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Profile Eval - Career Change

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hamm0
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Senior Manager
Joined: 31 Oct 2011
Posts: 474
Own Kudos [?]: 277 [0]
Given Kudos: 57
Schools: Johnson '16 (M)
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
WE:Asset Management (Mutual Funds and Brokerage)
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Profile Eval - Career Change [#permalink] New post   04 Nov 2011, 05:22
Hello, I have a long post.

Ethnicity, Nationality: White, American
Age: 23 (24 when I apply)
Gender: M
Undergrad: 2.75 Top 10 engineering program (Civil and Environmental, Business Minor)
WE: 17m (24 when I hope to apply, 36 at Matriculation)
GMAT: Planned Feb '11 (just started studying - initial score without studying = 630. Figuring I can go 700+)
EC: College -Habitat for Humanity, new student orientation leader, ASCE, yearbook photographer, intramural sports (basketball, football, soccer) Post grad -Not much since college, a few soup kitchen trips but nothing significant

I started working for a medium sized (500-1000 employees) General Contracting firm 2 weeks after graduation, and have worked on multiple $100M projects. In the process, I was promoted from Field Engineer to Project Engineer. My next promotion won't occur for another 3-4 years, or when I get my PE license (3 more years, assuming i pass on first try). My current project will last for 3-4 more years, and hasn't really placed me in a area of the world I want to be (town of >2000 people, southern WV), and requires a 5-6 hour drive on Sundays and Fridays :cry:

Consequently, I've been looking to getting my MBA in the future, so I can get out of this industry and into GM, MC, or IB. However, given my young(ish) age and low GPA, I am by no means guaranteed a spot at a top tier program, and really don't want to be sitting it out here in WV. I've made a few good contacts, and have looked into a switch to the design side of engineering. However, this isn't exactly what I want to be doing post-MBA.

Don't really know if you answer questions here, but if you do - here are a few:

Do you think switching to design (lateral in terms of rank, but a drop off on the number of people i manage) would hurt my resume? Why or why not?

I assume I'll be able to get rec's from my current manager, as he knows my ultimate plan to go get MBA, but I can't assume I'll make as good contacts in my next job in time for apps. Who else can i use for recs?

I know if I switch this would be a good use of the extra essay section, but I was already planning on using that for a different weak part of my resume; I slacked off a lot in college :oops: Do you think the combo of a low GPA + a job switch after 1.5 years will be too much to overcome?

Moving on, my dream school is Wharton, but i also am interested in (in order) Fuqua, Stern, Tepper, Columbia, Mendoza.

Are there any others i should look at?

Would a 700 put me in range of these?

Thank you in advance for taking time out of your day to answer :-D
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L
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Posts: 9216
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Location: Chicago, IL
Schools:Brown University, Harvard Business School
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Re: Profile Eval - Career Change [#permalink] New post   05 Nov 2011, 04:06
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Wharton is not out. Get the GMAT. Give them a good story. Show them (PROVE them) that you CAN succeed, and that your GPA was maybe just folly of youth, and you are still in the running. Yes, it'll be tough, but you'll just have to work harder.

As for the job switch, if it's pure computing, quality of life, design, with NO leadership at all, or increase in responsibilities then yes, it'll hurt your profile. So if you are serious about the Bschool thing, hold tight, and do what you can to take on responsibilities at your current job. But I think you already knew that :)
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Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 9216
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Location: Chicago, IL
Schools:Brown University, Harvard Business School
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Re: Profile Eval - Career Change [#permalink] New post   04 Nov 2011, 07:36
Expert Reply
hamm0 wrote:
Hello, I have a long post.
Do you think switching to design (lateral in terms of rank, but a drop off on the number of people i manage) would hurt my resume? Why or why not?

I assume I'll be able to get rec's from my current manager, as he knows my ultimate plan to go get MBA, but I can't assume I'll make as good contacts in my next job in time for apps. Who else can i use for recs?

I know if I switch this would be a good use of the extra essay section, but I was already planning on using that for a different weak part of my resume; I slacked off a lot in college :oops: Do you think the combo of a low GPA + a job switch after 1.5 years will be too much to overcome?

Moving on, my dream school is Wharton, but i also am interested in (in order) Fuqua, Stern, Tepper, Columbia, Mendoza.

Are there any others i should look at?

Would a 700 put me in range of these?

Thank you in advance for taking time out of your day to answer :-D

Wow!!! that's a lot of questions! I'll do my best:

Do you think switching to design (lateral in terms of rank, but a drop off on the number of people i manage) would hurt my resume? Why or why not?

If it's a better job with more opportunities, no. Keep in mind that whatever you do we can make it into a good story.

I assume I'll be able to get rec's from my current manager, as he knows my ultimate plan to go get MBA, but I can't assume I'll make as good contacts in my next job in time for apps. Who else can i use for recs?
Anybody who a) Has managed/supervised you directly or indirectly b) and who is excited. This can be from workplaces but also non work places such as Habitat

I know if I switch this would be a good use of the extra essay section, but I was already planning on using that for a different weak part of my resume; I slacked off a lot in college :oops: Do you think the combo of a low GPA + a job switch after 1.5 years will be too much to overcome?
No. You need a)To have a good story b) To kick the **** out of the GMAT c) to explain why you did so poorly in an essay.

Moving on, my dream school is Wharton, but i also am interested in (in order) Fuqua, Stern, Tepper, Columbia, Mendoza.
Are there any others i should look at?

Johnson. Anderson for starters. Maybe some others.

Would a 700 put me in range of these?

Yep. But you just go ahead and do as good as you can. If you can beat a 720 that would be mega-awesome.
User avatar
hamm0
Senior Manager
Senior Manager
Joined: 31 Oct 2011
Posts: 474
Own Kudos [?]: 277 [0]
Given Kudos: 57
Schools: Johnson '16 (M)
GMAT 1: 690 Q45 V40
WE:Asset Management (Mutual Funds and Brokerage)
Send PM
Re: Profile Eval - Career Change [#permalink] New post   04 Nov 2011, 10:08
precisionessay wrote:
hamm0 wrote:
Hello, I have a long post.
Do you think switching to design (lateral in terms of rank, but a drop off on the number of people i manage) would hurt my resume? Why or why not?

I assume I'll be able to get rec's from my current manager, as he knows my ultimate plan to go get MBA, but I can't assume I'll make as good contacts in my next job in time for apps. Who else can i use for recs?

I know if I switch this would be a good use of the extra essay section, but I was already planning on using that for a different weak part of my resume; I slacked off a lot in college :oops: Do you think the combo of a low GPA + a job switch after 1.5 years will be too much to overcome?

Moving on, my dream school is Wharton, but i also am interested in (in order) Fuqua, Stern, Tepper, Columbia, Mendoza.

Are there any others i should look at?

Would a 700 put me in range of these?

Thank you in advance for taking time out of your day to answer :-D

Wow!!! that's a lot of questions! I'll do my best:

Do you think switching to design (lateral in terms of rank, but a drop off on the number of people i manage) would hurt my resume? Why or why not?

If it's a better job with more opportunities, no. Keep in mind that whatever you do we can make it into a good story.

I assume I'll be able to get rec's from my current manager, as he knows my ultimate plan to go get MBA, but I can't assume I'll make as good contacts in my next job in time for apps. Who else can i use for recs?
Anybody who a) Has managed/supervised you directly or indirectly b) and who is excited. This can be from workplaces but also non work places such as Habitat

I know if I switch this would be a good use of the extra essay section, but I was already planning on using that for a different weak part of my resume; I slacked off a lot in college :oops: Do you think the combo of a low GPA + a job switch after 1.5 years will be too much to overcome?
No. You need a)To have a good story b) To kick the **** out of the GMAT c) to explain why you did so poorly in an essay.

Moving on, my dream school is Wharton, but i also am interested in (in order) Fuqua, Stern, Tepper, Columbia, Mendoza.
Are there any others i should look at?

Johnson. Anderson for starters. Maybe some others.

Would a 700 put me in range of these?

Yep. But you just go ahead and do as good as you can. If you can beat a 720 that would be mega-awesome.

Thank you for the prompt response. If it is ok with you, I'd like to follow up on a few things, namely the job switching bit.

Anderson is out, i'd like to stay on the Right Coast if possible.

Also, 720 is right where i'm hoping to land..lots of work to do. Do you think Wharton is out due to the low GPA, even if I manage a 720+? They seem to have one of the higher average GPA's.

As far as job switching, moving from a job where I have management responsibilities and deal daily with financial issues to a job where my prime responsibility is design work and no financial or management responsibilities - I know you said its all about the story we can tell, but c'mon, this one can't be viewed as a positive, can it? The only reason i would want to switch is better quality of life/give engineering 1 more shot before re-branding myself though b-school.
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