Does wrkng for a big company name boost your b-schl app?

Question

Hello All,

I am in the process of taking my GMAT soon. My plan is to apply to a B-School for the Class of Fall 2013. My question, as the title of this post suggests is, whether having a work ex for 5 yrs under a bigger company better than having 3 yrs under a bigger company and 2 yrs in a smaller company?

This question is posed because I want to look for opportunities beyond the company I am working for right now for various reasons. One of the most important reasons being the monetary compensation. But at the same time I do not want this decision to ruin my B-School app in the future.

This also brings me to a general question. While the B-School applicants are being chosen, does the School see where the candidate worked, like how big the company is, or what was his position in the company etc.? Or does the size NOT matter?

Thanks for all the help you guys have given me in the past. GMATclub rocks!! I hope to join the 700 club soon. Lets see

Cheers,
GT

Cheers, GT

HBSGrad · Answer

GT: choose your career path independent of your decision to apply to business school. Getting into business school, especially a top business school, is a very difficult endeavor. Don't make a career decision based on the chance of getting into a top business school 2 years from now.

That being said, the strength of your candidacy is all about being able to tell a story. If you stay with your company for 5 years, you should be able to write a story about increasing responsibility, management experience, cross-functional promotions, etc. The AdCom will look to see that you've made progress and that your career vision is in line with what you've done. For example, don't stay at your company for 5 years and then write a Career Vision essay about your passion for something entirely different.

On the other hand, you can chase another job opportunity and write about why, after 3 years, you knew that you wanted a different career path. You have to write convincingly about why this new career fits your passion and your interest more closely. You should be able to demonstrate maturity in your essay, ie you didn't just take the job because it paid more. You should show how your career vision post-MBA fits closely with this new job, etc, etc. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions.

HBS Admissions Consultant

jordanhendrix · Answer

agree with the the two other posters, but quite simply, the more prestigious the company the better chance of the applicant. end of story

taurus555 · Answer

Thanks a lot for your replies Jordanhendrix and HBSGrad. I just want to reiterate what I have understood from your posts. Please do let me know if I am wrong.

1.Whatever the career decision is, its important that it fits in with your vision of a post MBA career, i.e., put in another way, it should make a good, convincing story of why a MBA and what after that.

2. Also monetary compensation is not the only thing which should drive you to change jobs.

3. And the more prestigious the company, the more chances of a candidate getting into a better Bschool.

I would like to stick with the present company, just because I am getting more responsibilities and duties which will be helpful in forming a convincing story.

I have 2 questions for you guys. How can one prep one's resume in the social work section? How and where can I contribute to the society which will be good enough to add onto my resume and help me get the AdCom to notice?

The second question is, I am an Engineer but would like to change my career to the Inv. Banking side after my MBA. I love to handle investments. Its a passion for me to outsmart the market...keeps me on my toes throughout. It will be a challenging job which I would like to become really good at. (I am trying it out first with my personal investments). How will I address this career change in my application? (I know I am jumping the gun here, but this thing is bothering me a lot.)

Thanks in advance.

I apologize for the late reply. I had to work overtime in my office last week to get some important things done.

Regards,
GT

Regards, GT

RHB · Answer

I think that the other two posts are right, you should not make your career decisions based on a b-school application. In the long run you will strengthen your apps far more by doing what is right for you at a given time. Pretty much all MBA interviewers will ask you to walk through your resume at some point during the interview, what's really important us that you are able to tell a coherent story and that you have good reasons for the decisions you took. If you choose the better compensation package because you have a young family to look after for example, then that makes perfect sense and shows personal sacrifice.

To answer your questions:

1 Get involved with something that you're passionate abou, where you can be a leader, and where you don't get paid. Perfect thing might be coaching under privlaged kids in a sport you love. I've also heard some great stories about people giving up their weekends to give wlking tours of historical monuments that they feel are important. Stuff like that goes down well, all I would say is don't do something that your not passionate about just to put it on your resume, that'llcome through in yourinterview.

2 - I think that's switch to IB is a good career goal, just be sure that you know what you are talking about and that your goals are realistic.right now it sounds like you want to be a trader, if not then the idea that you'll somehow be outsmarting the Market sounds a bit strange, just do as much research as you can into your intended career path before you write about it or step into an interview room.

Hope this helps.

RHB

Posted from my mobile device

taurus555 · Answer

Thanks RHB for the reply. Thats good advice and I intend to follow it.

As for what I want to become.....I think I am leaning towards becoming more like an investor and not a trader. An investor always thinks about the long term and sees the bigger trend unlike a trader. I want to make sure I sleep well at night!! :-D

But as you said, I will make sure I research this as much as possible before stepping into an interview.

Thanks for everything!

Regards,
GT

But as you said, I will make sure I research this as much as possible before stepping into an interview. Thanks for everything! Regards, GT

bschool201284 · Answer

Hi,

Just FYI, investment banking has very little to do with the actual act of investing. I-bankers are on the "sell-side", meaning they facilitate companies in selling themselves to an acqurier (an M&A transaction) or raise capital through debt or equity offerings. In either case, the investment bank is marketing (or selling) their client to investors, who may be a private equity firm/fortune 500 looking to acquire a business or a hedge fund/asset manager looking to buy stocks or bonds. In some instances, investment bankers will provide advice to an acqurier in purchasing a business, but the majority of what an investment bank does is on the sell-side. If you are actually interested in investing and "beating the market", you should consider a career on the buy-side working for a institutional investor. There is a big distinction between investment banking and investing so don't write in your essay that you want to be an i-banker b/c you like to invest.

taurus555 · Answer

Thanks for the info Bschool201284. I knew what I wanted to do but I was not sure what it's called. :lol:

I read somewhere here in Gmatclub that there is sell side and a buy side. And as you said what I really want to do is to be on the buy side. But I was not sure whether IB was on the sell or buy side. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I am much clearer now as far as what my career path should be. Regards, GT

110038496 · Answer

Short answer: Yes. It's a plus, since every school wants to build their "relationship" with big companies. But it's not a huge deal, and nothing you should really worry about if you work for a smaller firm.

Does wrkng for a big company name boost your b-schl app?

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