Profile evaluation, please

[Spring598]

Hello,

27/Male/White

Education

Undergrad: Small second/third tier private university in New Jersey (2002- January, 2007), Business Administration with a concentration in Finance
GPA: Overall: 3.47, Finance: 3.67 (Last two years: 3.93 overall)
I spent an additional semester at school because I had a season of cross country eligibility.

Graduate: Washington University in St. Louis (2008-2009), One year Master of Science in Finance program
GPA: 3.48

GMAT - 710, Q: 47, V: 42

Work Experience

6 months with a fund administration firm as a financial analyst performing middle office duties, 1 year of graduate studies in a highly intense and quantitative masters in finance program and 13 months (current job) with a non-profit, life insurer as a Credit Research Analyst performing analysis on investment grade/high yield bond offerings and providing written and/or verbal recommendations to my portfolio manager and, at times, Chief Investment Officer and Investment Committee.

Extracurriculars

Member (partial athletic scholarship) of my university's division 1 cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field teams
Spent three summers during college as a senior counselor at a summer camp on Long Island, NY associated with a well-known charter school in Harlem, NY
English and Math tutor (current) at a charter school in the NY/CT area. By the time I apply, I will have a year an a half under my belt



I joined a small hedge fund/private equity administration (middle office outsourcing) firm upon graduation in January and left after six months (July 2007) because I wanted something more quantitative. I left without securing another job (a huge mistake that I find difficult to explain) and was unable to find another job due to the impending recession. Right around February 2008, I decided that graduate school would be a better option given the job environment and began studying for the GMAT and researching programs. I ultimately decided on Wash U's program due to its strong reputation and highly quantitative curriculum and enrolled in the one year, full-time program in July 2008. Upon graduation, I found the job market to be even more challenging than it had been around the time I was researching program. I then spent August 2009-May 2010 applying and interviewing for jobs and eventually accepted a position in May 2010.

I apologize for the barrage of information, but it's difficult to frame my concerns without providing a somewhat detailed history. As I am sure you can tell, my greatest challenges are explaining my spotty, and lean, job history, framing my poor decisions (leaving my first job after six months) in such a way that does not make me look like a complete flake and helping the admissions committee understand and eventually get past my two prolonged stretches of unemployment. Clearly, my school list is lofty; thus, I am concerned that my unstructured background will preclude me from gaining admission to these schools. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Goal: Procure an associate position with an investment bank in the debt capital markets group.

Target Schools:

Duke
Dartmouth
NYU
Columbia
Cornell
MIT

Thank you!

[mbaMissionBrianE]

Hello Spring598, thanks for your question.

You do identify quite the challenge in explaining your job history. I agree that your first unemployment period would be hard to explain, mainly since you left a job after 6 months without a replacement one. Your second unemployment period is not as much of a liability, in my opinion, because the market was tough, and everyone acknowledges that.

In terms of explaining the choice, I think the best approach would be to admit the mistake in judgment and speak to what you learned and how you changed as a result. We all make bad decisions from time to time. You have to acknowledge your decision but show how you have evolved for the better because of it.

Another concern I will raise is that you already went back to get a Masters in Finance. Given your job goals, what will an MBA give you that your Masters in Finance will not? Do you truly need an MBA to get a position in debt capital markets? Is it a given that the job market in that space will be better when you graduate?

Finally, you will need to paint a cohesive picture that ties together your experience with your future goals. How does a hedge fund connect to a position in debt capital markets? The more compelling your story, the more persuasive you will be.

To be frank, I think the schools you list are all reaches on some level - and you admit your list is lofty. I think the prudent move would be to add some safer options.

Best of luck,
Brian