As the old saying goes: \u201cIt\u2019s easier to get a job when you have a job.\u201d With unemployment at an all-time high in the age of COVID-19, and even some of the most impressive professionals forced to deal with lay-offs, furloughs, and downsizing, we\u2019re hearing unemployment-related questions more and more often in our conversations with prospective MBA applicants. Does not having a job at the time of your application cripple your chances for admission? How can an otherwise qualified candidate strategize their application to put their best foot forward in spite of this employment gap?<\/p>\n
In this article, we\u2019ll answer those questions and provide unemployed MBA candidates with strategies for turning what (at first glance) looks like a blemish into an opportunity.<\/p>\n
First the obvious: any substantial employment gap needs to be explained, especially when that period happens to coincide with application season. However, that doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t\u2019 some positives to the situation. The most obvious is having more time to devote to preparing for your GMAT, doing necessary research into MBA programs, and writing those all-important application essays<\/a>. You also have some freedom\u2014which you could potentially use to do something far more impactful for your application than simply punching in and out of a job every day.<\/p>\n The bad news: \u201ctaking time off to get into an MBA\u201d is not a good explanation for a current employment gap, at least not in the admissions committee\u2019s eyes. After all, if every other applicant can handle balancing multiple commitments (including work, life, and the grueling <\/a>MBA process) throughout the application season, so should you, right? It\u2019s important to remember that MBA programs don\u2019t exist to jump-start your career from zero. They\u2019re career accelerators designed to leverage what you\u2019ve done to help you get where you\u2019re going, and as such, your past work experience is a core part of who you are as an applicant.<\/p>\n Not having a job at the time of your application could look to the admissions committee as if you\u2019re using their program to run away from a bad situation, rather than running toward a goal \u2013 which is, we should say, THE goal. Despite traffic into business school <\/a>historically increasing during times of economic downturn, MBA programs don\u2019t want to be seen as a safe harbor from a rough job market. They want to be treated as a challenging, deliberate, and confident next step in a well-planned career trajectory.<\/p>\n For these reasons, you should try and avoid being unemployed at the time of your application if at all possible. You\u2019ll almost certainly increase your chances if you wait a year or two. And two years may be the best choice: MBA programs know that matriculating to their program will require you to leave your current position \u2013 that\u2019s kind of the point of getting an MBA! \u2013 so, seeing a brand-new job on your resume could actually be a red flag. A new job begs the question, \u201cshouldn\u2019t she stay in this new position a little longer before jumping ship for an MBA? Has something gone horribly wrong there?\u201d<\/p>\n But if, for whatever reason, waiting is not an option, there are some strategies you can take to make the best of this situation in your applications. It is<\/em> possible to get into even elite B-schools without a job\u2014we\u2019ve seen it happen with our clients\u2014but only if the application and explanation are pitch perfect.<\/p>\n Nearly every MBA application will ask about gaps in past employment, and our admissions consultants<\/a> have written a guide for how to best utilize this prompt in your application essays. For schools that don\u2019t explicitly ask you about employment gaps in a separate essay, we advise that you address this issue in the \u201cadditional information\u201d section that can be found tacked on to pretty much every MBA application. Now, the remaining question is\u2026 \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n How this time has made you better prepared for your future goal? There\u2019s a ton you can do during your application cycle year that isn\u2019t rooted in your past career experiences. Many MBA applicants use their degree to pivot careers, and if that\u2019s the case for you, use this period of unemployment to test out that next career pivot! Especially if income isn\u2019t a major issue at the moment, you can be free to explore your future goals in new and exciting ways that a full-time career would not have allowed.<\/p>\n This is far and away the biggest\u201cdon\u2019t.\u201d Don\u2019t be negative! At all. No matter how unfair or bad the situation was. Maybe you hated your last job and had to get away from it for your own sanity. Maybe you feel bitter that you got laid off due to COVID. Resist the urge, however fair, to complain. Always err on the side of a \u201cgrowth story\u201d rather than dwelling on the negatives. Adcoms want to see resilience and persistence in the face of challenges, not fatalism.<\/p>\n COVID? Make lemonade! Show how you handled these curveballs. Overcoming adversity is a major tentpole in MBA applications, and there is no adversity more relevant than professional adversity. If you\u2019re struggling to spin this hard time into a growth story (though it\u2019s great if you can,) then focus on the straightforward, practical reasons for your unemployment. Maybe you can use how you\u2019ve handled this experience as your response to the common \u201cchallenge\/adversity\u201d essay prompt! <\/p>\n Even if it\u2019s true that you\u2019re using your extra time to study for the GMAT<\/a> or work on your essays (a good idea!) don\u2019t emphasize that. Most applicants will be applying while also doing a full time job, and your needing extra time will look like a weakness in comparison. You should be doing things that make your application better\u2014not because you NEED to do them, but because you\u2019re just very passionate about whatever volunteer\/extraprofessional projects you\u2019re working on.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve (for once!) got some free time on your hands! That doesn\u2019t mean you should spend it playing Call of Duty. Instead, hit the pavement! Reach out to current MBA students at your top-choice schools or find alumni in your area and ask to meet. These connections can come in handy when name-dropping in a \u201cwhy this school\u201d essay prompt or figuring out how a program can best meet your goals.<\/p>\n Even if you don\u2019t get the new position until after you\u2019ve submitted your application, sending an update letter with the news may still be valuable to your application. The last thing an MBA admissions committee wants to see is that you\u2019re a quitter. If you\u2019re truly passionate about your goal (as you\u2019ll argue you are in your essays) then the adcom wants to believe you\u2019ll strive to reach that goal whether or not you get into business school. If it\u2019s truly meaningful to you, you\u2019ll get there, no matter that path. There\u2019s no better way to prove this commitment than continuing to advance toward your goal even when life gets in the way. Keep looking for jobs in your desired field \u2013 that way, even if you don\u2019t get accepted to your dream MBA, you\u2019ll be that much closer to your goal anyway!<\/p>\n A situation like this is one where the quality of your application is even more crucial than normal. If you have professional or personal contacts you can trust to review your application materials, do so. Even better, reach out to our MBA admissions consultant team<\/a> for professional help!<\/p>\n The post Applying to B-School While Unemployed<\/a> appeared first on Admissionado<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the old saying goes: \u201cIt\u2019s easier to get a job when you have a job.\u201d With unemployment at an all-time high in the age of COVID-19, and even some…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,817,775],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-admissionado","category-admission-consultants","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50465\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Addressing unemployment in your application<\/h3>\n
DO Focus on a GROWTH STORY<\/h3>\n
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DON\u2019T Complain<\/h3>\n
DO Focus on Practical Steps You\u2019ve Taken to Overcome Adversity <\/h3>\n
DON\u2019T Say That You Needed Additional Time to Focus On Applications Requirements <\/h3>\n
DO Network!<\/h3>\n
DON\u2019T Stop looking for jobs<\/h3>\n
MBA admissions consulting<\/h3>\n