Part time / Full time experience , Entrepreneurship

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Hi Stacy,

I have 1 year full-time experience in the field of Information security for one of the top 3 investment banks in the world. Although this may sound good, the scope for growth (vertical) to reach a leadership role is very limited. I intend to apply for Fall 2012 such that I have 3 years exp at the time of matriculation.

I am very good at aptitude and verbal ability and have quite a few achievements in this field. I want to try my hand at starting a coaching institute for an Indian exam called Common Admission Test - This is like GMAT for Indian b-schools (it is take by almost 250,000 people every year). I want to do this during the weekdays and work for a big coaching institute during the weekends as a part-time faculty to have a safety net w.r.t. income.

I have the following questions :

1. How much does the "entrepreneur" tag add to your profile? Also, is it necessary to work with a team or have somebody working for you in the entrepreneurial venture?

2. How do you show experience if you have your own company ? Does it count as full-time experience?

3. Also, for a coaching institute, I am told that registering it under the partnership/proprietorship category is enough and it need not be called XXX Private limited. Is this right?

4. How much does part-time experience matter in the eyes of the AdCom?

I am clueless about these aspects and it'd be great if you could help me out. Thanks in advance.
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by Lisa Anderson » Sat Jul 10, 2010 7:28 am
Dear shankzster,

Being an entrepreneur will not be an advantage, per se, over those who have simply worked in a corporate environment. However, it can help to distinguish you from the competition if you present it effectively. You don't have to work with a team or supervise folks for it to count, but it does need to be a legitimate enterprise. You show the experience on your resume like you would any other company you work for, highlighting accomplishments and skills. If it is something you do full-time, then it would count as full-time experience. If you are working at another job full-time, then it would not necessarily be viewed as full-time. How the business is registered, whether a partnership/proprietorship or private limited, is up to you on how you want to classify it. There might be differences for tax purposes and the like, so it is best to look into that prior to setting up the business.

All work experience matters--full-time, part-time, internships, etc. When asked for number of years, it is defined as full-time, professional experience after your bachelor's degree. The reason it is defined in a specific way is so that all schools report a number that is equal and not left open for interpretation. But when it comes to evaluating applicants, all work experience matters as a way of learning about the applicant's skills, work ethic, career progression, and professional development.

Good luck with both your venture and your future applications!
Lisa
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by shankzster » Sat Jul 10, 2010 9:11 pm
Lisa,

Thanks a lot for the info. Really appreciate it :)