What are my chances?

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What are my chances?

by mdavis » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:44 pm
Hi, I need help in figuring out how to go about applying for an MBA and was curious as to whether or not I would even have a chance.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology back in 2004. I immediately after served a two year mission for my Church. I had a lot of leadership and office experience during my two years.

When I came back home in 2006 I thought I wanted to do Law School. I took a position as a Paralegal Assistant at a law firm and during a two year period I prepared for the LSAT, married, had a kid, all that stuff. I realized during this process that I would not like to do the law school route and decided to go the MBA route instead.

Anyways, my job is currently a Paralegal Assistant. I will have been here for 3 years. I realize that my job is not very "showy" as compared to many other applicants. I feel that I could be using my 4 year degree in a much more effective manner than I currently am, which is why I decided to go the MBA route.

Is this something that I can actually do now or should I climb the ladder another step, so to speak, and gain more experience to get an MBA later?
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by Scottie@VeritasPrep » Fri Jan 16, 2009 1:53 pm
You did not mention your day-to-day duties but in order to be competitive you need to show leadership, innovation, and advancement. It will also help if you can apply your current experience to your future goals (which, by the way, you should be able to clearly articulate). Many people pursue an MBA in order to change careers however you need to be able to explain your thought process and leverage any relevant experience. What would be your next step if you chose to "climb the ladder"? What additional relevant experience would that choice provide?
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by mdavis » Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:52 pm
Well, my day to day duties include filing various documents related to our cases, organization of pleadings and indexing, going through and listing personal property, filing pleadings with the court, check writing for Estates and Conservatorships.

I also do many situational jobs relating to the case. Because each case is different, the job might be different. For example, there might be problems with creditors or their life insurance, etc. One of my jobs would then be to make sure the company knows that the individual is deceased and to make sure that bills are coming to our office, etc.

While not a day to day operation, I have been given responsibilities relating to payment of the firm's bills and deposits of Estates/Conservatorships into the firm's accounts.

I do not have leadership responsibilities as part of my position (I am not in charge of people), but will have recommendations from people from my mission as well as my boss as to my potential. I was hoping to rely on my mission experience for that where I was in charge of many individuals, including instructing.

I know that I do want to be a part of organizational management whether that is through an HR department, consulting, etc. I would eventually like to run my own consulting firm as a long term goal. I see the MBA a positive step in the right direction to get there for me.

Does this help clarify? Any other advice? Thanks so much for your prompt reply.

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by Scottie@VeritasPrep » Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:51 pm
You should definitely discuss any leadership roles even if they were related to volunteer work. In the case of your professional experience, try to identify any processes or innovative solutions you have created. Also, think of times when you worked as part of team and what your role was. Any additional responsibilities you were given because of your good work (ie. paying the firm's bills) should be noted.

Finally, think of other aspects of your life that make you an interesting candidate. This includes hobbies, skills, extracurriculars, etc.
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