The Application Process

I'm filling out the applications, and have a few fields I'm not sure how to answer.

1) Promotion Date
I currently do not work for the company, and I don't remember the date of my promotion. Can I just make a close estimate?

2) Nature of Employer's Activities?
What's the difference between "nature of employer's activities" and "industry"?

3) Reasons for Leaving?
My reason for leaving the company wasn't negative, but wasn't very positive either. I did quit by choice to pursue something else. I know that in a job interview, I shouldn't bad-mouth a former employer, so how should I answer this field in the application?

4) School Distinctions and Honors include Dean's List?
Is being on the Dean's List considered a school distinction? It has also been a number of years since I graduate so is this even relevent?

5) Primary Job Responsibility?
Since I was an engineer, my primary job responsibilities were largely technical rather than managerial/business oriented. I'm not sure how this fact reflects to the adcom.

6) Language Proficiency?
I'm a bit on the fence about how I should catagorize my skills in two non-native languages. I can certainly carry lengthy, daily, casual conversations in those languages, but my skills would be lacking during a formal, business/technical situation. Can I still say my skills are excellent, or should I downgrade them to good?

Lots of good questions - you're clearly very detail oriented

Here are my thoughts:

1. Promotion date - I think if you can put the month/year, that should be sufficient. Maybe your promotion became effective on the 1st/15th of a given month? If you're not sure, I think month/year is good.

2. To me, industry is more broad - one/two words (e.g. Education, or Advertising). Employer's activities are more specific to the mission/core work of your company. I came from the education industry, and my employer's activities were to start and manage high-performing, college-preparatory charter schools for students from low-income communities.

3. I would phrase it so that you talk about the opportunities you were looking to pursue. So, after developing expertise and skills in a, b, c, I accepted an opportunity to further develop my skills in x, y, or to take on increased responsibilities (lead, manage, etc.) in z. Basically, frame it so that your reasons for leaving are about your professional development, not about potential problems with a former employer.

4. I think Dean's List is an academic distinction. If this is in the section where they are asking you about undergraduate studies, then it is relevant, even though it was some time ago.

5. You can't really change what your job responsibilities are, so if they are largely technical, then you'll have to describe them as such. And, that's ok because after all, you are going to school to develop your business skills. You can use certain words, however (lead, create, establish, develop) to demonstrate initiative and achievement.

6. Instead of using words like excellent and good to describe language skills, maybe you can use words like conversational and fluent to differentiate your proficiency. Or, proficient/advanced proficient?

Hope this helps!

julie_shah wrote:Lots of good questions - you're clearly very detail oriented

6. Instead of using words like excellent and good to describe language skills, maybe you can use words like conversational and fluent to differentiate your proficiency. Or, proficient/advanced proficient?

Hope this helps!

Thanks, Julie, for your input. I find them very helpful. Unfortunately, for the language proficiency question, I don't have a choice because they are pull-down menus with three catagories: fluent, excellent, good/moderate, and fair. I know I'm not as good as fluent, but I don't think I'm as bad as fair. Because languages have different levels of fluency and formalities, I can say I'm excellent in some situations and only good/moderate in others. I don't know which to choose.