Minimum time to stay at a job pre-MBA?

Question

Hey everyone,

What would you say is the minimum time to stay at a job if the job is “good” and if “things are going well”?

Say we're talking about a senior analyst / pre-MBA Associate job and a person in his/her mid-20s.

I know that it depends on what industry you're in and what the gap is between “your outside option” and your current position. But what is the general rule of thumb?

How long should you have been in a job before another hiring manager or B-school Adcom can take your experience from that job into account? Before it really adds value to your CV?

12 months? 18 months? 24 months?

Would “bachelor’s degree → 24 months at company A → 18 months at company B → 18 months at company C → MBA” be considered a “Job Hopper CV”?

domotron · Answer

I don't think there is any hard and fast rule. To be honest your time line above doesn't strike me as someone who is a job-hopper. Especially if you have moved for promotions, more responsibility, career progression. If you work at company C for 18 months before matriculating, I don't see that as an issue at all.

rustamz · Answer

If the job is “good” and if “things are going well” the general rule of thumb is to stay at least two years. First year for you to learn everything and go through the complete yearlong cycle. Second year for you to take the initiative, to show that you were hired for a reason, and to see how much improvement you make compared to year one. Third year (possibly depending on specific situation) to show leadership skills and add value to the company (more than what you have to do as part of your job responsibilities).

I don't believe jumping from one company to the other would be considered a "job hopper". You need to be careful, however, not to change jobs too often, and have reasonable explanations of your decisions.

I don't believe jumping from one company to the other would be considered a "job hopper". You need to be careful, however, not to change jobs too often, and have reasonable explanations of your decisions.

surajkumar00116 · Answer

Hi Dear,
 Don't take fast decision for job in any conditions if job profile is good and your interest in it then minimum 24 months stay is best for future because many companies are count the stability 
 in job ..

haroldmiler · Answer

I think this is a good approach.
i m totally stranger and i wanna discus on this topic if any body is online so please reply me i m waiting.
i appreciated you. 
Thanks for sharing this information.

aerien · Answer

There is no formula of work experience that will get you to an MBA. Everyone has their own path based on type of role, responsibilities given or seeking, industry, the economy, etc.

For the most part, you don't want to change jobs every 3-6 months if you have a full time job (stick it out for 6 months to a year and see how it goes) and you should be building on skills/ experience with each subsequent position.

Most MBA programs have average work experience at 5-6 years post-college. You may find you need that amount of time before an MBA makes sense for you, or less, or more.

Minimum time to stay at a job pre-MBA?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards