Is my experience sufficient?

Question

I'm a 24 year old from Ghana about to take the GMAT. I graduated with a Geophysics degree in 2023 and worked a year in the oil and Gas industry as a Quality Assurance Trainee. I own a startup I started in 2021 which connect informal retailers and artisans to customers nationwide. It's called cedisaver. While in Uni, I also worked Remotely as the Digital Media Manager for my Dad's radio firms. I've been wondering if my work experience will be a thorn in my flesh in MBA applications. I'm considering Darden, Haas and Johnson. Say I do well in the GMAT focus, will my work experience be a problem?

Archit3110 · Answer

Work experience full time is what is considered, you can always try mentioning about your business but first focus on gmat try to achieve par score..

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  moriahadika ,

Thanks for writing in.

Business schools will only consider your full time work experience.

Ideally, you should look at having at least 3 years of work experience at the time of joining and a good GMAT score; experience lower than this may prove to be an impediment.

All the best!

suburbandaredevil · Answer

Your startup Cedisaver is a standout! Connecting informal retailers and artisans is impactful, and Darden, Haas, and Johnson will love that entrepreneurial spirit. Your 1-year oil and gas experience is short, but the startup compensates. A strong GMAT (675+) can make you competitive—focus on leadership in essays.

grandzeno · Answer

The remote Digital Media Manager role for your dad’s radio firms shows initiative! That’s a great story to highlight for MBA apps—schools like Haas value diverse experiences. Your work experience isn’t a problem if you frame it well. Aim for a GMAT above 685 to strengthen your profile for these schools.

NextstopISB · Answer

Good profile, work on GMAT

dhoffamerasia · Answer

Given your unique initiative, including your startup experience and work as a digital media manager, combined with an excellent GMAT score (I'd say at least a 675+), you may have done just enough to earn an admit (with fantastic essays and applications). However, since you graduated so recently and only have one year+ of full-time experience in a junior role, it will definitely be an uphill battle. If you're able to clearly show evidence of your transferable skills (leadership, teamwork, innovation, maturity & readiness, etc), you could give yourself a shot. The other option is to take the next year or two to push forward with your career and systematically build your candidacy to eliminate all doubts and provide a much clearer path to an admit.

If you're interested in discussing your candidacy further, please reach out to me at [email protected] or sign up for a free initial MBA admissions consultation here: https://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact

Is my experience sufficient?

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