Will my business count as a job experience for GMAT ?

Question

Hi,
I have secured 68% ,84.17% & 72.5% in my 10th,12th and BE(computer sc) respectively. After my degree in July 2012,i went to manage my family business that happens to be an I.T.I (Industrial Training Institute). Can this be counted as a job experience during evaluation in colleges taking admission through GMAT? if yes,what sort of experience certificate or document do i have to produce?If it's not counted, what should be my next step and will this period be considered as a gap?
Also,what are the most probable renowned colleges under GMAT that fits my profile and what should i score to get an admission there?
Thanking you in advance!

getsunny · Answer

Hi Boytoy!

A family business or any start-up does count as work experience. What matters is the kind of work that you've done there and the impact of your work. It should really show that you were able to contribute to the family business in some way and have a meaningful role in the business.

Also, have you given the GMAT yet?

LighthousePrep · Answer

Yes, the experience counts as long as it was meaningful. No, you don't need a certificate or document to prove it. Instead, make sure you have vivid examples of traits that capture business schools' attention.

There is a common misconception that you need to have certificates or documentation to prove things to business schools. The fact is that while it makes sense sometimes to have documentation (diploma, transcript, awards), more often than not, the experience being clearly described in your resume, essays and interviews matters much more.

In terms of which business schools fit your profile, it depends on a lot of factors. You already listed your academics and industry, but also relevant is how accomplished your profile looks overall (what you accomplished in your industry, extra curricular activities you are involved in, your long term goals, GMAT score, interviewing skills, essays, etc.). Given that you're investing significant amount of time and money into getting an MBA, you should be searching for schools with mutual "fit." Given how competitive it is to get an MBA, it is easy to forget: you're also the customer and you want to shop for the product (MBA) that fits your career goals.

boytoy · Answer

Thank you so much for the valuable replies!

@getsunny: No ... but i am going to take the test this November..

boytoy · Answer

Hi Lighthouseprep,
Thank you very much for replying!:)
i sorta am stuck with the essay writing part. Any helpful tips?
I am considering GRE too for the admission. Should i?

LighthousePrep · Answer

The GRE vs. GMAT decision will likely find opinions on both sides. I'm in the camp that believes that if you plan to do an MBA and not get some other type of masters degree, then you should stick with the GMAT. Several reasons why: 1) Business schools created the GMAC because they wanted a test specifically for them. Hence the GMAT was born. Most business schools claim that they're okay with either GRE or GMAT, but the numbers don't lie: overwhelmingly, people who are applying and admitted, take the GMAT. It also shows the business schools you are determined to get an MBA, rather than being wishy-washy about "I'll take whatever graduate education I can get." 2) No vocabulary section.

3) The GMAT score if you want a job in the business field can sometimes be a plus on your resume even if you opt to not go to business school. Some recruiters (especially in banking and consulting) weigh strong GMAT scores as an indicator of strong business skills. The recruiters I've spoken with have not mentioned the same thing about GRE. I should also qualify my post by saying that you ARE on GMATclub website, not GREclub.

Will my business count as a job experience for GMAT ?

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