NonTraditional Sales+Bio Background

[alphafemale]

Dear Ms. Blackman

My story is a little bit long but I hope not boring. I would appreciate if you could help me along the right path.

I am a 25 year old who graduated from U of Texas in 2005 with a BS in Molecular Biology (had a full tuition scholarship) and GPA of 3.5 with honors. During college, I was active in student government and performed research involving drugs for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

I then joined dental school in 2007, one of the top schools in the US, and after the first semester my private lender decided not to lend to international students and I was left hanging.

I was heart broken and left with no other choice but to pay back my first semester’s tuition of 30K USD. So I went outside of the US to look for a job. I took up several jobs in sales and finally settled into a job in car sales in Oct 2008. In the past two years, I have learned so much about handling people, especially those from different cultural backgrounds. I am now working for one of the regions top car dealers representing a top Japanese brand. I joined here on the CFO’s recommendation and I love my job. I am also one of top salespeople in the company. However, this month we have been very badly hit due to the global recession and I will soon have to think of my next career move.

I happened to read one of Pat Dorsey’s books about the stock market last year and got fascinated by how a business works and the effect of the management’s efficiency on the stock prices. I have developed so much interest that I can analyze financial statements and have come to take a liking to economics. I have since realized that I may fit into a career in business since I find it extremely interesting. I would like to advance myself into a management position especially strategy management.

I need your help in trying to figure out a proper direction and purpose for doing my MBA.

1. Should I wait for some more time to gain more work experience before applying to business schools? If so, can I get into a management consulting entry level job in Canada? Are there any such opportunities there? I will be moving to Canada soon as my aging parents need me with them.
2. Based on my experience, what kind of job can I get after my MBA and in what field since there are numerous fields in Business Administration? Does my MBA career have to be linked to my undergrad major? I feel inclined towards strategy and policy, but that is just a thought. I am not sure. I recently learned that operations management would take a background in Math and Stats so that option is not an option.
3. Currently, in what field are more MBA jobs available and what are future projections pointing to?
4. I have taken the GRE before and my score was 620 on verbal and 740 on quantitative so I think I can score well on the GMAT. I can only finance my MBA if I get full scholarship. What kind of school should I aim at to make that possible both in the US and Canada? I want to get into a top school to maximize my career prospects upon graduation. I don’t have any extra-curriculars because I work from 9 to 9 with a 4 hour lunch break during which I am at the showroom doing customers’ paperwork.
5. Also is there a need to mention my attending dental school? I am afraid that they will question whether I am motivated enough for business school as it may seem like a plan B even though my interest is genuine.
6. Is there any good book I can read to get educated about my MBA career options? I am a bit depressed at the thought that I don’t have as good job experience as the average MBA applicant. But I think I can get a rec letter from my CFO! I would really appreciate your honest advice, Ms. Blackman.
7. Also, say I do move to Canada and work there, can I use a recommendation from my CFO that is a few years and a few months old for B-school?


Alphafemale

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Alphafemale,

I think you would benefit from doing some research on business school and career options. There are many great books and resources out there that will give you a better idea of what the degree is and where it is used. A MBA is a versatile degree that can be used in any industry, but there are some career paths that are common and specific to the MBA degree. As for the Canadian job market, I think you would be best-served by reading Canadian newspapers and talking to family/friends there about the job market. Whatever you decide to do, it is best for you make the most of that opportunity so you have some great experiences to write about in your applications.

To answer your other questions, you will need to acknowledge you started dental school and why you did not finish it. Your current supervisor might still be a good choice to write your recommendation, but see where you are in your career when you apply as you might have a couple people in your new job that you will want to ask. The GRE and GMAT are quite different, so it would behoove you to spend some time preparing for the GMAT before taking it. Finally, very few business schools offer full scholarships so that is not something you can count on regarding financing your MBA. There is also quite a bit of variance between on schools on what the maximum scholarship award is, so you will want to do some research on how to finance your MBA.

Best of luck,
Lisa

[alphafemale]

Ms. Anderson

Thank you so much for responding.

To be honest with you, I am still lost. I guess you do advise me to get more work experience. I am baffled though about the kind of work experience I must acquire. For example, would a company hire me into an entry-level management consultant position without my even having a finance degree or economics background? Would my taking some finance classes at a community college help me in this direction?

Secondly, are there any specific resources I can use to know more about my MBA career options?

How many more years of work experience do you recommend so that I can have a good chance at MBA schools?

As of now, on a scale of 1-10 where would you rate my competency for a top B-school? I hope this question is not too weird but I don't want to be sorry for not asking!

Once again, I appreciate your responding and it really helps that I have a source of reliable guidance.

If there is anyone who would like to comment on my post, I would really appreciate any suggestions! And please feel free to be as brutally honest as possible!

With much gratitude,
alphafemale

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear alphafemale,

There is not a right job or career path for business school. Schools purposefully build a class with diverse experiences to add richness to class discussion. I think if you wanted to get a job in the industry or field you think you want to pursue post-MBA, then that is a good idea as it will aid in you getting future opportunities. Since you have been working in sales, there are many transferable skills you have developed so those are what you want to focus your resume on. Sales is great experience, so continuing in a sales role is not a bad idea either. How much more experience you need is really a personal call on your part--you should apply to business school when you feel you are ready to go. As long as you have at least 2 years (which you appear to have now), then you meet the preference most schools have.

As I mentioned before, there are many resources out there from books to websites to magazine/newspaper articles. A good place to start might be mba.com as it has sections on a variety of topics you ask about it.

Good luck,
Lisa