay enough attention to such questions. But if you do, you\u2019re more likely to end up with a compelling application and will be more authentic and confident in the interview.<\/p>\n
It can be a real challenge to look beyond your current situation. Self-analysis and reflection does not come naturally to us all. Some may feel uneasy about thinking well into the future, and unsure about how big they should dare to dream. A vision may not come into focus immediately. But as INSEAD\u2019s Professor Gianpiero Petriglieri commented in the Harvard Business Review, \u201cit is often when we yearn for an answer that we stand to learn the most from staying with the question\u201d. So don\u2019t start this process of introspection two weeks before your application deadline. Ideally, to give yourself ample time, you should be doing some deep reflection at least nine months ahead to allow inspiration to come naturally, instead of forcing it to come on a tight deadline. You might find that answers come to you at unexpected moments \u2012 when doing the dishes, reading the newspaper, or waiting in line.<\/p>\n
Begin by compiling a good list of questions. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What have you learned about yourself from times you have shined and times you have failed? What\u2019s important to you in a career \u2012 wealth, results, managing others, work-life balance, time abroad, high status, power, making a difference? Ask colleagues, friends, and family to tell you what they perceive to be your strengths and weaknesses and what they envision you doing in ten years\u2019 time. The answers might be astonishing.<\/p>\n
You may not realize it, but when you\u2019re just a few years out of university, as is the case for most MBA applicants, you stand at a crossroads. You probably have just enough work experience to take stock of your career progression and assess your strengths, weaknesses, interests and dislikes, in a way that you could not have done when you were in high school. You\u2019re also still young enough that you can switch paths quite easily. This becomes more difficult as you age. This is a sweet spot in your life. So don\u2019t skimp on soul-searching \u2012 or waste the gift of choice.<\/p>\n
The next step of this series discusses the importance of your GPA, and GMAT or GRE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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