ZERO Work Experience

[YARAB800]

Hello everyone,

I am just about to graduate college and I am seriously thinking of applying for an MBA. Most people ( and schools) say that I am not going to get much out of my MBA as a fresh graduate without post-graduate work experience, but the thing is, I currently have the will, the money, and the time to do it right now (I should also mention that I am an international student and the opportunity of coming to America has just opend up for me) so why wait?

Websites of top schools mention that they DO accept applicants without work experience but it is not "Favorable".


Do you think I stand a chance of getting accepted in any of the top programs without adequate work experience?

[money9111]

Well while I have a couple years of work experience under my belt... I think that you can always apply and see what happens. If you can write incredible essays and essentially prove to the AdCom that you should be admitted w/o work experience AND your GMAT score is great, then who knows? I don't see anything wrong with re-applying in a year or two if you are not admitted.

[Yes.WeCan]

I think work experience shouldn't be overrated that much.

Many of the top programs have laid the emphasize on "demonstrated leadership potential", while work experience is definately the number one choice to do this, there are other ways to achieve the same.

That being said, when you don't have any work experience, you do have to have excellent GPA/GMAT and be able to write great essays (which is in fact really hard).

[money9111]

I don't think work experience is overrated. Of course there are different circumstances, but overall it's a plus. It's similar to the situation where people say "How can you be taught to be a manager in Business School if you've never done so?"... the same can be said for this case "How can you speak about your experiences working and bring those into your b-school experience, if you haven't had any?" If B-school becomes inundated with those who don't have work experience then it simply becomes an undergraduate extension for them.. and for them and their peers. Which me personally.. with 4.5 years experience under my belt would not enjoy. The class discussions would be very hypothetical.

I simply jsut say apply when you are ready... experience or no experience... the cards where fall where they're supposed to.

[Yes.WeCan]

I don't have any full time work experience, but I manage a team of 6, by next year, that will be a team of 20. How can you tell me that I won't have any managerial experience "because I haven't been working full time"? I totally agree that work experience is a plus, but I'm leaning towards the fact that a lot of B-schools consider it a necessity.

Even more so; I will probably have more leadership and managerial experience than the average IB-analyst or MC-researcher, possibly even more than some associates. The initial is usually grunt work in these businesses.

I agree with your conclusion: apply when you think you're ready. The adcoms will decide whether they agree.

[JasLamba]

Hi,

Your application will be considered on the basis of many components. If you have a strong GMAT, strong undergraduate, strong essays, and strong Letters of Recommendations and you have a weak amount of work exp. you MAY stand a chance. Odds are slim but if everything is strong one of your components may be weak.

I strongly suggest contacting some admission consultants as they have experience with regard to the subject and will be able to accurately pinpoint what types of constraints you will be dealing with if your looking to go and pursue an MBA. Work experience is a very SUBJECTIVE word and it is difficult to truly interpret its meaning. Some people work 20 years and don't achieve what others can do in 3 years in the same fields. Some people are detail oriented technical savvy specialists whilst others take a more holistic approach by managing and running their own firms.

I know its possible - I have seen it happen. It is rare and difficult. It also depends on the programs you are targeting.

All the best,
Jas

[money9111]

I'm not saying that you don't have any managerial experience... but by you just stating your circumstance where you don't have an full time work experience - but you manage a team.. that's exactly what the Adcoms are looking for. There's definitely a difference between having your experience and simply applying straight out of college.

[jags2899]

What about if you have a few summer internships and you're applying to a masters program? I recently graduated from the U Michigan and I am going back to school to get the credits for the CPA exam. I majored in political science, so right now I'm in the city at a CUNY college taking some business pre-requisites and I plan on taking the gmat sometime in the next 2-3 months.

[money9111]

@Yes.WeCan I would like to say that after attending the event at the Kaplan center and listening to the panel speak... NYU said that they are looking for people with Full Time work experience... not Part Time. I'm not sure what that means for other programs, but that's just what the rep from NYU said.

@jags2899 - i'm not too familiar with other Masters programs...

[jags2899]

Alright thanks anyway Money

[money9111]

@jags, which masters program are you looking into?

[jags2899]

I am not entirely positive at the moment, but i am thinking of doing the accounting masters at baruch because it is much cheaper than my other options. I am shooting for spring 2011 I think so that I can take some of the business and acct pre-requisites now and in the fall and get an internship. I took a diagnostic test for a private tutor last week and I just purchased some books to start studying, and see how much I can build off of that score without any studying background.

[DanaJ]

You might want to check out this thread for another discussion about an MBA without WE.

[money9111]

aaahh Baruch yes.. I was just at the Gym down there last week for a volleyball game!

[jags2899]

Yea, the people are nice, but unfortunately it's not my type of environment. I am not a big fan of the city life, more of an outdoors rural person, but for the price it was hard to pass.