Career progression .. what do you guys think?

Question

I may get an opportunity to switch my career direction in near future. I can continue to be a Team Leader (of a Development team), be in Customer Program Management and Sales Ops or be in Product Management.

I want to eventually move to Entrepreneurship and Business Development .. so Customer Program Management and Product Management make more sense for my eventual goal. But now-a-days I think about everything from the point of view of the MBA applications. I am not sure how being in each of these fields will be viewed by the adcoms.

Do you guys think that if I move to Customer Program Management or Product Management, I will have a better chance of showing that I don't belong to the typical "Indian IT male" pool? Or does my industry (Telecom) make me an "Indian IT male" in any case?

Moreover, doesn't being a Team Leader look better for leadership as we get to be leading a team more directly? But then, aren't half of the Indian applicants some sort of team/project leaders or project managers anyway?

rhyme · Answer

I wish I had some good advice here... I really don't. Titles are so meaningless these days, I'd suggest you just go with whatever seems interesting to you. If you are worried about not having a team lead title .... You can always explain how you were asked to become a Team Lead or move into Product Mgmt and chose the latter because of your interest in XYZ (which is somehow related to your desire to pursue an MBA).

paddyboy · Answer

Totally agree. What matters is the way you present your career, yourself, and your goals. A 'Project Lead/Team Lead' entry on your resume may get you a better salary if you go job-hunting, but for the ad-coms, its what you do that matters. Won't say I'm an expert, but this is what I've been able to make out while working on my apps and stuff...

MBAPodcaster · Answer

Absolutely agree. Adcoms aren't looking for a perfect applicant that has a particular job function. They look for someone that can express why you made those decisions in your career, where you demonstrated leadership, and why you think an MBA can help you reach your goals i.e. Entrepreneurship/Business Development.

Some applicants demonstrate leadership in areas other than career, e.g. outside activities, community involvement, hobbies, etc. It's really a matter of how you express who you are to the adcom. If you start thinking of what you think they want to see in you, you'll be missing the point. I've spoken to a lot of adcom that say they hate this! Focus on yourself, your interests, and your talent, and you're doing exactly what adcoms want.

Career progression .. what do you guys think?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards