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Unemployed Applicant Advice

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Unemployed Applicant Advice

by MBA2010-2012 » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:06 am
Hi Lisa,

I was laid off from a financial services firm approximately 8 months ago and despite my best efforts I was dinged by each of the programs to which I applied for Fall 2009.

I would like to give the MBA process another go this fall, but I'm concerned about my current employment status. To fill the gap, I've been volunteering and will begin a CFA Level 1 prep course over the summer. I'm keeping my eye out for a new job in financial services, but I know that this will take time and I doubt I will have a new job by the time Round 1 arrives.

Is there anything else I should be doing to make my application more competitive prior to Round 1?

Thanks so much!
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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:38 pm
Dear MBA2010-2012,

The best thing you can do is to find work or have job search efforts you can discuss in your application. While there will be understanding from the schools on the state of the economy, there will come a point where schools will start to be concerned about your unemployment. Have you considered working outside of financial services? Perhaps there are some opportunities out there that relate to your future career goals? What about some of the micro-finance nonprofit opportunities that are for 6-12 months or taking on a temporary/contract position since you plan to enter school within a year?

Best of luck,
Lisa
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by pedro » Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:32 pm
Hi Lisa,

I am curious about the micro-finance nonprofit temporary/contract opportunities you mention here. Where could I get more information about them?

Thanks in advance.
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:23 am
Dear pedro,

There are a few current opportunities and more seem to come up all the time. The most well-known for micro-finance is Kiva. I would think you would find a decent list to start with from a Google or Yahoo search. There are also opportunities with nonprofits that are not micro-finance oriented, but would be for a 3-12 month period in another country. Of course, you can always put together your own experience as well.

Good luck,
Lisa
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