Leaving job early before bschool?

Question

So I have put down my deposit to attend business school this fall, and am now very tempted to leave my hellhole of a current workplace. My concern is that I started this job in July of 2011 and if I quit this May, I will have less than 2 years full-time experience on my resume come recruiting time. Do you think it would matter much - in terms of recruiting - if I stayed until June or July to round out the 24 months? My gut says a month or two shouldn't matter, and I'd rather use that time to rejuvenate, get back in shape, and study Chinese. Any input would be much appreciated!!

If it matters, the school I am attending is the University of Wisconsin in their Brand & Product Management specialization. Aiming to get a marketing job at P&G, General Mills, etc...

If it matters, the school I am attending is the University of Wisconsin in their Brand & Product Management specialization. Aiming to get a marketing job at P&G, General Mills, etc...

CobraKai · Answer

I don't think those couple months are going to matter. You had enough work experience to get into B-school, so I don't think recruiters will scrutinize that.

If you can float yourself financially during this period, go for it. It may leave a gap in your resume, but that'll actually give you a chance to talk about the cool stuff you did with that time off before school started. Rejuvating is important - especially if you hate your job right now. Also - moving is a PITA and it would be nice to have time to do that. Congrats on your admit, good luck in the fall!

aerien · Answer

I'd stick it out for the full 2 years. Yes you got into bschool so you have the "necessary" experience, but there are people who go to HBS straight out of college and can't get jobs because they have no experience. You're in a different situation but its something to consider nonetheless.

Also, look at the job descriptions for what jobs you want afterwards. Some require 3+ & MBA and I'm not sure how much they budge on that.

Also, look at the job descriptions for what jobs you want afterwards. Some require 3+ & MBA and I'm not sure how much they budge on that.

voodoojohn · Answer

Well, for those companies that require their recruits to have 3+ years experience, I simply will not be eligible. But my question is will it really make a difference if I have 22/23 months of experience vs 24/25? That's really all the question is about... it's a matter of 1-2 months. Wisconsin has terrific recruiting for their brand management specialization, and they tout a 100% placement rate for their students. There must be some companies, then, that will only require 2 years pre-MBA experience if Wisconsin was willing to accept me and risk their historic placement rate. This seems especially to be the case when considering that each brand management cohort is usually less than 20 students large.

My basic assumption is that most companies recruiting at Wisconsin require two years pre-MBA experience for their brand management interns. My question is, would this requirement imply a strict 24 month cutoff, or would 22/23 months simply be rounded up to the required 2 years?

My basic assumption is that most companies recruiting at Wisconsin require two years pre-MBA experience for their brand management interns. My question is, would this requirement imply a strict 24 month cutoff, or would 22/23 months simply be rounded up to the required 2 years?

aerien · Answer

In that case, I would think it wouldn't affect anything. I was just offering another perspective -- not saying you shouldn't go to bschool or anything. Have you reached out to Wisconsin's recruitment office to see what they think? They should be able to offer some advice as far as what recruiters looking to hire Wisconsin-ites(?) are looking for.

wouldbecrazy · Answer

Have you guys noticed Bata pricing?

That is called psychological barrier that most common human beings have. So a 1 year 11 months and 2 years makes difference in creating impression. A 1 year 11 months shows impatience.

westsidah408 · Answer

I would say stick it out to 24 months at least. It does look better on the resume. Not that it is any real difference in reality.

When would you complete your 24th month. Would you still have time to rejuvenate and learn Chinese etc. before moving to Madison?

bb · Answer

Not exactly the same situation as yours, but a lot of folks are going through the decision cycle right now - Nink put a very good thread together with some input by alums that you may want to visit: https://gmatclub.com/forum/admitted-i-can-t-wait-till-i-can-quit-my-job-syndrome-109102.html

P.S. The truth is I absolutely love Nink's post as it addresses the issue of job/school transition so well.
P.P.S. Make sure you read a post by AlexMBAApply in that thread.

P.S. The truth is I absolutely love Nink's post as it addresses the issue of job/school transition so well.
P.P.S. Make sure you read a post by AlexMBAApply in that thread.

VeritasPrepRon · Answer

Hi voodoojohn, this is always an interesting debate to have (usually with yourself). My best advice is to stick it out for what looks best on the CV. Another couple of weeks of relaxing/learning a new language is nice, but it doesn't make a huge difference in the end. What looks good on your CV might follow you around for years, so it's good to take a global view on these things. I've seen people give their two weeks notice the first Friday of January, just so they can put June 2011 - January 2013 (or the equivalent) on their CV and make it look much more like 2 years than June 2011-December 2012 does.

Best of luck with whichever route you decide to take!
-Ron

Best of luck with whichever route you decide to take!
-Ron

lb2015 · Answer

Hey all!

Similar question: how many weeks at  a minimum  do you think it makes sense to leave before starting school? I don't have a lot in the way of savings (plan to take full loan offered), so I don't want to take too much time off. On the other hand, I could certainly support myself for a month or more if need be and I do want to make sure I have enough time to take at least a week's vacation (with no packing or planning), get all of my ducks in a row and pack up and move without too much rush. I only live a few hours from Yale if that makes a difference, so I can take trips back and forth for the move.

My boss is pressing for a resignation letter ASAP so they can start the hiring process. If Yale orientation starts August 7th, around what time would you guys recommend I give for my final date? I was thinking mid-July (maybe Friday the 12th or the 19th), but wondered if that will be enough time. Thoughts?

jko · Answer

I think there's good reason to stay to round out the full two years.

I also think this type of opportunity to take an extended vacation doesn't come around too often. I'm done in May - "seeya later" :D

highwyre237 · Answer

I'm planning on moving the weekend of July 28th. I'm debating between July 12th or the week before (4th of July week) on being my last week. Sounds like we have similar plans, and honestly it seems like we're taking less time off then most. You deserve a few weeks IMO

kingfalcon · Answer

Yeah, you guys are taking a lot less time off than most Sloan people. Although, I probably will be, too

. I'm tentatively planning to quit at the end of June (Sloan's pre-term week starts 8/19). lb2015, to answer your question, I think quitting roughly a month before orientation is probably a reasonable amount of time if you're trying to save money.

lb2015 · Answer

Thanks for the responses, guys! I was surprised at how much time some of the Yale folks are taking off--some have already quit their jobs to start traveling. I'm honestly pretty happy at my job, and since I'm only going to have three years work experience by this summer, I thought it might be good to hang around. Definitely leaning towards the 12th at this point, maybe earlier if I think I can swing it financially.

ApplyPoint · Answer

A few months aren't going to matter. It's when employment gaps approach 6 months that it begins to get questionable to prospective recruiters in the future.

My advice is to use your time off to think about your strategy when it comes to the internship and post-MBA job search. You are going to want to hit the ground running as soon as school starts.

I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,
Mary Pat Jacobs
Apply Point Admissions Consulting

MBAAdmissionsCoach · Answer

Have you considered reaching out to the Career Services staff at Wisconsin to ask for their advice on this question?

In my opinion, one to two months is not a significant issue.

Additionally, it's very important to take time to disconnect from work, rest and mentally prepare for relocating and beginning your MBA. You don't want to start your MBA tired and worn out from working so much over the summer.

I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if i can help further.

Wendy Flynn
MBA Admissions Coach

krussell · Answer

I quit my job 6 weeks before school started, and I felt like it wasn't enough to decompress before the program.

Think about it this way - for two years, you are going to eat, breathe, and sleep business. MBA programs take your full effort if you encompass everything you do in and outside the classroom (networking events, recruitment, seminars, etc.). When you graduate, if you are without a job, any time off is going to be spent looking for a job. The time you have now is a great point to rejuvenate and enjoy doing whatever makes you happy. Everyone I went to school with who stayed at work until the very end (2 or 3 weeks before school started) absolutely regretted it.

I did my management internship at a top tier CPG firm within brand management during my MBA and can tell you that it is one of the few industries that simply does not care about your background pre-MBA. They hire plenty of BBA's into the same role as an MBA and are an industry that grooms their employees as a clean slate from school. They won't care if you left your job in April vs. June when you apply during recruitment.

jlgdr · Answer

Have a quick question, maybe you can help me since I've not been able to find this issue on the forum

Is there any issue if you quit working after receiving the admission decision? I plan to work until Jan 4th and my decisions will come on the week of Dec 15th. I already know that if I'm dinged by both school I'll be heading to CBS, but I was wondering it there would be an issue when the guys from the BG check call and HR tells them that I no longer work there because I left in Jan 4th. (I'll try to do the BG check as quick as possible after admission but these guys take their time). The reason I'm leaving soon is b/c I want to start a Pre-MBA internship asap.

Thanks for the thoughts,
Cheers
J

Leaving job early before bschool?

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