Newbie : Profile Evaluation

[Swanangle]

Hi,

I'd like a profile evaluation.I'm a 23 year old Indian Male.Here are my current details :

GMAT score : 630 ( 32V , 45Q ), 5.5 in both essays.
Bachelor of Engineering : Electronics and Communication with 68% ( Should I convert to GPA?, if so, 3.0)
Work Exp : 1 year in an IT firm, working on hardware.

I'm looking for an MBA in Finance.I know this is a career change and I'm gonna have to retake the GMAT obviously as I'm sure of hitting the 700 mark with a bit more effort.I plan on applying next year. What part of my profile do I have to work on and How do I go about my change in career path.There are absolutely no opportunities at work to move into finance or show how I would fit such a program.Also, since I am applying for a change in career path, doesn't that make my current experience irrelevant to the program?

Thanks in advance.

[milimbamission]

Hi!

MBA programs will evaluate you on several dimensions. The big four are: your academic profile, your professional experience, your extracurricular activities and your community contributions.

Academically, as you're already aware, you'll definitely need to improve your GMAT. You can't do much about your GPA - I'd say it's slightly below average for your applicant pool. So, definitely retake the GMAT. Also, consider taking supplementary courses in accounting, finance, and/or statistics to demonstrate your academic and quantitative capabilities.

Professional experience: With only two years of work experience, it'll be difficult for you to demonstrate your leadership capacity. The key thing is to take on as much leadership responsibility as you can, show teamwork and team leadership, take initiative in the workplace, and work towards promotion. You want to show that you contribute to your company beyond your job description, and that they value your talent. You might consider applying in two years once you've had more time to demonstrate leadership and potentially an opportunity to transfer out of a purely tech role and into more of a business function.

Extracurricular: I didn't see any mention of extracurricular activities, but you should definitely consider taking some on. Perhaps you can start a cycling club (or something else that you are passionate about). If you're a runner, you can run a marathon. If you're a football player, you could become coach of a youth team or captain of a local team. Think in these terms -- you want to show your passions whilst demonstrating your leadership capability!

Community: Also take on some volunteer activities in the community - especially in a leadership position. Perhaps you could take a board position in a local NGO or something like that. Do something you care about.

Those are the things you can do over the next year or two to improve your profile. As for career switching - that's totally fine -- your current experience is not irrelevant. You want to show how your current experience is relevant (perhaps finance is too big a jump if there is nothing in your profile that demonstrates an interest in finance. Maybe you could take a finance role in an NGO and use that as a jumping point, though!). Your current experience also still goes a long way in demonstrating your leadership and professional capability.

Good luck!

Mili

[Swanangle]

Thanks for the advice Mili.I'll surely work on other aspects of my profile.

Cheers!

[milimbamission]

Sure thing! Good luck!