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NoobSaibot
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Graduate of 09's economy... No "real" work experience 19 Jan 2010, 10:21
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Graduted with a B.S. in the spring of 2009 and I work two part-time jobs at minimum wage. So I want to go back to school and get a MBA. Would I be looked down at for not having a business related full-time job? I've looked and looked for a good job for the past year and there is NOTHING out there. All of my friend's that are in the same graduating class as me can't find anything either. My #1 choice is Mizzou Business School btw. Would I need an outstanding GMAT score to compensate for the lack of work experience?
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Graduate of 09's economy... No "real" work experience 19 Jan 2010, 11:45
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NoobSaibot
Graduted with a B.S. in the spring of 2009 and I work two part-time jobs at minimum wage. So I want to go back to school and get a MBA. Would I be looked down at for not having a business related full-time job? I've looked and looked for a good job for the past year and there is NOTHING out there. All of my friend's that are in the same graduating class as me can't find anything either. My #1 choice is Mizzou Business School btw. Would I need an outstanding GMAT score to compensate for the lack of work experience?
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i'd say so yes. for higher ranked schools, even a high gmat might not be enough. but for mizzou you might be able to convince them with an outstanding gmat.
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Graduate of 09's economy... No "real" work experience 19 Jan 2010, 11:57
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Dear Graduate,

Although you might be able to get into Mizzou with a high GMAT, having a career plan after MBA is equally important. Not being able to find a job post-degree is not limited to those graduating with a bachelor's degree, it happens to MBA graduates as well.

Before deciding to apply for a MBA (and take on the additional loans if you are admitted), I would urge you to think about what you would do with your MBA. Then, research on what kind of experiences those industries look for. Do your career research before taking the GMAT. Although it might seem a good decision due to lack of job opportunities, MBA is a significant investment of time and effort. If it still seems the right decision, you will be in a stronger position to answer application essays, the first of which at many schools focuses on what you would do post-MBA, as well as get a job (the real point of a MBA) in your area of interest.

As for the lack of "real" work experience, the point in any experience is how strong of an impact you were able to make at what you did, regardless of whether it was at an actual corporation or weekend charity.
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Graduate of 09's economy... No "real" work experience 19 Jan 2010, 12:37
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I think you should consider something other than a MBA degree.

If you go to a second or third tier school that will accept you without much work experience.....after 2 years, you are not much better than undergrads with a BBA degree graduating in the same year.

You will most likely end up with a mountain of debt, but lower wage than what traditional MBA grads are expected to earn after graduation.

I understand the situation that you are in, but other options should be considered:

1. Teach for America or Peace Corp
2. Other graduate programs such as law school, MS Accounting, MS Finance, etc (prominent graduate programs for individuals without much work experience and well established recruiting/career route)
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Graduate of 09's economy... No "real" work experience 19 Jan 2010, 14:15
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NoobSaibot,

nink offers valuable suggestions. Ultimately, it depends on your career plans. I would reiterate finalizing those (or at least having an approximate idea) before making the commitment for a MBA.

Also, if you are really keen on a MBA at the present time for personal reasons, part-time programs could be an option. These will give you additional time to figure out your career plans and be less of a financial burden since you could keep working. Also, part-time programs start three times a year, versus full-time programs that start once a year, making them slightly less selective and more adaptable to an applicant's needs.
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Graduate of 09's economy... No "real" work experience 19 Jan 2010, 15:03
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Thank you all for the feedback! I haven't really looked into part-time programs but that sounds like a great idea. Looks like Mizzou doesn't offer a part-time program but WashU does. Would part-time programs want full-time work experience as well? Or could I just explain that I want to find full-time experience (and work full-time somewhere) as I'm in the part-time program.

Edit: I forgot to ask... if it takes a full-time program two years to be completed, how many years does it take for a part-time program to be completed?
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Graduate of 09's economy... No "real" work experience 20 Jan 2010, 07:52
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Noob,

Generally, part-time program tend to be easier to get into than their full-time equivalents. However, when you apply to these, you will be competing with applicants who have significant full-time experience.

If you are really keen on a university such as WashU, you should research it further to understand if it meets your career ambitions and course requirements to be able to better convince AdCom of your fit even though you have a different professional profile than your peers. Part-time programs take 3-5 years, depending on how many classes you take in a year.