Teaching English Experience prior to applying

Question

Hello! I'm an entrepreneur and currently applying for the 2015-2016 intake. In the case that I do get accepted I have already started the process of selling my business in hopes of getting admitted (This would be the ideal situation: get accepted, sell business, go off to b-school). In the case that I do not get into the school of my choice, then I am going to wait the following year to apply. However, my business is likely to be sold with or without getting admitted. This would leave me unemployed.

Question: How would adcom view a "gap year" OR teaching English abroad prior to MBA? I understand the natural/common progression of graduate from undergrad, teach abroad, work at GE, then apply to B-school. But I started my business during my undergrad and now I want to experience what it's like to teach and live abroad. My career progression would look like: started business, graduated from undergrad, interned, teach abroad, apply to B-school. Fragmented...I know.

However, there are countless hard and soft skills that teaching abroad would provide that I never learned as a small business owner: working cross-culturally, leadership, management (I view teaching and management in a similar light), etc.

Your input(s)would be appreciated. Thanks.

myEssayReview · Answer

Hi,

If your plan to teach English abroad fits well into your career goals story, then I don’t see any issues with it. The key is to convince the Ad Com about each of your career moves - started business, graduated from undergrad, interned, teach abroad, apply to B-school ,and post MBA career goals, and long term career goal . It’s important to let the Ad Com know about your rationale behind each career move, how you move from point A to B to C , and how you think after having taught abroad for one year , MBA is the next logical step in your career plans . In short- your career goals story should make sense.

I hope it helped.

Admissionado · Answer

Well, it depends what your business is, what you are doing with it in the meanwhile, what happened with it so far, etc.

Also think about: WHY are you choosing to teach English? Where? And how does or can this fit in your short and long-term goals?

Best,
Jon

fxMBAconsulting · Answer

Mmmm you sound like the kind of entrepreneur b-schools like...one who actually started and ran a business that was sold! Your business is a PR firm I take it??? I think that teaching would be an interesting opportunity...presumably after the sale of your business you would have enough in the bank to sustain yourself for a year abroad (so you wouldn't be dependent on whatever stipend you received from teaching...correct?) I would brainstorm some other options as well...beyond teaching would you be interested in getting involved in a non-profit or socially driven start-up in a foreign country? That might be a little bit more out of the ordinary. Do you speak any foreign languages/have any international experience - is teaching abroad a way of learning one for you or is it not a primary goal? I hate Rocket Internet but it is pretty easy to get involved with them in LatAm, Africa or Germany.

You've definitely got a cool story, depending on GMAT & post-MBA goals, and how you frame your story you *could* be the sort of candidate they like at Stanford, Kellogg. Where were you thinking of applying?

You've definitely got a cool story, depending on GMAT & post-MBA goals, and how you frame your story you *could* be the sort of candidate they like at Stanford, Kellogg. Where were you thinking of applying?

Teaching English Experience prior to applying

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