Should Your MBA Career Goals Be "Strategic"?
When you pull together your business school application materials, you might find yourself stumped (in a few different ways) about how to explain your MBA career goals.
Thankfully, the adcom isn’t going to hold you to what you write in your essay. But they do expect that you have given enough serious thought to your own future that you can clearly articulate your short- and long-term plans. More importantly, they want to hear about why you have those goals.
But sometimes this brings up another conundrum. Should you be totally honest about your future career vision? Should you try to somewhat tailor it based on what each program you’re applying to is known for? Or, should you consider who the major recruiters are on campus?
We find it’s usually best to tell the adcom what you really want to do. After all, they’re pretty good at sniffing out insincerity. Writing what you think they want to hear falls into that category. Then if you get to the interview stage, you’ll have to worry about continuing the act. Plus, it will be harder to share a convincing “why” for your goals if they’re not really your goals!
(See what Kellogg School of Management has to say about career goals.)
The good news is that while each program may have a reputation for strength in certain functional areas or industries, almost all the top business schools still have plenty of courses, clubs, conferences, and other parts of their curriculum that cater to all kinds of MBA career goals. So that’s how you customize your responses for each school. Show them you’ve done your research and know exactly how they can help you.
Think of it this way:
Don't miss our founder, Stacy Blackman, on the Conversations with Warrior Women podcast! Her episode is entitled "Look for the diamond in the ashes." Listen here.
Until next time,
The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting
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Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more.