Shifting functions or industries upon earning an MBA is very normal.
1/2 of an MBA class may be seeking a major career change. Although this is
common, a career changer faces the challenge of persuading the MBA admissions
committee that they are not only a strong MBA candidate, but that they will be
able to break into and succeed in their new field.
It's no surprise that one of the most common questions we receive from our
clients is how they can "sell" their career change aspirations to the
admissions committee. A good way to approach this issue is to think about it
in terms of writing a standard cover letter when applying for a job. An
ineffective cover letter (or goal essay) might state that the person is
interested in a job and then simply regurgitate basic information about their
experience that can already be found in their resume. An effective cover
letter (or goal essay) would mention the job they are seeking and then draw
connections between their past experiences and specific skills and how these
could be applied to the new job & company.
To summarize:
Ineffective cover letter = "I want x job and this is a basic summary of
what I have done in the past."
Effective cover letter = "Here is why my past experiences and skills make me
a good fit for x job."
Now let's think about the MBA goal essay like it is a cover letter. After
clearly explaining one's future goal it would be important for a career
changer to display the relevant skills and knowledge they have that would be
transferrable to their new career. If you are an engineer who wants to jump
into consulting you should find ways to display that you have some of the
teamwork, communication, logical reasoning and problem solving skills that are
crucial for success in that industry. And keep in mind that you don't have
to limit your explanations to skills that you have developed or experiences
you have gained in a professional context.
Since not everything can be learned in business school it is up to you to
persuade the admissions committee that you are a good fit for your new career
even before the MBA program starts. By approaching your MBA goal essay like
a cover letter you might find it easier to tell a more compelling and
interesting story about this new career that you are so excited about!
--
David Johnston
[email protected]
--
1/2 of an MBA class may be seeking a major career change. Although this is
common, a career changer faces the challenge of persuading the MBA admissions
committee that they are not only a strong MBA candidate, but that they will be
able to break into and succeed in their new field.
It's no surprise that one of the most common questions we receive from our
clients is how they can "sell" their career change aspirations to the
admissions committee. A good way to approach this issue is to think about it
in terms of writing a standard cover letter when applying for a job. An
ineffective cover letter (or goal essay) might state that the person is
interested in a job and then simply regurgitate basic information about their
experience that can already be found in their resume. An effective cover
letter (or goal essay) would mention the job they are seeking and then draw
connections between their past experiences and specific skills and how these
could be applied to the new job & company.
To summarize:
Ineffective cover letter = "I want x job and this is a basic summary of
what I have done in the past."
Effective cover letter = "Here is why my past experiences and skills make me
a good fit for x job."
Now let's think about the MBA goal essay like it is a cover letter. After
clearly explaining one's future goal it would be important for a career
changer to display the relevant skills and knowledge they have that would be
transferrable to their new career. If you are an engineer who wants to jump
into consulting you should find ways to display that you have some of the
teamwork, communication, logical reasoning and problem solving skills that are
crucial for success in that industry. And keep in mind that you don't have
to limit your explanations to skills that you have developed or experiences
you have gained in a professional context.
Since not everything can be learned in business school it is up to you to
persuade the admissions committee that you are a good fit for your new career
even before the MBA program starts. By approaching your MBA goal essay like
a cover letter you might find it easier to tell a more compelling and
interesting story about this new career that you are so excited about!
--
David Johnston
[email protected]
--
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