front-line management

[blacksmith1205]

Hi Stacy,

I am a 25 year old Electrical Engineer from the 'land down under'...if you are not familiar with the phrase ..then i am from Australia! Currently I am working as a project Electrical Engineer. I have successfully led and managed small ($7k) to medium ($120k) projects. But I feel that before I apply to B school I need to show my leadership and managing capabilities in a more certifiable way. I was hoping to get some feedback regarding a qualification that I have just heard about.

The vocational qualification is on front-line management. It is a competency based qualification and is gained by providing evidence of competency. There will be strategic workplace assessment projects where participants select an opportunity, issue or problem in their work that can be improved and relates to a competency unit. And the work place mentor will have to sign off on it. This project is aside from the standard projects that I have to do as part of my job. The project can be anything from implementing continuous improvement to customer service management to leadership or team efficiency. The qualification on its own adds value within Australia but I am concerned about its impact in a B school admission. (given I am aiming for top schools within US)

I am thinking even though the qualification is not recognized worldwide...when I am applying to B school I can cast my project management experience in a more measurable and certifiable way. ( FYI I am aware of the PMP certification)

I know this will not / may not guarantee entry to B school but I was hoping that this would help me present my achievements better. After all at the end of the day it's all about the point where qualification and experience meets presentation.

So any thoughts as to the impact of this qualification alone in a B school admission application? Or is it redundant since my work background is in project management. Does being successful at managing projects automatically show good leadership and/ or managerial skills?

Thank you in advance for your input.

Regards,

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear blacksmith1205,

Certifications like the one you note in your post, front-line management, are generally not going to add significant value to your application. That is not to say they aren't valuable or won't be seen as noteworthy, but it is not something that will move your application from the reject to the admit pile. The quality of your work experience will always be more significant--what are your accomplishments? how have you added value to your company? what are your leadership and teamwork successes?

I think you have to decide if you want to pursue this qualification outside of your b-school applications. If it will be helpful to your career, then do it and then you can note it in your applications. If you would only be pursuing it for b-school applications, then I don't know that the investment of your time and resources is worth it as the return on that investment is unclear and probably small.

Good luck,
Lisa