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May 0710:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Sia Admissions Founder Susan Berishaj is covering this live on YouTube, May 7: how admissions committees actually evaluate goals statements, who is in the room, and why the goals statement most applicants submit wouldn't survive that conversation.
May 0711:30 AM PDT
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Most MBA resumes fail not because of weak experience — but because of how that experience is presented. In this episode, we break down what makes an MBA resume effective, and how to shift from listing responsibilities to demonstrating impact...- May 07
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A strong MBA application is built long before you start writing essays. In this session, Scott Edinburgh (Founder, Personal MBA Coach) shares 6 practical ways to improve your MBA profile before MBA application season - May 08
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May 1310:00 AM EDT
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18 Apr 2022, 00:36
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hoping to apply to INSEAD MBA in next cycle.
Background
26 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 18 months.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (Had no knowledge when first arrived. I am confident with a few more months of intense study I can meet the INSEAD requirements for a second language. )
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Living in Australia, Germany, USA, and South Korea. Consider self a global citizen and have visited 50 countries in lifetime including many as a solo traveler.
Education & GMAT
Bachelors of Finance from Tier 1 (But admittedly unremarkable and non-target) school in US. 3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative. I almost failed out my first two years but had a watershed moment and from then on did not get below a 3.5 GPA for the remainder of my time in University, getting Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity Chapter
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 750
SAT (not sure it matters): 2000 / 2400
Experience
Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company
Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for translating client requirements into high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Aged 22-23 and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.
Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup
Job 2: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup
Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....
Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S
Job 3: Contractor @ Consulting
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). I ONLY work in the public sector. Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements in global markets, c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. I travel extensively to the United States for my clients and in 2021 spent ~90-120 days on business trips on their behalf conducting research, conferences, meeting potential partners etc. I generated over $200,000 in revenue in 2021 alone.
Key Concerns
Work Experience: In total I only have 3 years of post-undergrad working experience. None of this time was spent at any notable firms and with the exception of 3 months, all 3 years were in the capacity of a sole owner or part owner of a start-up.
Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.
Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States with extremely subpar rankings. The only nationally recognized programs in the school are for liberal arts, and medicine. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.
Outlook
A South Korean client has told me they are interested in partnering with me in creating a U.S subsidiary in the next few years. I wholeheartedly believe in the product and through the course of my work with them as a client over the past 14 months, I know just as much as their team does. They would like me to come in as an operator/manager for the entity but I have concerns regarding my qualifications. In South Korea especially, qualification is viewed as highly correlated with years of experience in combination with certifications/education. Given my relatively young age (Many Korean males don't enter the work force until 22-23 because of mandatory military service) I view it as essential to go to a top MBA program that aligns with my international background in order to add to my global network, add to my credentials, and give me key insight into how to be a more high level operator in a business setting. Despite my youth I have spent the vast majority of my adult life doing everything I can to develop a unique value proposition in terms of my knowledge and skills in accordance to what I believe is a blue ocean market. It has proven extremely successful from a consulting perspective but I feel I need an MBA to take the next step into working in industry directly with a client in attempting to build a new business with real products/money behind it. To me, INSEAD's MBA program is the personification of what I am looking for in terms of higher education and I am desperate to fine tune my profile to meet their standard.
Any insight is greatly appreciated.
Background
26 Year old Korean-American working and living in South Korea for last 18 months.
Native English Speaker
Practical Knowledge of Korean (Had no knowledge when first arrived. I am confident with a few more months of intense study I can meet the INSEAD requirements for a second language. )
Basic Spanish (4 years in college/high school)
Living in Australia, Germany, USA, and South Korea. Consider self a global citizen and have visited 50 countries in lifetime including many as a solo traveler.
Education & GMAT
Bachelors of Finance from Tier 1 (But admittedly unremarkable and non-target) school in US. 3.5 Major GPA, 3.4 cumulative. I almost failed out my first two years but had a watershed moment and from then on did not get below a 3.5 GPA for the remainder of my time in University, getting Deans List a total of 8 times.
Founding member, Vice President, Philanthropy Chairman (x2) of Fraternity Chapter
2 summer study abroad programs in Korea at Top Universities.
GMAT: 750
SAT (not sure it matters): 2000 / 2400
Experience
Job 1: Warehouse Worker / Logistics Manager / Market Manager @ Strategic Marketing Company
Started in college moving boxes for rent money, promoted within 3 months to Logistics Manager. Six months later running the entire market (in this case a US State). Responsible for translating client requirements into high end promotional and luxury events. Handled all day to day, operational, administrative activities required for the company to have a presence in market. Oversaw year-over-year event increase by 300% and increase in staff size from 3 to 40 personnel. Aged 22-23 and average age of peers in comparative roles was 30-40. Doing this essentially full time while attending university. Quit upon graduation because of concerns COVID-19 would have on business outlook.
Brief 3 month stint at US Federal Contracting Company as a Business Process Analyst. Resigned for two reasons : COVID-19 significantly destabilizing business and receive an offer to partner with old associate running a Tech/Consulting Startup
Job 2: Partner @ Tech/Consulting Startup
Partner at consulting/tech startup that is still active to this day. Specifically servicing clients in the Federal contracting space by providing custom and high level technical solutions in relation to ERP systems. Utilized tools such as excel, python, sql, xrp to automate and optimize business processes for customers. Extremely client facing. Responsible for all accounting, payroll, invoicing for company and also procured, distributed, reconciled $100,000 of COVID-10 relief funding. In my year at this company we brought in over $250,000 in consulting revenue. In late 2020 I gave up my equity and ....
Moved to South Korea in pursuit of closer alignment with my native culture. Before leaving set up my own consulting company incorporated in U.S
Job 3: Contractor @ Consulting
Leverage connections and niche industry knowledge to secure contracts working with Korean start ups to billion-dollar global companies. Work in close partnership with Korean consulting company in similar industry to keep pipeline full. What I do is help Korean companies engage with global procurement markets (think UN, MDB's, US federal govt, etc...). I ONLY work in the public sector. Work is extremely forward facing with regular engagements in global markets, c-level executives, and foreign companies. Specializing in data driven research, deliverable presentation, and formal recommendations regarding pricing structure, market entry and strategic partnerships to stakeholders. I travel extensively to the United States for my clients and in 2021 spent ~90-120 days on business trips on their behalf conducting research, conferences, meeting potential partners etc. I generated over $200,000 in revenue in 2021 alone.
Key Concerns
Work Experience: In total I only have 3 years of post-undergrad working experience. None of this time was spent at any notable firms and with the exception of 3 months, all 3 years were in the capacity of a sole owner or part owner of a start-up.
Language: I am still gradually building up my secondary langauge skills and do not consider myself to be business proficient. Considering I am Korean ethnically, I am concerned how this may appear in an interview with an in-country alumni when I am not fluent in my mother language.
Education: I went to a Top-100 University in the United States with extremely subpar rankings. The only nationally recognized programs in the school are for liberal arts, and medicine. Coming from a non-target with only slightly above average grades, I am worried my academic background will hold me back.
Outlook
A South Korean client has told me they are interested in partnering with me in creating a U.S subsidiary in the next few years. I wholeheartedly believe in the product and through the course of my work with them as a client over the past 14 months, I know just as much as their team does. They would like me to come in as an operator/manager for the entity but I have concerns regarding my qualifications. In South Korea especially, qualification is viewed as highly correlated with years of experience in combination with certifications/education. Given my relatively young age (Many Korean males don't enter the work force until 22-23 because of mandatory military service) I view it as essential to go to a top MBA program that aligns with my international background in order to add to my global network, add to my credentials, and give me key insight into how to be a more high level operator in a business setting. Despite my youth I have spent the vast majority of my adult life doing everything I can to develop a unique value proposition in terms of my knowledge and skills in accordance to what I believe is a blue ocean market. It has proven extremely successful from a consulting perspective but I feel I need an MBA to take the next step into working in industry directly with a client in attempting to build a new business with real products/money behind it. To me, INSEAD's MBA program is the personification of what I am looking for in terms of higher education and I am desperate to fine tune my profile to meet their standard.
Any insight is greatly appreciated.
18 Apr 2022, 09:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
jko2795:
You have a really interesting profile with some strong statistics. A few things to note:
(1) I think your GPA should be fine, especially if you pulled off a 3.4-3.5 despite your early shortcomings. I do not think that will be an issue for INSEAD. In fact, it just might be an asset given your backended performance.
(2) What about any ECs while out of school? I see you have some involvement in college. That's important and if it's somewhat nonexistent I think you need to focus on that component prior to applying.
(3) I am not worried about your years of work experience as much as I am about the jumping around. Your three jobs in three years is also going to make things challenging for securing letters of recommendation and showing endurance. You can definitely make this work but it's going to require some "art" with respect to your CV/resume and essays. If you wait a year and are able to build on your current role, you might be in an even better position. That is, of course, a personal call.
Overall, you will definitely be a good candidate for INSEAD but there are elements of your profile you can clean up to improve your chances.
If you think we can help, please sign up for a free consultation using this link:
https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/
You have a really interesting profile with some strong statistics. A few things to note:
(1) I think your GPA should be fine, especially if you pulled off a 3.4-3.5 despite your early shortcomings. I do not think that will be an issue for INSEAD. In fact, it just might be an asset given your backended performance.
(2) What about any ECs while out of school? I see you have some involvement in college. That's important and if it's somewhat nonexistent I think you need to focus on that component prior to applying.
(3) I am not worried about your years of work experience as much as I am about the jumping around. Your three jobs in three years is also going to make things challenging for securing letters of recommendation and showing endurance. You can definitely make this work but it's going to require some "art" with respect to your CV/resume and essays. If you wait a year and are able to build on your current role, you might be in an even better position. That is, of course, a personal call.
Overall, you will definitely be a good candidate for INSEAD but there are elements of your profile you can clean up to improve your chances.
If you think we can help, please sign up for a free consultation using this link:
https://admissionado.com/free-consultation/
19 Apr 2022, 09:34
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi, jko2795,
Thank you for your post!
First of all, you have a very interesting profile with a mix of a little of everything. Moreover, you have some strong academic statistics; you did score a 750 on your GMAT, which is quite extraordinary; furthermore, you do have a decent overall CGPA, and it’s quite impressive how you balanced both your studies and work during your time in college. Now, for your GPA, I think it’s OK; however, you could definitely back it up with some substantial examples of leadership, decision-making, and analytical skills in your work tenure.
About your work experience, you do have a relevant amount of work experience; however, you have been continuously changing your role in the past three years, and so you need to give very strong points in favor of it. You could start with answering questions like - Why do you think it was a good time for you to switch? What were your aims & aspirations regarding your career switch? Why did you choose specific industries, and why? And finally, how would you link your past experiences and skill-set with this new role? You may want to read an article on How to distinguish yourself in an MBA application. This would most certainly help provide insights and help you develop a unique application.
Coming to ECAs, you haven’t mentioned any; however, it’s quite understandable regarding you were involved in other work activities during college. However, top B-schools like INSEAD would require you to have some ECAs at the very least. So I would say, if possible, add some relevant volunteering, community work, or some other ECAs and then try to mention all about your contribution, the challenges, leadership roles played, the impact generated, and the relevant skills developed through your ECAs to be able to bank upon them in your school essays! INSEAD evaluates your potential based on the following criteria:
1. Ability to contribute
2. Leadership skills
3. International motivation
4. Academics
Make sure you aligned your profile with the above-mentioned aspects. Overall, you have a relevant profile for INSEAD; however, you should understand that INSEAD is a top B-school and is no short of stellar profiles. A heck lot of your selection will directly depend upon how well you are able to connect the dots between elements of your profile and present them in the form of mesmerizing essays in front of the adcom! If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further help you with your strategy for essays and interviews regarding MBA programs; feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.
Let's create a Roadmap for R1 Sept 23 intake
Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: [email protected]
Thank you for your post!
First of all, you have a very interesting profile with a mix of a little of everything. Moreover, you have some strong academic statistics; you did score a 750 on your GMAT, which is quite extraordinary; furthermore, you do have a decent overall CGPA, and it’s quite impressive how you balanced both your studies and work during your time in college. Now, for your GPA, I think it’s OK; however, you could definitely back it up with some substantial examples of leadership, decision-making, and analytical skills in your work tenure.
About your work experience, you do have a relevant amount of work experience; however, you have been continuously changing your role in the past three years, and so you need to give very strong points in favor of it. You could start with answering questions like - Why do you think it was a good time for you to switch? What were your aims & aspirations regarding your career switch? Why did you choose specific industries, and why? And finally, how would you link your past experiences and skill-set with this new role? You may want to read an article on How to distinguish yourself in an MBA application. This would most certainly help provide insights and help you develop a unique application.
Coming to ECAs, you haven’t mentioned any; however, it’s quite understandable regarding you were involved in other work activities during college. However, top B-schools like INSEAD would require you to have some ECAs at the very least. So I would say, if possible, add some relevant volunteering, community work, or some other ECAs and then try to mention all about your contribution, the challenges, leadership roles played, the impact generated, and the relevant skills developed through your ECAs to be able to bank upon them in your school essays! INSEAD evaluates your potential based on the following criteria:
1. Ability to contribute
2. Leadership skills
3. International motivation
4. Academics
Make sure you aligned your profile with the above-mentioned aspects. Overall, you have a relevant profile for INSEAD; however, you should understand that INSEAD is a top B-school and is no short of stellar profiles. A heck lot of your selection will directly depend upon how well you are able to connect the dots between elements of your profile and present them in the form of mesmerizing essays in front of the adcom! If you'd like, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to discuss your profile in length and further help you with your strategy for essays and interviews regarding MBA programs; feel free to book a free session with us at your convenience.
Let's create a Roadmap for R1 Sept 23 intake
Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Channel Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: [email protected]
jko2795
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