Getting the attention of an admissions committee at a top MBA program is no easy task. That's why in this blog post we decided to turn to one of the most recognizable figures in today's pop culture for lessons in how to stand out as an MBA applicant.
When it comes to commanding an audience and delivering a message - no one does it better than Beyonce. Queen Bey has worked hard to keep her reign among thousands of other talented musical artists. She even gets kudos from the business world by getting her very own Harvard Business Case and glowing remarks from Sheryl Sandberg. So let's take a closer look into how Beyoncé can help your application and get you one step closer to "Running the World."
Energize Your Audience: Whether you are a fan of Beyoncé's music or not there is no denying her ability to bring energy to a crowd and get people excited. On stage, her dynamic, highly choreographed performances make her one of the best entertainers in music. On the radio, she has listeners singing along with to songs filled with catchy beats and memorable lyrics. In your applications you'll want to follow Beyoncé's lead in generating excitement to get the admissions committee "drunk in love" with you. While you probably won't get the opportunity to submit your own cover of Single Ladies (unless you apply to Stern but we highly advise against this move...leave performing to the pros!) there are several ways to get your application reviewer pounding the table in your favor.
Do your Research: It starts with doing homework on your target school and bringing up the unique offerings of a program that means the most specifically to you and your future career. For example, if you are looking at Michigan Ross as a target school and your plan is to find a career with social impact, talk about using their signature MAP project as an opportunity to work with an international non-profit for a cause that you care about.
Another suggestion is to go into detail on how you plan on contributing to the school's community and culture. According to Udit Patidar, an MBA student member of Cornell's Johnson Admission Group, the most important question to answer during an interview is "will this person be an important contributor to Johnson". A strong response to this question involves having an action plan in mind. We mean actual steps like starting a new club, taking on a leadership position in an existing club, or putting together a conference on something you are passionate about. Nail this question and you'll be sure to generate enthusiasm from your interviewer.
Establish a strong identity: When you think about Beyoncé, thoughts of modern day feminism, strength, and empowerment are likely come to mind. This is an identity that she has carefully built and managed throughout the years to win over her fan base. The identity she has created resonates with her target audience and becomes a powerful magnetism that draws people in.
Establishing and reinforcing an identity for yourself in your application is going to be essential for you to stand out in a sea of applicants with similar backgrounds. While we are not advocating that you model yourself after Beyoncé's Sasha Fierce persona, we do advise our clients to pick out a few major themes to focus on. These themes can include functional expertise in areas like analytics or M&A as well as behavioral aspects in areas such as leadership style or personality. Really take a deep long look into what has made you a successful professional over the last few years and use it to create an unique identity for yourself.
For example, do you consider yourself the fearless leader that charges into difficult situations? Perhaps you see yourself as the general that instills discipline among teams to keep complex projects moving along. Or maybe you are that creative spark plug that inspires the team with new ideas. Find your identity and own it. Your recommendations, anecdotes, and responses should all come together to reinforce the persona you create for yourself.
Think Like a True Leader: Beyoncé is a talented musician that isn't afraid to take chances and lead others in a positive way. Her biggest move recently has been the secret release of her self-titled album that could reinvent the way the music industry operates. Beyoncé also gets credit for not being afraid to raise her voice on and off the stage to empower women to become more independent and confident. Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg said it best during her Time Magazine interview: "Beyoncé doesn't just sit at the table. She builds a better one." While Beyoncé would have been successful as a stereotypical pop star, she really sets herself a part by using her music and fame to lead change.
This same drive to be a leader and drive change is what the admissions committee will be searching for in your recommendations, essays, and interviews. Your best bet to delivering on this message comes from describing your short term and long term career goals. However in our experience as MBA admissions consultants, we constantly see applicants fall flat on this question. The reason why they miss the mark is because
1. they are unable to identify the real change or impact that they are capable of making
-or-
2. they are unable to describe a plan to executing on their vision after an MBA.
For example, we worked with an applicant this year that was big into analytics within the retail industry. During his first mock interview with us he was asked to describe his post-MBA goals. His response was pretty generic - join a sports apparel company like Nike or Adidas in a consumer researcher role that leverages his interest in analytics and retail. Meanwhile his long term goal was to one day be the head of the consumer insights group for a large retailer. Doesn't really inspire any leadership or change does it?
So how should you turnaround this response in order to deliver message of leadership and change? It comes down to having the awareness to recognize problems and opportunities that you want to address following your MBA. Our client here had a great opportunity to go into detail on the problems that analytics is trying to solve in retail. This transitioned nicely into his goals discussion where he explained his vision on using analytics in new ways to better serve customers and how he would lead his future employer in adapting to the changes in today's retail market.
Good luck and remember to channel some Beyoncé when working on your applications! For more tips and free resources be sure to explore our website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We would also love to talk to you so don't forget to schedule your free consultation!
