Reapplicant Career Goal Dillema
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30 Jul 2008, 11:19
Guys,
I have a dilema and wanted some feedback from all of you.
Last year I applied to 5 schools (in the 10-15 ranking range), and was waitlisted by 2. I would consider myself a borderline case, seeing that i have a very low gpa (2.75), GMAT score of 730 and decent work experience as Sr. Analyst for strat. planning @ Yahoo.
I chose I-banking as my stated career goal in the essays, and recently with the macro-economic outlook resulting from the credit crunch, and the turmoil in the banking sector, I've been having thoughts of changing my stated career goal with my re-apps. The only reason stopping me is that I wrote passionately about why I wanted to get into i-banking, and then to change my goals in less than a year, would seem odd to the admissions folks.
However, the article below suggests the employability factor is an issue that should be factored into tailoring essays, and now I'm really 2nd guessing everything.
What do you guys think? I'd appreciate it if anybody in the same predicament can share their thoughts. Any insightful feedback would be appreciated as well.
Thanks,
[b]Mission Admission: A Focus on Employability?
July 27th, 2008 | Posted in Mission Admission, Blogroll
It is somewhat ironic that after HBS made a career goals essay optional, Stanford broadened the wording of its second essay question to include “aspirations” (removing the words “short and long term career goals”) and Chicago mentioned that they were not too concerned about short and long term goals in their first essay (but would defer to their interview) that we are the ones harping on employability. We still think that asking MBA candidates about their goals is plainly absurd, because so many students change their goals while in school. Further, isn’t an MBA supposed to be about career development and exploration?
Well, regardless of how we feel, in a year when the economy is down and many firms will be cutting back on their MBA hiring, it is important that you ensure that (if a school asks via its essays or interview) you have a clear and compelling story for where your MBA will take you. Two years ago, it might have been compelling for you to get that banking job. Are you really capable of making that transition today? There are certainly fewer jobs in the real estate world. Is this a likely next step for you during a prolonged real estate drought? VC and PE jobs are challenging to land during the best of times – are you able to compete with the elite during a downturn?
These are just a few examples of questions that you might honestly ask yourself. It is important to keep in mind that MBA Admissions Committees are not only examining your story to make sure that you add something unique to the class, but, this year, they will likely send any borderline cases to the career services offices to confirm that your goals are realistic and that you won’t be difficult to place post-MBA (that you won’t hinder the school’s employment stats and thusly affect their rankings). So, pay special attention to your goal statements and ensure that you can credibly stand behind them.