Short career break before MBA

Question

Hi Team,

I am planning to take a short career break from my current company due to family medical reasons, since my company is refusing to relocate me even temporarily. Taking care of my dad is a priority but will this be bad for my application? I am planning to start work after about 3 months time and also give my Gmat in the meantime. please help me out with your suggestions.

Pollux

fxMBAconsulting · Answer

Hi,

When were you thinking about applying to b-school? in R2 this year or in R1 2015? If it is just a 3 month 'leave of absence' and you are not 'quitting' your job technically I would not even reflect this in your CV/Resume. It is similar to a person who takes maternity leave - you are off work for 1-3 months and maybe you are not paid...but you haven't quit your job. Ask your boss if you can structure it that way.

If you are actually quitting then you do need to reflect the 3 month gap in the resume but you can use an optional essay or text box to simply explain the situation to the adcom. I don't think it will hurt your application. That said - I always discourage clients who say they are going to quit their jobs to work on their app/GMAT - it looks very bad to the admissions committee. So if the 3 month leave is going to show up on your resume I would not take the GMAT during or just after that 3 month period.

Hope this was of help!

Best,
Leah

pd88 · Answer

Hi Leah!

Thank you for your reply.
The reason I am taking a break is due to family crisis but yes I do plan to utilize whatever time I might get to prepare for Gmat.
I am planning to apply in 2015 R1 ,mostly in Canada.
Is taking a break such a grave mistake? I am doubting my decision to resign but then 2015-MBA would be like a last chance to go for it.

fxMBAconsulting · Answer

So you will resign from your current position now (break Nov, Dec, Jan) and then you will start a new position in Feb 2015? Do you already have something lined up for Feb 2015 or will you have to conduct a search + interview process? I'm just hoping you don't end up having to look for a new job for 3 months which would mean you were out of work for 6 months instead of just 3...? Do you have strong recommenders at your current company? Are you leaving on good terms?
I don't think it is a big deal if it is just 3 months. It depends on the situation with your dad too - if he is very very ill I can understand why you would want to stay with him. Again I would avoid taking the GMAT during the 3 months you are helping out your family.

pd88 · Answer

Hi Leah,

My break starts in December. I am considering 3 months on the maximum limit that i am going to take off.
Also, i do not have anything lined up as of now but i hope to find something sooner in maybe a month.
I am leaving my current company because of relocation problems , so there are no such hard feelings.
I have 1-2 good recommenders at my current company. 
Also, if i don't take the gmat in the next 2-3 months, it might be too late to apply even in R1 next year.
I am planning to apply in Alberta,Sauder-UBC, Tefler, Haskayne in Canada.

regards.

fxMBAconsulting · Answer

OK - Well the only advice I'd give is to start sending out resumes for your next job during the 3 months you are also helping your dad. You don't want to be out of work for too long if you can avoid it. I don't think the schools you listed will be as critical of you doing your GMAT during the 3 month sabbatical so go for it!

pd88 · Answer

Thank you so much Leah. I hope this decision proves right for me.
Once again, thank you for your help.

Admissionado · Answer

A three month break with a good reason is no big deal, as long as you are gainfully employed when you apply. Also, don't do NOTHING for three months - volunteer, run some fundraising something, win a competition - fill the time with something more than just taking care of your family issues and studying, if you can... it will look better later on...

Best,
JF

fxMBAconsulting · Answer

No worries. Feel free to reach out to me directly this summer or next fall.
Best,
Leah

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

I would rather see you start something else that you are passionate about, even if it is not full time, vs. spend your free time studying for the GMAT. If you are applying next year, you have plenty of time for the GMAT. While everyone studies differently, I see applicants achieve the best results when the studying is crammed into a shorter time period. i.e. how much time will you really have free while dealing with family issues, not to mention the stress involved? If you space out your GMAT studying too much, it may not really be beneficial to start so early. If you spent your free time doing something in the community in a leadership position, or starting something entrepreneurial, even if it is small, that will give you extra material to write about during your applications.

That said, you know your schedule best and it certainly isn't wrong to study for the GMAT while you aren't working, but I would rather see you spend your time (1) looking for your next job (2) interesting extra-currics that will help to set you apart. GMAT studying can be done in a few months closer to the summer if need be (of course balanced with this new job that you have). If you focus too much on the GMAT and have a longer than three month gap because the recruiting suffers, this won't help your chances.

Good luck and reach out for any other specific guidance. Best wishes for your family

-Scott Edinburgh

fxMBAconsulting · Answer

I have a slightly different perspective when it comes to how the 3 months is put to use. My thinking is that if this is REALLY a family emergency then it is justifiable to quit your job and dedicate your time to the situation. It is pretty hard to believe that if someone is in the midst of a serious family situation - they will also have time to start up their own thing or otherwise. Claiming that you did so could lead to questions as to whether the situation with the family warranted taking 3 months off work in the first place. In short: does story B undermine story A

'My grandmother was deathly ill and I was taking care of her for 6 months - and I also managed to pass the first two levels of the CFA exam/start a non profit etc. during that time...'

'My grandmother was deathly ill and I was taking care of her for 6 months - and I also managed to pass the first two levels of the CFA exam/start a non profit etc. during that time...'

bb · Answer

I agree. If you do take time off then it is serious enough and you should use your time to provide as much support and help as you can. It is obviously a hard decision and a hard situation. Nobody expects you to neglect family so your app can look good. And if the school had an issue with that their priorities are seriously messed up.

dheeraj7890 · Answer

Hi Pollux,

I agree with few responses here, and it's not a big deal if you take a 3 months break from your work.
The adcoms would be fine with it as long as you have a convincing story. But yes, as mentioned by someone else as well
don't just do nothing during that time.
I am and MBA myself (SDA Bocconi, batch of 2011) and also interviewed with 6 schools. To quote one of the examples of my friend, he actually took a break for 2 months from his work and pursued his interest of community service (worked for an old age home). It actually was a great value add for his profile.
Hence, I would say its actually an opportunity for you. As there is a Chinese saying "There is opportunity in crisis". Take advantage of this and work on something you never really could during work. It would help you both personally and professionally. I am sure you can manage sometime even after taking care of your dad.

Hope this helps !
Let me know if you have more questions

Cheers !
DJ

Cheers ! DJ

Short career break before 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