Answering the "Why MBA Now" Question - 工管

There are several interview topics that every MBA interviewee should be

prepared for such as discussions of an important professional accomplishment,

a significant teamwork or leadership experience, points of learning from a

mistake/failure or their strengths and weaknesses. MBA interviewees should

carefully consider how they might discuss these topics when preparing for the

interview.

But perhaps the most important question that is asked in 99% of MBA

interviews is "Why do you need an MBA now?" This question is simple - right?

Based on our experience MBA interviewees often struggle to provide a coherent

answer to this seemingly simple question.



When our clients struggle to answer this critical "Why MBA now" question we

often advise them to first focus on the purpose of the question. For many MBA

interview questions, the interviewer's purpose is to understand how the

interviewee analyzes problems and why they make key life decisions. Getting

an MBA is certainly a key life decision and thus this decision should be based

on a well thought out plan.


The reason for pursuing an MBA will not be the same for every person and

there is not one right answer as to why a person might need an MBA. Thus,

when answering the "Why MBA now" question the interviewee must incorporate

reasons that fit their specific situation. Here are several acceptable

reasons for pursing an MBA:

- You need to learn more about business and develop new skills to make a career transition
- Your career progression has plateaued
- You've gained adequate work experience and it is time to get a general management perspective so that you can move up to management level within your company.
- You are at a natural break or transition point in career
- You want to start and run a business but need more skills and a strong network in order to secure funding, deal with investors, customers, etc.
- You want to learn more about international business and work outside your country


Thus, there a number of logical, career-oriented reasons for why a person

might need an MBA at a certain time. In our next blog post we will provide

more specific ideas about how to answer the "Why MBA now" question.




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創陞教育（Transcend Admissions Consultants）

David Johnston
Georgetown University Law Center
[email protected]
http://transcendadmissions.com/ Plan. Execute. Succeed!

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