Profile Evaluation | 10+ Years Experience | Senior Manager (India)

Question

Hi everyone,
I’d really appreciate your perspective on my profile and how competitive it might be for top European MBA programs — particularly  LBS, INSEAD, HEC Paris, and IMD .
 Background: 
 
 Indian female candidate 
 First MBA: Marketing major from  NMIMS (2015–2017)  
 ~10 years of total work experience (2.5 pre-MBA + 8 post-MBA) 
 Currently working as a  Senior Manager , leading a new strategic initiative involving cross-functional collaboration and process design. 
 Prior roles in  FMCG, e-commerce, and construction  sectors — experience spans sales, brand management, and business strategy.  
 Goal: 
 To pursue a  second MBA  focused on gaining  global exposure and consulting experience , with the long-term aim of moving into international strategy and leadership roles.
 London (and the UK/Europe in general) is my preferred post-MBA destination.
 GMAT Prep: 
 Currently preparing (targeting  750+ , planning to take the GMAT Focus in Dec 2025).
 Questions: 
 
 Given my 10+ years of experience and an existing Indian MBA, how do schools like LBS / INSEAD / HEC / IMD view such candidates? 
 Would a  full-time MBA  still make sense, or should I explore  Executive MBA  options? 
 How can I best justify the  second MBA  in my application? 
 Any advice on positioning or targeting specific schools given my background and goals?  
Thank you in advance for your time and honest inputs. Any perspectives from current students, admits, or alums would be hugely appreciated.

pintukr · Answer

With a GMAT score of 750+, you will be ideally positioned for securing an admit from these schools..All the Best.

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

kris321 , Some thoughts on your profile evaluation and some questions to begin with: The academic arc sounds alright driven by the NM pedgiree. How have your GPAs been? What about the UG pedgiree and major/stream? The professional profile hints at being interesting but the details are too sketchy. Employer name/brands? Have they been prior feeders? How has your trajectory been? Etc etc etc. Lots of questions to consider. Second MBAs are not uncommon. However, in our experience, European schools tend be less stoked about these than the US ones with the exception of IMD. If you haven't, connect with all your target schools for an initial profile discussion. Also consider IESE (assuming you are deliberately avoiding US programs). European schools value international exprience a lot. Have you had any? Top schools look for solid ECs/volunteer efforts . Anything here? Typically, MBA after 30 is tricky and you'll face challenges as an outlier candidate at all regular full-time programs. Given that context, you can explore the Sloan Fellows/Stanford MSx programs (in US though). EMBAs tend to be quite limited in terms of their immediate career impact and are rarely useful for making a geographic shift in our expreince. Hope this helps some. Please feel free to reach out on mcb@mbacrystalball.com with a resume and answers to above questions further discussion. Cheers,

TheRedPen · Answer

Hi kris321 , You have a competitive profile for a second MBA at top European programs such as London Business School, INSEAD, HEC Paris and IMD. With 10 years of experience, you’ll need to position this as a strategic pivot rather than a reset. A full-time MBA makes sense if your goal is to transition into consulting in London, as it provides access to recruiting pipelines and internships. Executive MBA programs are better suited for those seeking senior leadership growth without a major career switch. To justify a second MBA, clearly articulate what your first degree did not provide (global exposure, consulting access, international network) and why now is the right time. Strong GMAT Focus performance, a well-structured career story, and tailored school fit will be essential. If you would like to strengthen your positioning and application strategy, I recommend scheduling a free consultation to develop a targeted plan for these programs. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.

admitStreet · Answer

kris321 - To assess your profile better, I'd like to understand your acads (undergrad school, GPAs), work experience (companies, roles, key projects, progression, any international exposure, etc.), extracurricular activities and personal/ professional motivations (i.e. why second MBA). Having above-average work experience presents both strengths and challenges. The key challenge is having a convincing narrative covering 'why (second) MBA' and achievable (ambitious yet realistic) career goals. The advantage is the potential to show transferable skills from your past and current roles. We've had candidates with a prior Masters/ MBA background successfully make it to top European programs such as this candidate who made it to HEC with scholarships . Executive MBA programs (e.g. MIT/ LBS/ Stanford Sloan Fellows) are also viable options to consider. However, these are better suited for more senior (12-14+ years work-ex) folks who want to advance within their own company/ sector. Feel free to reach out through the link below for a detailed discussion. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Testimonials W: https://admitstreet.com/ | LinkedIn | Request a Free Profile Evaluation

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi  kris321 ! You can be competitive at LBS / INSEAD / HEC / IMD, but how you apply matters far more than just the GMAT target. With 10+ years and a prior Indian MBA, you must convincingly justify why a second (full-time) MBA is the right step instead of an EMBA or executive program, especially because top schools admit only a small number of second-MBA candidates and expect a crystal-clear career rationale. If your goal is to switch into international strategy consulting and gain a global leadership platform, a full-time MBA (R1, excellent GMAT, strong storytelling, and a plan to use on-campus recruiting) is usually the more persuasive route.

How top European schools generally view second-MBA candidates: Most top schools will consider applicants who already have an MBA, but they expect a strong, specific reason for a second MBA (career pivot that the first MBA couldn't enable, transition across countries/industries, or to gain a specific credential/network). Some schools publicly warn that second MBAs are judged strictly, you must explain why now and why a different MBA format/school.

INSEAD & other top European programs explicitly expect you to explain what the first MBA didn’t provide and how their program will uniquely close that gap. In practice, one-year or accelerated formats (for example, some schools’ 1-year MBAs) sometimes are more openly structured for experienced candidates with previous managerial degrees.

LBS describes its MBA as for people at a relatively early stage in their career; however, LBS does admit senior candidates who show a clear, immediate career plan that requires a full-time global MBA experience (internships, on-campus recruiting). Expect to need to justify opting for an FT MBA rather than an EMBA.

Choose Full-time MBA if your priority is: switching to international strategy/consulting via on-campus recruiting and internships. Intensive career pivot (geography + industry) and the network/time to build it.

Executive / EMBA if you: want to stay employed, accelerate within your current company, or gain a credential without a 1-2 year career break; seek classroom learning + immediate workplace application rather than internship-led career switches.

Talking about your strengths: 10+ years of experience with progression to Senior Manager, signals leadership & maturity. Cross-functional experience (sales, brand, strategy) across FMCG, e-commerce, and construction shows breadth and transferable skills for consulting. Prior Indian MBA and work history show business foundation and regional market knowledge. Strong GMAT ambition (750+), hitting this would be a major positive signal.

Why a second MBA? Admissions committees will ask: What specifically will you gain that you didn’t from your first MBA?

Age/experience cohort mismatch: Many FT MBA cohorts are younger (4–8 years). At 10+ years, you’ll need to show how you still benefit from the full-time experience and why you aren’t better served by an EMBA.

Recruiting mechanics: switching to consulting through a second MBA is doable but requires intensive networking, internships, and demonstrating consulting readiness (case prep, prior strategy work, measurable leadership results).

To address this: Build a crisp “Why now / Why this MBA” narrative. Emphasize project-level consulting experience (strategic initiatives, cross-functional programs, P&L ownership, transformation programs). Quantify results. STAR stories that map to consulting competencies, problem-solving, impact, leadership, and team influence. Quantify outcomes. Recommenders who can validate strategic leadership, choose senior sponsors who can attest to cross-functional impact and scale. A networking plan, a good number of alumni/consultant conversations before application to test the story, and for referrals.

Questions for you to reflect upon:
1) What were the main outcomes of your biggest strategic initiative (metrics, business impact, P&L effects)?
2) Do you have consulting-style projects in your recent roles (transformation, strategic reorg, cost takeout)? 
3) Are you willing to take a 1-2 year career break and relocate internationally for internships/recruiting?
4) How committed are you to consulting immediately after the MBA vs using the MBA to pivot into international strategy roles in industry?

We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experiences, and personal journey so we can offer a more tailored assessment of your profile and evaluate your chances at your target schools more accurately. Feel free to  book a profile evaluation session.

You can also register for our Upcoming ESSAY WORKSHOPS. Craft essays that shine: pick powerful stories, match your goals with each school, and showcase authentic leadership.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Profile Evaluation | 10+ Years Experience | Senior Manager (India)

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