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16 Mar 2021, 07:50
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Hello everyone,
I just want to put myself out there and ask a question about this. How do you think the MBA admission views a redundancy/layoff/termination in your career before the MBA?
A lot of them ask the following question in their application: "Check if you have been disciplined by or involuntarily terminated from an employer or organization."
It's a really difficult question to face and grow something positives out of the negatives. I think even though you have a stellar academic background and various work experiences, it's hard to build that credibility given something like that.
Do you think having a laid off in your career will change your prospect of getting into a top MBA program? is it really worth it even consider applying?
Thank you in advance
I just want to put myself out there and ask a question about this. How do you think the MBA admission views a redundancy/layoff/termination in your career before the MBA?
A lot of them ask the following question in their application: "Check if you have been disciplined by or involuntarily terminated from an employer or organization."
It's a really difficult question to face and grow something positives out of the negatives. I think even though you have a stellar academic background and various work experiences, it's hard to build that credibility given something like that.
Do you think having a laid off in your career will change your prospect of getting into a top MBA program? is it really worth it even consider applying?
Thank you in advance
16 Mar 2021, 09:29
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ALQJ9:
Being laid off or fired is absolutely not the death knell for your prospects in the MBA admissions process. It happens to many qualified and successful people (e.g., Michael Bloomberg, Jamie Dimon.)
There are many of ways to attack this issue:
(1) Ignore it. You get to tell your story in the MBA application. If the termination was just a blip, focus on other matters.
(2) Acknowledge it minimally, especially in the "check the box" part of the application you noted. This past year has been particularly brutal for various parts of the economy, so a school will not hold it against you.
(3) Aggressively acknowledge it. In either your career trajectory essays or optional essays, you can talk about why you were terminated and then what that allowed you to do in your career since then. Everyone faces adversity in life. If you can talk about how it might have been shocking but you did X and Y and learned A and B from the entire thing, it's entirely fine. In fact, it could work in your favor if the 'redemption' or 'bounce back' is particularly impressive.
Now if you were terminated because of some sort of ethical or disciplinary matter, that's an entirely different story. I do not get the sense that's the case but that would require a separate approach.
In any event, feel free to reach out to us at Admissionado if you need help strategizing how you might approach this issue in your application. We see this all the time and very rarely does it have a deleterious effect on someone's admissions chances.
Best,
Admissionado
Being laid off or fired is absolutely not the death knell for your prospects in the MBA admissions process. It happens to many qualified and successful people (e.g., Michael Bloomberg, Jamie Dimon.)
There are many of ways to attack this issue:
(1) Ignore it. You get to tell your story in the MBA application. If the termination was just a blip, focus on other matters.
(2) Acknowledge it minimally, especially in the "check the box" part of the application you noted. This past year has been particularly brutal for various parts of the economy, so a school will not hold it against you.
(3) Aggressively acknowledge it. In either your career trajectory essays or optional essays, you can talk about why you were terminated and then what that allowed you to do in your career since then. Everyone faces adversity in life. If you can talk about how it might have been shocking but you did X and Y and learned A and B from the entire thing, it's entirely fine. In fact, it could work in your favor if the 'redemption' or 'bounce back' is particularly impressive.
Now if you were terminated because of some sort of ethical or disciplinary matter, that's an entirely different story. I do not get the sense that's the case but that would require a separate approach.
In any event, feel free to reach out to us at Admissionado if you need help strategizing how you might approach this issue in your application. We see this all the time and very rarely does it have a deleterious effect on someone's admissions chances.
Best,
Admissionado
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Expert reply
16 Mar 2021, 14:04
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ALQJ9
Hello ALQJ9,
Thank you for your post. I certainly understand your concerns. However, I encourage you not to get too hung up on this aspect of your profile.
If this termination led to a gap in employment, I suggest you cover it in the optional essay section. Keep in mind that these essays should be brief and to the point. Do not offer long-winded excuses or any more information than is needed.
Should you explain your situation well (and have strong LORs, essays, etc.), you should not be out of the running for a top MBA program. The key is to make sure all other aspects of your candidacy as strong as possible.
If you would like to further discuss your situation and learn how Personal MBA Coach can help you put together strong applications, please reach out to [email protected].
Best,
Personal MBA Coach
