Post MBA goals

Hi Amba,
Good to see that you are asking the right questions!

AdComs ask about your career goals because (1) they want to make sure that you are someone with reasonable clarity on where you want your career to go in the near future and (2) they want to gauge your employability, because a job placement is an important goal for almost all MBA aspirants.

The goal you specify on your application must be realistic, yet ambitious. There must be a certain gap between what ou are doing today and what you want to do in 2 years - and this gap must be something a management education can help you bridge. So the response you give to the career goals essay is closely intertwined with your response to why you need an MBA and why you need it NOW.

Coming to your questions:
1. All applications need uniqueness - but a goals essay is not the place to showcase this (unless your goals themselves are unique in the first place!) So, don't try to differentiate yourself through the goal itself (you can try differentiating yourself through how you articulate your goals, but that's a diff topic) Pick a goal that is realistic and ambitious; a career path in which you can leverage your past experience and education. Also make sure that there is some logical connect between your short and long term goals.

In a nutshell, explore what you really want to do, and make sure that you will be able to leverage your past experience to achieve this, and that an MBA is what is stopping you from getting there now.

2. Intended industry/function/location are good. If you also have a dream company (1 or 2), mention that. Make sure that the company you mention actually recruits at the school(s) you are applying to.

3. While this is the case with a large proportion of applicants, and an even larger proportion take up post-MBA careers different from those they had articulated in their application, saying that you are undecided about your goals is not a recommended approach. It is best if you can pick one of the options that you have, and explain why this appeals most to you.

Some schools (such as Duke) have, in past years, asked for a Plan B in their application - in this case, definitely mention your Plan B. The same question could also come up with in your interview. Keep in mind that the two goals you have in mind are similar in some ways - for e.g. if you say interacting with clients across cultures is one of the things you want to do in your post-MBA role, and the reason you want to get into Career Option A, Career Option B must not be an analytic desk job with no client interaction.

Let me know if you have more questions.

Regards
Gowri

Gowri N Kishore
Admissions Coach