Concluding our series on decoding INSEAD essays, the last essay we will deep-dive into is on career path and rationale. If you are planning to apply to INSEAD and would like a candid discussion/ assessment of your profile, book a
free profile evaluation session with me.
Essay prompt: Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (300 words maximum)Top 3 Tips:1. Craft a clear outline of your career journey since undergrad i.e. which companies did you join, which roles did you hold, career progression within roles, why you switch companies/ roles (if any). I suggest following the CARL structure i.e. Context, Action, Result and Learnings for each role you have held.
2. Quantify wherever possible. This shows both the impact of your contributions, and shows your quantitative nature.
3. Pro-Tip: Link your core traits and career choices to key themes INSEAD values: international exposure, data-driven first-principled analysis, team-collaboration, resilience and (ideally) entrepreneurship/ sustainability
Sample/ Winning Essay
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At the time of my graduation from college I had secured a placement offer from Bain for a consulting analyst profile. I ultimately chose to not take up this offer and joined my newly started family business in organic and sustainable dairy farming. I became the managing director and had directly oversaw finances, marketing, sales, product development and quality control. In 1.5 years we grew annual revenue to $180,000 and expanded our distribution network to 5 other cities. Additionally we secured large B2B contracts and negotiated financing in tough COVID market conditions. However, despite our best efforts we could not attain sustainable profitability and had to shut down operations in 2019.
After this setback I joined (Confidential) in 2019 to develop my analytical and consulting skills while gaining direct exposure to client projects. I gained promotions in successive years, advancing from an Analyst profile to an Associate Consultant within 3 years. Towards the end of my tenure was managing a team of 5 analysts while directly handling $30M – $200M categories on billion-dollar projects. I developed a specialisation in logistics and supply chain management with a focus on the North American and European geographies.
In 2021, I launched a gourmet food business while continuing with my day job, with the intention of pursuing my passion as well as giving my entrepreneurial ambitions another chance. In the first year of business, I grew it to $100K+ in revenue and now manage a team of 20 people across different functions and domains. I have also launched a hospitality consulting business where I aim to couple my business skills with my team’s culinary expertise to help young professionals start their own F&B businesses. We have delivered 5 projects in 3 cities in our first 3 months and continue to expand.
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Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet
W:
https://admitstreet.com | E:
consultingteam@admitstreet.com