PROFILE EVALUATION

Question

Work Ex -

About 4 years of work ex at Salesforce   in India as a Software Engineer but with some work in product management too since no PM in our org 
 Enrolled in "Accelerate" programme used in Salesforce to groom future managers 
 Promoted to the next level in around a year showcasing future potential

Academics -  
 
 GPA - 8.06/10 
 Was Teaching Assistant for MBA students in the class Business Analytics 
 Took electives like Programme Management and Digital Marketing studying along MBA students

POST MBA Goals - 
 
 Join Tech field again as a product or a programme manager

GMAT FE  - 675

IELTS  - 7.5

EXTRA CURRICULARS -

Project Lead at an NGO called Nirmaan leading a team of 5 volunteers working on rural women uplifment

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi  aryang0301  ! I hope you are doing well. Your profile has strong elements, particularly your work experience at Salesforce, where you combined software engineering with product management responsibilities, participated in the "Accelerate" leadership program, and secured a promotion within a year. Your academic background is also decent, with an 8.06/10 GPA, experience as a TA for MBA students in Business Analytics, and exposure to management-level electives. Your extracurriculars add value, especially your leadership in an NGO focused on women's empowerment. Your post-MBA goal of transitioning into product or program management in tech is logical and well-aligned with your background.

Your GMAT Focus score of 675 is great with Quant (100%) but might need some verbal reasoning. Also, the lack of a formal PM title, might put you at a disadvantage against applicants with direct product management experience. To mitigate this, your essays should strongly emphasize cross-functional leadership, stakeholder management, and decision-making skills. Additionally, obtaining a PM certification or taking a relevant course could reinforce your career pivot. On the extracurricular front, quantifying your impact in the NGO, such as the number of women impacted and measurable outcomes, would make this aspect of your profile more compelling. Do you have any international experience? You can take a look at  BLOG1  ,  BLOG2  ,  BLOG3  and  BLOG4.   Webinar sessions.

You can also take a look at these success stories:  Mr. Engineer  ,  Mr. Ai Engineer  ,  Mr. Sr. Product Manager.

With strategic improvements, you can build a strong and compelling application for your target schools. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a 1:1 call with you to learn more about your profile and provide a detailed evaluation and gauge your chances to the best-fit schools.  Please feel free to schedule a profile evaluation call according to your convenience.

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
 Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

aryang0301 , Some thoughts on your profile evaluation and plans: The academic arc is a bit unclear. You've not mentioned the degree details - which college? How selective. Which program? All those matter, not merely the GPA. On the GPA itself, while the score looks ok, it also has to be looked in comparison to the relative standing. For the European programs mentioned on your profile, the GMAT score should be alright. The professional profile is promising since Salesforce is a known feeder brand. Have peers/seniors from your specific team made it to your target schools in the recent past though? How fast is a year and how selective is the Accelerate program? Bring out the PM role clearly. European schools value international experience a lot. Anything here? Nirmaan is a good NGO to be associated with and leadership role helps. The actual benefit on your candidature will depend on the impact you've delivered of course so bring that out well. Anything during college? Hope this helps and sparks the right questions. Feel free to reach out on mcb@mbacrystalball.com for a deeper discussion. Cheers,

GeneralEducation · Answer

Hello  aryang0301  ,

Determine the impact of NGO (number of women impacted, outcomes). Clarify academic background (degree, university, selectivity). Highlight Product management skills in essays, as you lack a formal PM title; consider certification/coursework. Frame Salesforce achievements (program competitiveness, promotion speed). GMAT FE (675) is good with strong Quant, but consider retaking to improve overall and Verbal/DI scores.
 
DM us for a 1:1 detailed profile analysis with our admissions experts.

TheRedPen · Answer

Hi  aryang0301 ,

This is a strong profile with a good mix of academic and professional achievements. Here's a breakdown:

Strengths:

Strong Work Experience: 4 years at Salesforce is a significant asset. Your experience as a Software Engineer and your involvement in product management demonstrate your technical skills and business acumen.
Academic Excellence: A GPA of 8.06/10 from a good Indian university is a strong indicator of your academic abilities.
Leadership Experience: Your role as Project Lead at Nirmaan and your involvement in the Salesforce "Accelerate" program demonstrate your leadership and teamwork skills.
GMAT Score: A 675 is a good starting point, but you can aim for a higher score (700+) to increase your competitiveness.
Unique Blend of Skills: Your combination of technical skills (Software Engineering) and business acumen (Salesforce experience, project management) makes you a well-rounded candidate.

You can consider tier 1 schools across India, the USA, and Europe. However, we can determine the list once we understand your overall profile and goals. Your essays need to articulate your career goals to showcase your target admissions.

We would like to speak with you over a call as that would allow us to discuss various elements involved in the decision-making process and help create a strategic list for you. Feel free to  schedule a complimentary call  with our MBA consultants. You can also connect with them via call or WhatsApp at +91 7780769732

MBAGuide · Answer

aryang0301

Hope you are doing well. What kind of schools are you looking at? The higher up you are targeting, the more convincing your achievements will have to be.
For the career growth progression part, you've only been with one organization in what typically is an individual contributor role (SE), but it looks like you may have some good examples of when you stepped in to take on bigger responsibilities in a more collaborative role, like that of a PM. Highlight what incremental responsibilities you gained with each success within the project/company. Promotions and LORs will be very, very important to the applications.
Your academic pedigree is not clear. While Tier 1 undergrads do have a head start when it comes to impressing the adcoms, people from no-name schools can actually showcase their achievements holistically despite not having that branded education advantage from the beginning.

The extracurricular engagement is hopefully recent and impactful. Please note that being in a leadership role in community service and carrying out impactful work through your own ideas is much more appreciated than just being one of the volunteers in a team with little to show for leadership.

I think your score could be better, but I am very impressed with that 100th percentile on the quant. Schools outside of India will definitely take note of that.

Happy to answer any school specific questions should you have them

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]

aryang0301

Work Ex -

About 4 years of work ex at Salesforce [mega company] in India as a Software Engineer but with some work in product management too since no PM in our org
Enrolled in "Accelerate" programme used in Salesforce to groom future managers
Promoted to the next level in around a year showcasing future potential

Academics -

GPA - 8.06/10
Was Teaching Assistant for MBA students in the class Business Analytics
Took electives like Programme Management and Digital Marketing studying along MBA students

POST MBA Goals -

Join Tech field again as a product or a programme manager

GMAT FE - 675 [100% Quant 72% Verbal 70% DI]

IELTS - 7.5

EXTRA CURRICULARS -

Project Lead at an NGO called Nirmaan leading a team of 5 volunteers working on rural women uplifment

admitStreet · Answer

aryang0301 - the employer (Salesforce) brand, exposure to PM work and promotion are strong angles. Would like to understand your work-ex more to assess better e.g. what kind of projects/ functions did you work in, what was the impact of your work, did you work with teams abroad, etc. These are also important aspects to keep in mind while crafting your one-pager MBA resume . The GMAT score is good, but could use some improvement particularly for schools such as INSEAD or US Top-15, considering the Indian applicant pool. How were your mocks i.e. did you expect a higher score? The work at Nirmaan sounds interesting. How long have you been involved here, and are there any other extracurricular activities post undergrad? Besides these, having a strong narrative for your career goals (e.g. why can't you transition to a PM role now) and how the MBA fits in at this juncture would be just as crucial. This can also help shortlist the right programs. FYI, some top MBA programs for a career in Product Management/ Tech are here . Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Request a free profile evaluation W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | LinkedIn

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