Dear Akshay,

There are many nonprofit organizations out there that need help in different ways. Think about what interests you, where you might like to get involved in the community, and then research some options. Often, there are opportunities to manage projects, events, volunteers and/or operations of these organizations. For instance, if you love animals, look into local animal shelters or rescue organizations that might need help.

Good luck!
Lisa

Dear Akshay,

Your co-op experience does not count as full-time work experience as it was during your degree program. Your masters degree does not count as work experience either as it is education. The best specialization for you is the one that makes sense for your career goals. For example, if you want to be in an operations function post-MBA, then you should probably look at the courses in the operations, finance and strategy concentrations to see what makes the most sense. Likewise, some schools have industry-specific or topical concentrations like consulting or social entrepreneurship. So, you might find your concentrations vary a bit by school and your ability do focus on more than one.

Regards,
Lisa