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Need help deciding which intake for career pivot

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elizhang302
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Need help deciding which intake for career pivot [#permalink] New post   17 Oct 2023, 11:54
Greetings everyone,

I am currently employed as a content strategist at a leading tech firm in China, with a prior 4-year tenure as a Design and Digital Strategy Director at a U.S. news agency. My aim is to transition into a marketing role post-MBA, and I am in the process of applying for INSEAD’s MBA program.

I initially leaned towards the August intake; however, after delving into numerous discussions on this forum, the January intake caught my attention due to the internship opportunity it offers.

Here are the factors contributing to my dilemma:

- The internship associated with the January intake seems invaluable, especially since I lack formal marketing experience. I am concerned about my employability in international firms in a marketing role post-MBA without this internship experience.

- On the flip side, I have accumulated 9 years of work experience and wonder if I might come across as overqualified for an internship.

- My consultant opined that my current role already encompasses certain marketing responsibilities, questioning the necessity of an internship.

- also there’s the concern for time. If I go for a Jan intake, I’ll graduate more than two years from now. (I’m already 33yo)

I am keen to hear your insights and experiences, particularly from those who have navigated a similar career transition. Your input will be instrumental in helping me make an informed decision.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

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MBAGuide
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Re: Need help deciding which intake for career pivot [#permalink] New post   17 Oct 2023, 22:31
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elizhang302 wrote:
Greetings everyone,

I am currently employed as a content strategist at a leading tech firm in China, with a prior 4-year tenure as a Design and Digital Strategy Director at a U.S. news agency. My aim is to transition into a marketing role post-MBA, and I am in the process of applying for INSEAD’s MBA program.

I initially leaned towards the August intake; however, after delving into numerous discussions on this forum, the January intake caught my attention due to the internship opportunity it offers.

Here are the factors contributing to my dilemma:

- The internship associated with the January intake seems invaluable, especially since I lack formal marketing experience. I am concerned about my employability in international firms in a marketing role post-MBA without this internship experience.

- On the flip side, I have accumulated 9 years of work experience and wonder if I might come across as overqualified for an internship.

- My consultant opined that my current role already encompasses certain marketing responsibilities, questioning the necessity of an internship.

- also there’s the concern for time. If I go for a Jan intake, I’ll graduate more than two years from now. (I’m already 33yo)

I am keen to hear your insights and experiences, particularly from those who have navigated a similar career transition. Your input will be instrumental in helping me make an informed decision.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

Posted from my mobile device



elizhang302

The answer is more nuanced than you expect. What kind of marketing roles would you like to target at INSEAD? Do you have any prior connections or an understanding of the pipeline to these companies and roles? If you choose the August class, you will be pressed for time when starting your job hunt from scratch. It would be wiser to start sowing the seeds that will grow in the form of coffee chats and interviews as soon as you arrive at INSEAD, giving you a head start in terms of planning. If you opt for the January batch, you will have an additional two months to contemplate your strategy, take a step back, and improvise if you aren't very sure about the roles you wish to target.

If I were in your position, I would target the August batch (given your age and experience) and then re-evaluate readiness for the August intake. Under genuine circumstances INSEAD will allow you to defer to the Jan batch.

Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com
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GyanOne
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Re: Need help deciding which intake for career pivot [#permalink] New post   19 Oct 2023, 23:58
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elizhang302 wrote:
Greetings everyone,

I am currently employed as a content strategist at a leading tech firm in China, with a prior 4-year tenure as a Design and Digital Strategy Director at a U.S. news agency. My aim is to transition into a marketing role post-MBA, and I am in the process of applying for INSEAD’s MBA program.

I initially leaned towards the August intake; however, after delving into numerous discussions on this forum, the January intake caught my attention due to the internship opportunity it offers.

Here are the factors contributing to my dilemma:

- The internship associated with the January intake seems invaluable, especially since I lack formal marketing experience. I am concerned about my employability in international firms in a marketing role post-MBA without this internship experience.

- On the flip side, I have accumulated 9 years of work experience and wonder if I might come across as overqualified for an internship.

- My consultant opined that my current role already encompasses certain marketing responsibilities, questioning the necessity of an internship.

- also there’s the concern for time. If I go for a Jan intake, I’ll graduate more than two years from now. (I’m already 33yo)

I am keen to hear your insights and experiences, particularly from those who have navigated a similar career transition. Your input will be instrumental in helping me make an informed decision.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

Posted from my mobile device


Hi

- An internship can be helpful especially in functional roles related to marketing, finance etc. You are right to think about this.
- This is an MBA internship. You are not overqualified for it. This is not a traditional internship where you are among the junior employees - most firms offer short-term project-based internships commensurate with your seniority.
- It is possible that you could get a post-MBA role without an internship too, but if you have a choice, an internship can help.
- Even if you go for the Sep intake, you will still graduate 1.75 years from now, so the difference is marginal.

Keep these factors in mind, and take your decision.
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elizhang302
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Re: Need help deciding which intake for career pivot [#permalink] New post   20 Oct 2023, 06:05
MBAGuide wrote:
elizhang302 wrote:
Greetings everyone,

I am currently employed as a content strategist at a leading tech firm in China, with a prior 4-year tenure as a Design and Digital Strategy Director at a U.S. news agency. My aim is to transition into a marketing role post-MBA, and I am in the process of applying for INSEAD’s MBA program.

I initially leaned towards the August intake; however, after delving into numerous discussions on this forum, the January intake caught my attention due to the internship opportunity it offers.

Here are the factors contributing to my dilemma:

- The internship associated with the January intake seems invaluable, especially since I lack formal marketing experience. I am concerned about my employability in international firms in a marketing role post-MBA without this internship experience.

- On the flip side, I have accumulated 9 years of work experience and wonder if I might come across as overqualified for an internship.

- My consultant opined that my current role already encompasses certain marketing responsibilities, questioning the necessity of an internship.

- also there’s the concern for time. If I go for a Jan intake, I’ll graduate more than two years from now. (I’m already 33yo)

I am keen to hear your insights and experiences, particularly from those who have navigated a similar career transition. Your input will be instrumental in helping me make an informed decision.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

Posted from my mobile device



elizhang302

The answer is more nuanced than you expect. What kind of marketing roles would you like to target at INSEAD? Do you have any prior connections or an understanding of the pipeline to these companies and roles? If you choose the August class, you will be pressed for time when starting your job hunt from scratch. It would be wiser to start sowing the seeds that will grow in the form of coffee chats and interviews as soon as you arrive at INSEAD, giving you a head start in terms of planning. If you opt for the January batch, you will have an additional two months to contemplate your strategy, take a step back, and improvise if you aren't very sure about the roles you wish to target.

If I were in your position, I would target the August batch (given your age and experience) and then re-evaluate readiness for the August intake. Under genuine circumstances INSEAD will allow you to defer to the Jan batch.




Thanks, Aanchal Sahni. I didn't know they could allow deferral in this case before.. Very helpful info.
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elizhang302
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Re: Need help deciding which intake for career pivot [#permalink] New post   20 Oct 2023, 06:09
GyanOne wrote:
elizhang302 wrote:
Greetings everyone,

I am currently employed as a content strategist at a leading tech firm in China, with a prior 4-year tenure as a Design and Digital Strategy Director at a U.S. news agency. My aim is to transition into a marketing role post-MBA, and I am in the process of applying for INSEAD’s MBA program.

I initially leaned towards the August intake; however, after delving into numerous discussions on this forum, the January intake caught my attention due to the internship opportunity it offers.

Here are the factors contributing to my dilemma:

- The internship associated with the January intake seems invaluable, especially since I lack formal marketing experience. I am concerned about my employability in international firms in a marketing role post-MBA without this internship experience.

- On the flip side, I have accumulated 9 years of work experience and wonder if I might come across as overqualified for an internship.

- My consultant opined that my current role already encompasses certain marketing responsibilities, questioning the necessity of an internship.

- also there’s the concern for time. If I go for a Jan intake, I’ll graduate more than two years from now. (I’m already 33yo)

I am keen to hear your insights and experiences, particularly from those who have navigated a similar career transition. Your input will be instrumental in helping me make an informed decision.

Thank you in advance for your advice!

Posted from my mobile device


Hi

- An internship can be helpful especially in functional roles related to marketing, finance etc. You are right to think about this.
- This is an MBA internship. You are not overqualified for it. This is not a traditional internship where you are among the junior employees - most firms offer short-term project-based internships commensurate with your seniority.
- It is possible that you could get a post-MBA role without an internship too, but if you have a choice, an internship can help.
- Even if you go for the Sep intake, you will still graduate 1.75 years from now, so the difference is marginal.

Keep these factors in mind, and take your decision.


Thank you! Sounds like an ideal situation is that I take some relevant gigs before MBA if I opt for the Aug intake.
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Re: Need help deciding which intake for career pivot [#permalink]
20 Oct 2023, 06:09
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