career switch from IT to Finance - need profile feedback

[rohittk]

Stacy,

Please find below some salient points of my profile that you will find handy while evaluating my profile:

1) I am an INDIAN male working as a Senior Software Engineer with a reputed MNC in INDIA.
2) My work experience until now stands at 40 months.
3) Have an international exposure of 3 months with our client Alcatel-Lucent, NJ, USA.
4) Have received couple of awards, one at project level and the other one at Company Level.
5) Had been rated Outstanding after the completion of 1 year of service at the company. This rating is given to the top 2% of the employees.
6) Had participated in a number of extra curriculars during school and graduation.
7) No community service to show for though I have joined a couple of communities which contribute to the society in my company.
8) Was member of the Volley-Ball team in college.
9) GMAT: 670(Q 46, V 36, AWA: 5)
10) Graduation GPA 8.1/10 in Electrical Engineering.



Now the real question: why an MBA and that too in finance?
Well since college I have been passionate about finance and economics even though I did my engineering in electrical.

How did I discover this passion?
My father had helped me in opening a demat account in a Depository participant with the Stock exchange in India and that really ignited the passion withing me for finance and economics.

Why did'nt I pursue a career in finance after graduation?
I could site two reasons:
a) I got immemdiately placed in one of the top IT companies in India.
b) Wanted to get a taste of the IT flavor too.

Why do I want to switch a career from IT to Finance?
Because I strongly believe that when it comes to work, one should be doing something that he/she is passionate about. The rest gets taken care on its own. I have been doing well in IT(as indicated by the ratings and awards that I have received) but am not really passionate about my work and to really grow and to do justice to the work that I do, I need to pursue a career in Finance/Economics.

Do I have anything to show in Finance from a professional point of view to the adcoms?
Not really other than the personal portfolio that I manage and couple of certifications I have completed from the National Stock Exchange of India, along with the knowledge that I possess due to the research I do in my free time.


Above is what my profile looks like and also why I want to do an MBA in Finance/Economics. I am listing down some questions for you. Will really appreciate if you could answer these questions

1) What do you think of my profile. What are my chances?
2) Do I stand out in the applicant pool. If not then how can I strethen my profile.
3) Do B schools really consider and take in candidates with the above mentioned reasons?
4)Which schools do you recomend for an MBA in Finance/Economics taking into cosideration my scores and my profile?

I know that I have asked a number of questions, but this is how eager and excited I am to do an MBA in Finance/Economics

[rohittk]

Bringing on top. Stacy/Lisa can you please help me here?

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear rohittk,

You have a competitive profile for many schools, although global top 20 programs will be a reach for you. It is imperative you distinguish yourself from the large number of applicants with the same education and experience. Based on your post, I do not see anything that will distinguish you, but I realize you did not post everything about you either. You must find a way to stand out from the similar applicants whether that is through personal experiences or unique professional experiences. Most MBA students are looking to make a career change, so your reason for going to business school is in line with most. As for what schools to target, I encourage you to view our sticky on school selection for tips and insights. Keep in mind, that you will be most competitive where your GMAT is at/above the school's average.

Good luck,
Lisa

[rohittk]

Thanks a lot Lisa for the reply. The point that you made about me applying to schools where my GMAT score is equal or greater than the school's avg. will really help me in choosing the right school.

Well i am still concerned about distinguishing myself in the applicant pool. I have an experience in my professional career which I think might earn me some brownie points.

"As I mentioned that I have a 3 month international exposure with Alcatel-Lucent, NJ. I had never worked on that particular product before in my company but there were couple of my peers who had some experience and knowledge on the product. But my managers still chose me over my peers for the assigment because of the confidence they had in me. I was able to win their faith because of my communication skills, good work that i had done, handling of situations in crisis and my ability to work independently and in teams. After my stint in ALU my work was also appreciated by my client"

My question to you is that whether such examples help in distinguishing myself from the rest. Dying to hear from you

[rohittk]

One more question Lisa. Couple of days back I received a mail from the Director of Admissions, Notre Dame MBA program. They say that they scanned my profile in GMAC and consider me as a "Priority Candidate". Do you have any clue about this? Should I take this as a encouragement to apply or is it just a publicity stunt?

[Lisa Anderson]

First, the professional experience you noted is important and goes to show how you add value to your employer. However, it is not something that will be unique to you and help you to stand out from other applicants. All MBA applicants need to have these types of experiences to show they have contributed in the workplace. Perhaps you have some interesting personal experiences that you can write about?

Second, the email you received from Notre Dame is an email that was sent to a number of GMAT test takers whose score was within a certain range and met other criteria that the Notre Dame admissions office set. I would view it positively and as an indication that the school welcomes an application from you.

Regards,
Lisa

[rohittk]

Thank you Lisa. Your answers will surely help me in preparing a competitive application. Thank you again.

[rohittk]

Hi Lisa,

Can applications to the following programs be considered safe against my profile?

1)NUS, Singapore
2)Nanyang, Singapore
3)UBC, Sauder, Canada.
4)Queens, Canada.
5)Brigham Young, USA.