How does my profile fare?
[#permalink]
28 Jun 2007, 07:30
Hey Scott and Omari! Hope you guys are well. I know you're swamped with requests, so I appreciate any inputs you have on my profile. THanks in advance!
1. Demographic: 25, from Southeast Asia
2. Undergrad: 3.6 GPA in Business Mgt. Graduated in Top 5%. Dean's List for all semesters.
3. GMAT: 750
4. Work Experience 1 - 3.5 years at matriculation as a market research manager for FMCG, focusing on developing markets
4.1. Breadth of experience across several countries - I've led research projects in 6 countries (both developed and developing) in areas such as industry assessment, targetting, brand equity, pricing, demand estimation, and product/concept testing. I don't have direct reports, but I manage 5 external research agencies (to whom we outsource research execution).
4.2. Major achievements include (1) turning around a declining brand by leading a new segmentation project which involved quantitative analysis and an ethnographic expedition that required cross-functional collaboration among marketing, finance, R&D, sales, and product supply functions; (2) leading the category's innovation process that produces a pipeline of winning product & marketing ideas to take into market. This process has so far been successful in developing new campaigns that produced record sales
4.3. Led the set-up of new market entry strategies for new brands and worked closesly with senior management in different functions of the company
4.4. Awarded by global category president for the turnaround work; promoted in 2 years (vs average of 2.5/3 years)
4.5 In addition, I help out in a lot of mentorship / training programs inthe company
5. Work Experience 2 - briefly had a part-time tutoring business in college
6. Work Ex 3 - interned as a currency trader in a bank
7. Extracurriculars / Leadership
a. Led a social venture project focusing on education that was awarded 1st prize in an international World Bank competition that seeks to recognize youth-initiated development projects. I still do something similar to that venture today on a part-time basis
b. As a college senior, was the founder and editor-in-chief of the business school's official student publication (similar to the Harbus)
c. Selected by the university to attend an international student conference on globalization
8. Why MBA: After being exposed to innovation-specific projects and running my own social venture program, i'd like to start my own venture capital firm that specializes in building start-up brands in Asia. VC is still at its infancy in this region, so I'd like to play a role in pioneering here. I think my foundation in market research, consumer insights, and innovation will help; but I need hard skills specific to VC work such as valuation, general management, and organizational behavior.
9. Target schools: HBS (for its gen mgt track), Wharton (for its strength in finance/marketing), Stanford (innovation/links to silicon valley) and Columbia (finance,private equity)
What do you think my chances are? How do you think I could improve on my chances.
I've identified some potential weaknesses of mine -
(1) Age - 3.5 yrs WE. I plan to address this by highlighting my fast-track promotion, work which is normally led by a person 1 level higher than me,and maturity (Im still the youngest member of a 10-person multifunctional team)
(2) Technical background - I fear my research background might box me as being too technical, though this is also my strongest reason for wanting an MBA. I'm also afraid that adcoms might have the impression of marketing research as a "support function" in a field which is typically known for its brand managers