Hello, I just started working on my application for next year Fall, 2011. I am trying to get an idea of what piece I am missing from my application, what quality am I missing which might make me a better, more unique candidate.
GMAT: 710
MBA Concentration: Marketing
Schools of interest:
1. Chicago Booth
2. Harvard
3. MIT
4. Duke
5. Darden
6. Ross, Kellogg - Dinged last year (no feedback from schools)
Undergrad: EE 2007
Grad: Engineering Management 2008
Current Job: Application Engineer in a semiconductor company, 2.5yrs
Job Responsibilities:
1. General EE/technical responsibilities - development of new applications which contributes to revenue generation (no specific numbers to quote)
2. Provide Customer Support in order to sustain/win new business opportunities
3. customer interaction - where I get to go talk to customers and try to explain them about our products
4. Marketing - Not typically a part of my job responsibility, bur I took initiative to learn and contribute to the team. Lead the efforts to completely redesign division website. Involved doing research and comparative analysis with our competitors.
5. Work with other marketing divisions to develop their website for cross divisional products/applications.
6. Traveled and worked with our team in India to support customer needs and international exhibition events.
7. Written a technical paper and other in progress.
Extra Curricular:
1. Supporting Education growth in the community, especially in science and math: Did that while in school through a volunteer program, continuing to do that even now at work.
2. Volunteer at the local chapter Association for India's Development.
3. Volunteer at the local high School Robotics Club which competes at the state level
Overall personal development:
Volunteer work with a SEO /online marketing firm to learn new skills which maybe applied at my job.
Other points of Interest:
1. Indian by origin - moved to US with family right after high school
2. Female
My questions/Concerns:
1. Not a lot of Work experience - from what you read here, does it seem like i am a atypical candidate or I need something more to distinguish myself. I feel that even though i have only 2.5 yrs of work experience, I have managed to establish myself in many aspects of the company, learnt the technical and business skills along the way. Does it seem like something that can I use to my advantage?
2. Transitioning from an engineering role to marketing role: How would I justify or convince the school of my transition. What do schools look for when you are trying to make a career change? Would my relatively short stint as an engineer seem like i am moving too fast into the marketing role?
3. Is my extra curricular sufficient? Or interesting?
4. Leadership Roles: Please read the following description and tell me if it sounds like a position of leadership and responsibility?
A. Each project that I do in my job is more of a single person project. I don't necessarily lead people, but I complete the project from start to finish which requires several roles such besides the technical role...marketing role: I collect requirements from people in our company from all over the globe based on which i lay out the objectives and outcomes. Manager role: coordinate efforts and collect resources from different groups to make max and most efficient use of resources before starting a project. Procurement role/Sales role: buy the cheapest, most efficient components for the design to maintain low cost and design a competitive sellable application.
B. Lead the website re-design project
C. Outside of work- Leader/Mentor for the educational programs at school.
Again, at the risk of repeating myself, I am trying to see what makes me stand out from the rest of the applicants. Maybe you guys can point it out to me. Let me know if I can provide any other information.
Regards and Thanks!
GMAT: 710
MBA Concentration: Marketing
Schools of interest:
1. Chicago Booth
2. Harvard
3. MIT
4. Duke
5. Darden
6. Ross, Kellogg - Dinged last year (no feedback from schools)
Undergrad: EE 2007
Grad: Engineering Management 2008
Current Job: Application Engineer in a semiconductor company, 2.5yrs
Job Responsibilities:
1. General EE/technical responsibilities - development of new applications which contributes to revenue generation (no specific numbers to quote)
2. Provide Customer Support in order to sustain/win new business opportunities
3. customer interaction - where I get to go talk to customers and try to explain them about our products
4. Marketing - Not typically a part of my job responsibility, bur I took initiative to learn and contribute to the team. Lead the efforts to completely redesign division website. Involved doing research and comparative analysis with our competitors.
5. Work with other marketing divisions to develop their website for cross divisional products/applications.
6. Traveled and worked with our team in India to support customer needs and international exhibition events.
7. Written a technical paper and other in progress.
Extra Curricular:
1. Supporting Education growth in the community, especially in science and math: Did that while in school through a volunteer program, continuing to do that even now at work.
2. Volunteer at the local chapter Association for India's Development.
3. Volunteer at the local high School Robotics Club which competes at the state level
Overall personal development:
Volunteer work with a SEO /online marketing firm to learn new skills which maybe applied at my job.
Other points of Interest:
1. Indian by origin - moved to US with family right after high school
2. Female
My questions/Concerns:
1. Not a lot of Work experience - from what you read here, does it seem like i am a atypical candidate or I need something more to distinguish myself. I feel that even though i have only 2.5 yrs of work experience, I have managed to establish myself in many aspects of the company, learnt the technical and business skills along the way. Does it seem like something that can I use to my advantage?
2. Transitioning from an engineering role to marketing role: How would I justify or convince the school of my transition. What do schools look for when you are trying to make a career change? Would my relatively short stint as an engineer seem like i am moving too fast into the marketing role?
3. Is my extra curricular sufficient? Or interesting?
4. Leadership Roles: Please read the following description and tell me if it sounds like a position of leadership and responsibility?
A. Each project that I do in my job is more of a single person project. I don't necessarily lead people, but I complete the project from start to finish which requires several roles such besides the technical role...marketing role: I collect requirements from people in our company from all over the globe based on which i lay out the objectives and outcomes. Manager role: coordinate efforts and collect resources from different groups to make max and most efficient use of resources before starting a project. Procurement role/Sales role: buy the cheapest, most efficient components for the design to maintain low cost and design a competitive sellable application.
B. Lead the website re-design project
C. Outside of work- Leader/Mentor for the educational programs at school.
Again, at the risk of repeating myself, I am trying to see what makes me stand out from the rest of the applicants. Maybe you guys can point it out to me. Let me know if I can provide any other information.
Regards and Thanks!
