{"id":48366,"date":"2020-04-17T09:57:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T16:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/sector-savvy-top-tips-for-engineers-applying-to-b-school\/"},"modified":"2020-04-17T09:57:59","modified_gmt":"2020-04-17T16:57:59","slug":"sector-savvy-top-tips-for-engineers-applying-to-b-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/sector-savvy-top-tips-for-engineers-applying-to-b-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Sector Savvy \u2013 Top Tips for Engineers Applying to B-School"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When it comes to over-represented profiles in in the MBA applicant pool, engineers are at the top, alongside candidates from consulting<\/a> and finance<\/a> (part 1 and part 2 in our sector savvy series, respectively).<\/h2>\n

Set your sights on a top 10 business school, and you can assume your peers have equally impressive academic and professional distinctions, along with stellar GMAT scores. So, it\u2019s rarely these elements that will set you apart. If you\u2019re an engineer, you need to approach the MBA application differently.<\/p>\n

First, take heart: It’s fantastic to have an engineering background plus a degree from a top business school to launch you into your future career. Both place you in an excellent position to advance to a lot of different roles in an array of industries. They\u2019re a great combination.<\/p>\n

The top business schools think so, too. According to our Fortuna Deep Dive Analyses of Stanford GSB and Harvard Business S<\/a>chool, the best of the best from the tech giants continue to enter the ranks of the world\u2019s most competitive business schools \u2013 more than 10% of the HBS Class of 2020 and close to 5% of the GSB admits hail from a Silicon blue-chip tech company.<\/p>\n

The question is, if you\u2019re in tech or engineering, how do you position your application to stand out in a sea of excellence?<\/p>\n

Consider how to get the admissions team motivated about choosing you versus another candidate. Do you bring an unusual academic background, noteworthy distinction in your field or experience in a non-traditional industry? What unique perspectives, characteristics or stories can you weave into your narrative? It\u2019s not just what you do, but who you are, and your ability to convey your uniqueness in a way that\u2019s coherent and persuasive that set you apart.<\/p>\n

Before you sit down to write, consider seven essential tips gleaned from my colleagues at Fortuna Admissions.<\/p>\n

7 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR ENGINEERS AND CANDIDATES IN TECH <\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Avoid industry jargon.
\n<\/strong>Working in the tech industry means you’re steeped in industry-specific jargon \u2013 which may not seem like jargon to you because it\u2019s so ubiquitous in your professional circles. Don’t assume that the admissions reader will know what you\u2019re talking about. The technical jargon that might have helped you in a job interview won\u2019t go far in translating your credentials to the admissions office, and it\u2019s a real turn-off. Keep your audience in mind and strip all technical jargon from your application and essays. Likewise, don\u2019t over-focus on the technical aspects of your role in your narrative, because that’s not what\u2019s relevant to what you bring to business school.<\/p>\n

\u00a02.\u00a0<\/strong>Lift up your transferable skills.
\n<\/strong>The tricky thing for many engineering applicants is that the role you have and the work that you’ve done may not be directly relevant to the MBA classroom. (Or to your post-MBA career \u2013 many engineers are looking to make a career switch.) Step outside your narrow role and take a bigger picture view of the skills and talents you’ve acquired in the job. As you do, reflect on the transferable skills that you’ve developed \u2013\u00a0in realms like communication, teamwork, leadership and\/or presentation skills. This may be quite different from the way you think about your skills in the context of day-to-day demands and not be so obvious at first. Consider the patterns of behavior that flow through your professional performance and how they extend to your engagement in the community, the roles you took on, how you made a contribution.<\/p>\n

3. Invest in extracurriculars.
\n<\/strong>What you do in your free time (what little you might have of it) is as interesting and important to the admissions committee as what you do at work, because it sends a signal about the kind of student and alum you\u2019ll be. It\u2019s all too common to see engineering applicants with plenty of undergrad extracurriculars, which then fall by the wayside in the face of 80 to 100-hour work weeks. But your extracurricular involvement is vital, and it\u2019s one element that can really help bring your application to life. \u201cWhen the admissions committee starts to review a new candidate, especially from a common profile, they often go straight to the \u2018Other Info\/Extracurricular\u2019 section of the resume,\u201d says Fortuna\u2019s Heidi Hillis<\/a>, Stanford GSB alum and former MBA admissions interviewer. \u201cThat\u2019s because it\u2019s where they can gain real insight into the type of person they are considering. Business schools are looking for students who will do more than excel in class \u2013 they are looking for active contributors to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

That said, it\u2019s about demonstrating commitment over time, impact and leadership, not just joining a club or working at a soup kitchen on holidays. Schools would rather see just one or two long-term interests that give them a fuller picture of what makes you tick. Remember that extracurriculars are another avenue to demonstrate your leadership experience\u2014from mentoring others to chairing an initiative.<\/p>\n

\u00a04.\u00a0<\/strong>Let your personality shine.
\n<\/strong>Focusing too heavily on work-work-work makes you seem less human. The objective here is to give them a genuine glimpse of who you are, and to reveal a greater dimension to your candidacy beyond your professional identity. To this end, think about why you\u2019ve done the things you\u2019ve done, the events and encounters that have shaped you as a person, your values and attitude toward life. The more personal you can be in terms of why you do what you do, the more interesting and memorable you\u2019ll be \u2013\u00a0because so few people are.<\/p>\n

A terrific example is a recent candidate\u2019s 60-second video presentation to MIT. Instead of a breathless recitation of his successes (common mistake), he focused in on just one story from his life \u2013\u00a0a single encounter \u2013 which in the telling revealed a distinctive aspect of his personality. \u201cFrankly, it was an anecdote that might easily be overlooked, if it weren\u2019t for the artful way he used his story to illuminate the personal values and attributes that made him a great fit for MIT,\u201d says Fortuna\u2019s Brittany Maschal<\/a>, former member of Wharton\u2019s Admissions team. \u201cWhat he achieved was a winsome glimpse into what made him unique, and it exuded warmth, sincerity, and authenticity. He even managed to convey a personal \u2018ah-ha\u2019 that was both profound and relevant. And what he chose to omit was so intentional and well-tuned that you couldn\u2019t watch his video statement without wanting to meet him. Slam dunk.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. <\/strong>Present a coherent career trajectory.
\n<\/strong>There\u2019s a lot more movement in the tech industry than in others like consulting or finance. Top programmers get lured away by competition, and an admission office will be familiar with a higher degree of mobility in your sector. For example, it\u2019s not uncommon to see the software engineer who started at Oracle, then continued at Salesforce before moving on to Uber. What\u2019s vital is to ensure coherency in the career narrative that you share.<\/p>\n

Rather than being perceived as the \u2018hired gun\u2019 with a mosaic of employers, you\u2019ll want to convey that you\u2019ve had the time and opportunity to really take ownership of a project and see it through. Really focus on the impact that you’ve had \u2013 and get to it quickly. Go beyond what you did to convey what you learned from your experiences and be able to connect what you\u2019ve learned to what you\u2019ll bring to the MBA classroom.<\/p>\n

\u00a06.\u00a0<\/strong>Be a passionate visionary.
\n<\/strong>A bold and coherent plan for your future can be exciting for an admissions team to read, as it\u2019s their job to shape a diverse cadre of talented individuals who will go on to represent the school in the future. I\u2019m not implying you offer overly far-fetched ambitions of grandeur, but rather, do you have a thoughtful plan of action, and is it ambitious enough to be interesting?<\/p>\n

It could be something that motivates you such as launching your own business or leveraging your skills and experience to make a positive impact in your field or industry. Even if it\u2019s a pivot in your career that you\u2019re seeking, create the link between your past and vision for the future so that it doesn\u2019t look plucked from thin air for the purposes of your MBA application. Your ability to be candid and authentic may be what distinguishes you from another candidate who wasn\u2019t able to convey such clarity of purpose.<\/p>\n

7. Coach your recommenders.
\n<\/strong>They may be accomplished professionals, but don\u2019t assume your recommenders will know exactly what\u2019s expected from them. Unlike the consulting industry, where it\u2019s common for senior leadership to have an MBA, it\u2019s not a given that your boss went to b-school. Set your recommenders up for success by walking them through the process, emphasizing the importance of depth, details, and anecdotes to address specific situations and your contributions. This doesn\u2019t mean telling them what to write \u2013 you want your recommender\u2019s voice and authenticity to lead. But you also don\u2019t want them to dive in blindly \u2013 especially if they\u2019re unfamiliar with what\u2019s entailed. Business schools want substance, with stories that really back up the fact that you\u2019re an amazing person and stellar employee with enormous potential to succeed.<\/p>\n

In preparing your recommender, be sure to share your goals and how business school will help you get there. Having this discussion is critical to ensuring coherence across your application. The added benefit is that your conversation may elicit insights that you haven\u2019t considered about how your abilities are perceived, or how you\u2019ve contributed on a team or project. Your recommender can also convey aspects of your personality or character traits that will add color to your candidacy.<\/p>\n

Want more insights?<\/strong>\u00a0Sign up now for a\u00a0free consultation<\/a>\u00a0for a personal, candid assessment of your chances of admissions to a top business school.<\/p>\n

You can also view the first two articles in our Sector Savvy Series:
\nTop Tips for Consultants Applying to Business School<\/a>
\nTop Tips for Finance Candidates Applying to Business School<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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