Please review my profile:Canadian PR but MIT

Question

Hello,
I am planning to take GMAt within the next year. I wish to apply in fall 2012.My profile is :
1.Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Jadavpur University (#38 in India currently)
2.Joined an Indian IT offhsoring consultancy in 2004.
3.Immigrated to Canada in 2007.
4.Since then working in canda as a programmer for startups/big firms.Currently a Canadian Permanent Resident, will be a citizen by 2013.
5. Winner of Several Toastmasters speaking competitions.

My choice of B schools are USA/Canada

My questions are:
What should be a MBA specialisation for someone with this background. While choosign a specialisation, I wish to consider long term prospects and ease of transition from my background.
If I apply as a Permanent Resident in Canada, will I still go into the Male Indian IT pool? How can I distinguish myself?
What can I do between now and then to strengthen my profile?

Thanks.

longhorn07 · Answer

Your question about MBA specialization worries me. Before you apply, you should already have a good idea of what you want to do. If not, you will be fighting an uphill battle the whole way. May I ask what are your motivations?

My guess is that you will be considered male Indian IT, regardless of where you live. Obviously you know this is a very competitive pool with a lot of overlap. While it may be difficult to separate yourself career wise, look at developing more ECs. Toastmasters is a good start, but look towards ECs that involve leadership and teamwork. What are your hobbies? Anything fun/interesting?

Without a GMAT score, it is difficult to project much else. Certainly, a relatively high one is typically expected from your demographic.

worldogvictor · Answer

Thank you.
My motivation is to learn more of the business side of things.
I am targetting : strategy consulting as a major
My hobbies are :
Writing. I am a contributor for stock cotnent websites like ezinearticles
Also I am in the process of volunteering as a big brother. Will this make a difference?

bakfed · Answer

Hi worldogvictor, just an fyi - there's really no such thing as a "major" in b-schools. There are 'concentrations' that will allow you to gain a bit more insight into a certain industry, but unlike college, business schools offer you a degree in MBA, and that's pretty much it.

As long as you're making a positive contribution to our world, any ECs would count on the application. Consulting is a popular choice for post-MBA goals for a lot of students and I wouldn't worry much about 'ease of transitioning into the career'. Focus on your GMAT and get as high of a score as you can. Continue working and doing ECs and apply at the right time. From what you wrote down here, it seems like you're still exploring the idea of an MBA, but not exactly sure what you're getting yourself into (my assumption). As you discover more about what an MBA means, what it entails, what additional debt can do to you, you'll realize more and more why you want this MBA.

worldogvictor · Answer

Your analysis is absolutely accurate. I am not yet sure. I ust see that in IT side, the salary is getting stagnated...so I was thinking of MBA

Please review my profile:Canadian PR but MIT

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