Have I locked myself into waiting an additional year?

Question

So I graduated Uni in 2014: business degree, below average GPA but pretty good GMAT. I went on to work a year internationally in the industry I want to ultimately end up in (though on the agency side with a startup company rather than on product side). I then got the opportunity to work product side (small startup again) in the US for 1.5 years before recently getting an offer to move up into a global media agency a month or two ago.

Ultimately this last move was because my new role is an awesome position to learn a lot in my chosen profession and meet plenty of people. But because I have just started work here I'm afraid I've locked myself into waiting another year before applying to MBA programs as I would have 1 year, 1.5 years, and 1.5 years work experience.

GOAL: I have known I've wanted an MBA for 3 years, and I've known this whole time I've wanted to do brand management in the gaming industry. I have been talking to people at my target companies for years and applying here and there for years. So my question basically boils down to two notes:

1) FOR MBA - would it look bad to be applying again this fall even though I've had a clear path (and have recommendations from everywhere I worked)?
2) FOR WORK - Can justify all these 1-2 year stints when networking for an internship or job interview post MBA with these companies by saying that this entire time has been me trying to join their team and you can see that by the conversations I've had and paperwork of applications over the years?

I know this was a little disjointed sorry it's hard to articulate over text my situation but wanted to hear you all's insights.

jeffreyadcom · Answer

Same QUERY posted twice in different forums!!! https://gmatclub.com/forum/do-i-need-to ... 43281.html

redfield · Answer

You're an excitable fella aren't ya? I posted it twice because the audience is *supposed* to be more diverse than you and your exclamations between admissions consultants who would have one viewpoint and fellow applicants who would have another. If you think seeking different perspectives is wacky I don't know what I can do for you.

IvyGroupeCEO · Answer

Hi there,

Thanks for sharing your background. As long as you are able to explain why you made the moves that you did and are able to "connect the dots" between those roles and what you would like to do post-MBA, it should not be a problem either for the MBA or for work. I have worked with candidates in the past who changed roles/jobs right before application deadlines, so in my view, it is not necessary to wait another year to apply. The most important thing will be to clearly convey your story and to answer the "why" (i.e., why you changed roles/jobs).

I hope this helps - if you would like to discuss further, feel to free to reach out at [email protected] or https://www.ivygroupe.com/contact.

Best,
Shaifali
(HBS Grad/MBA Admissions Expert)

jeffreyadcom · Answer

Cheers Your highness! I meant I had already posted a response elsewhere to the same query. I couldn't guess there might be dedicated fan following for different threads.

AugustAcademy · Answer

It should be ok for you to apply now - make sure you explain clearly why you've made the changes you did. Also talk about what you expect to achieve in the year leading up to your enrolment. If that story makes sense, the school should have no problem overlooking the fact that you've just started at a new job.

About how companies would perceive your frequent changes - yes, that will be a weakness - but you should be able to circumvent that by explaining your position clearly. Every job applicant has weaknesses - so its up to you to find a company that weighs your strengths more than your weaknesses.

Best,
Karthik

Have I locked myself into waiting an additional year?

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