Importance of Selling your story

Question

Hello Fellow GmatClubbers,

Lately I have been reading various Gmatclub Member "Chance Me" posts along with similar posts from other sites, and I started wondering  what are the chances of a person with a "regular" job getting into to a top 20 B-school? Second, would it be wrong of me to assume that for such an applicant more so than others it would be extremely important to "sell their story" in the application really well?   Now I know many who post on this site and others tend to be overachievers so by no means and I assuming all applicants fit this mold. Also by "regular" job I am referring to those of us that don't do anything flashy. I'll use myself as an example. I"m 24 (soon to be 25!) and currently I working for the State of Michigan as a Secretary of State (referred to as the DMV in many other states) Branch Manager. I Will have close to two years work exp there by the time I apply to B school this fall. My other work exp is in Retail which i have 2 years full time work exp from when I was in college. So if i included everything that would be about four years of work exp.  My final question is would an applicant like myself or others be at a serious disadvantage of a previous industry we work in or worked in or Is it truly how well you "sell your story"?  Thanks for any and all replies.

GMATLA · Answer

Well one of the best ways to find out if you'd be competative is to post all your statistics so we can take a look.

BUT, before I answer your questions, I think really just need to remind you that work experience is just one aspect of the application (although an important part). There is the GMAT, GPA, Undergrad School, Essays, Interview, Resume, Age, Race, Gender, Life Story, Awards, Extra Curriculars, etc...

So to answer you question in general, YES, it is possible for people with "normal" work experience to get into Top 20 schools. A lot of your application is going to be dependent on how you phrase yourself in your essays. You have to show where you've come from, why you are interesting, why you normal job experience has tought you valuable lessons, and where you want to go and how XYZ School's MBA is going to get you there. Most every applicant as an area (or two/three) that they aren't spectacularly excited about. The one thing that can help you sleep at night is that the area you are unhappy about there is very little you can do about it. In fact, many applicants are unhappy with their WE. You really have to let it go, and start working on other aspects of your application that you can improve on. For example, GMAT, extra curriculars, essays, leadership, etc... To me, it seems that you feel like you are a "normal/average/below average" applicant in gernal but you are really just basing that on your WE. Imagine if in the next year you ran a marathon, gained a leadership position at a non profit, and scored a 740 on your GMAT. Guess what, you WE has suddenly been overpowerd by your strong will, drive, motivation, and need to succeed. Schools love this drive. Don't sell yourself short, you have the power to improve and become a strong Top 20 applicant. You just have to take the chances that schools want to know you are capable of doing. Then when it comes to your application, you can really mold your work experience into the experience that has motivated you and taught you, and how you will improve the students around you at the program of your choice.

If you want to go to a Top 20, make yourself a star in all the areas you have control over TODAY, forget about your WE (of course work towards promotions and raises b/c that will help) and kill it man. You can do this.

Good luck!

cheetarah1980 · Answer

I'm going to disagree a bit with GMATLA. Yes it is important to be able to articulate "your story." However, for Top 20 schools there does tend to be a formula. B-schools like known quantities and work experience in familiar fields with familiar companies gives them that. B-schools need to see your work experience as relevant for future employment as well as classroom contributions. Also, schools are lazy in the sense that they prefer to let the company you work for vet you for them. If you work for an organization that is known to be very selective in terms of who is hired then that gives you an automatic stamp of approval.

For "regular jobs" Top 20 schools don't know how rigorous the selection process was, the relevance of the work you're doing, nor what success would like in that industry/employer/role. You can play up as many aspects of your story as possible, knock out the GMAT, and already have a stellar GPA. For the most selective schools your resume will still be a hard sell. There's a reason why there a ton of students from the same companies at all the top schools. Top schools tend to go for what they know.

I know what I'm saying is a buzz kill, but it's better for you to know this up front. I'm not saying you can't overcome the hurdle of working in "regular jobs." You should just be prepared to address these potential concerns up front.

theanomalie · Answer

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I am currently working on building up the Work exp. I'm fortunate in that I have been promoted twice already in my year with the State of Michigan. Question i have is what extra curriculars does one do when working full time? Like would this be volunteering at the Urban League or some other institution such as Boys and Girls club of America or Big Brother Big Sisters?

theanomalie · Answer

I understand what you mean and I appreciate you taking the time to explain that. So you someone in my position who works at the DMV for the State of Michigan has a dramatically lower chance even with a stellar app than someone from a stereotypical field?

cheetarah1980 · Answer

That's not quite what I'm saying. Someone can have non-traditional or different experience and it can stand out. Another applicant can come from a "stereotypical field" and not stand out. It's more about the prestige and selectivity of your employer, moreso than the sector your employer is in. You will find a bunch of former government employees in top schools. However, they likely worked for the State Department or a prominent US senator or maybe even the POTUS. As you move further down the rankings you see more people with "regular jobs." Your best indicator of your chances is to look at where people who have had your role end up for an MBA.

GMATLA · Answer

I definitely do agree with what cheetarah is saying, but for you, you just have to understand that work experience is something that you can do very little about. SO it is your job to beef up every other aspect of your application. It is definitely good that you've been promoted, and would be especially good if you could get some type of leadership position where you truly have people that report to you (I know I know, easier said than done!!)

Quote:

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I am currently working on building up the Work exp. I'm fortunate in that I have been promoted twice already in my year with the State of Michigan. Question i have is what extra curriculars does one do when working full time? Like would this be volunteering at the Urban League or some other institution such as Boys and Girls club of America or Big Brother Big Sisters?

Volunteering/EC's come in different forms, but the best form is going to be a leadership position at a group that has something to do with where you want to be some day. For instance, if you want to be in real estate then there are tons of professional real estate groups out there that meet and do philanthropy or networking etc... So find something professional. If there isn't anything professional, or you don't believe it will lead to a leadership position, then I would volunteer at an organization in your area that will at some point lead to a leadership position. So maybe a young philanthropist group, or a Junior Achievement, or something similiar where you might think you could work towards leadership. It is better to do one EC over a long period of time and really have an impact and show leadership as opposed to being a member of 2 or 3.

There might even be non profits or groups that have something to do with your alma mater, or a group started by graduates, and that might be a great place to start. You just have to find what will be good for you, work into your schedule (most other members will work full time), and get active. Start beefing up that application! Maybe start training for a half marathon or mini triathalong, or doing something that will really pop. Especially something you could discuss in your application and show how not "normal" you actually are.

The best you can do with your work experience is frame it as well as you can, or find something new if you want to be in something else. Other than that, improve yourself EVERYWHERE else you can, and don't worry about your experience. And apply to a wide range of schools. If you start early, there are plenty of ways to beef up that app, none of which have to do with your work experience. PS everyone knows it can be tough to work for the government, and they are selective many times, so you do have that going for you too.

Let me know if there is any other advice we can give you

. Make urself shine!

Importance of Selling your story

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