Applicants with Sales / Business Development Backgrounds?

Question

Hi Guyz,

Just wanted your feedback on How the Adcoms view applicants from a Sales / Business Development Background?

Are there many applicants with this Background?

Cheers,
Tijji

TheBigCheese · Answer

I currently work in Business Development (previously Business Analyst) for a Fortune 100 Technology firm (The second largest in its industry). From experience to be in Business Development you have to be a people person, articulate, and you have to also possess strong soft skills (your job is to provide opportunities a key role for any business) and top business schools view this as an asset (especially Harvard) as they do not want someone who is good with numbers (a quant jock). So with killer essays paired with a good GMAT and GPA considering you have some good experiences you should have a great shot in my opinion. Plus it's not the traditional Banking/consulting.

I'm not to sure about the Sales type role though.

I'm not to sure about the Sales type role though.

bherronp · Answer

This came up a couple of times when I did my school tours last year. Every time it did, the adcoms said that they did not get many people with sales backgrounds applying, but that they would love to have more of them.

TheBigCheese · Answer

what schools were these?

fatb · Answer

I am on the same boat as you, TheBigCheese. Applying from an engineer turned technical sales background... I guess it's even more twisted? :shock:

agold · Answer

One of my tour hosts at Chicago GSB came from a sales background. She mentioned that it was rare and offered a unique perspective in most of her classes. For example - the students in a class may be analyzing a unique product or market strategy - but the sales person will always ask the question "How are you going to get people to sell this?"

jasonc · Answer

the sales person will always ask the question "How are you going to get people to sell this?"

lol, that describes my current job - figuring out how to sell a particular product, and then figuring out how to get the sales teams to sell it (in some cases, personally helping the sales team sell it).

tnttijji · Answer

An alum from Stanford also mentioned this to me.....

bhatiagp · Answer

I currently have a BD background in the IT industry. Have had a technical career in the past too with an govt body

Luckliy with the BD exposure, and experience in teaching I dont fall in the ultra competitive traditional Indian IT bracket...

lanter1 · Answer

I am from a sales background and it was a huge asset during the app process.

TheBigCheese · Answer

Can you please elaborate. What schools did you apply to? What was the outcome? etc if you don't mind :-D

. Thanks

naveen720 · Answer

Hi, I am having the same concern.

I am working in B2B sales for an international manufacturing company. How are the opportunities at a top US B school now for Sales/BD? How do adcoms view it now? Any particular schools I should be looking at?

Note: Im an indian, Male, 26, WE 4.5 years, Gmat 720, Aiming top 15 b schools

Applicants with Sales / Business Development Backgrounds?

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