Applications and Job Status

[darryl258]

Hi,

I am applying to round 2 for some of the top 10 business schools. Most of the application deadlines are early January for September Admissions. I am in a situation with my current job (which is working for one of the fortune 100 compaines) where I do not feel it would useful for me to keep working past the January / Feburary timeframe. Ideally I would like to leave the job after completing applications in January, volunteer somewhere (or another activity), and then hopefully be accepted into a program for September.

Do you think leaving my job between the submittion of applications and interviews would reflect negatively on my chances of acceptance? Are there any circumstances where it would not reflect negatively?

Thank you,

Darryl

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Darryl,

I think it depends on the circumstances of why you are leaving and what you will be doing. If you present it as being your plan from the get go, meaning you always planned to apply to b-school, then quit your job and do a volunteer experience for a few months before starting a program, I think it will be ok. It also depends on what the volunteer activity is--if it will aid your personal, and perhaps professional, development, then it will be much more palatable.

If you decide to disclose these plans upfront, then I would suggest having your volunteer experience already lined up. One last caveat--if you know you will interview after you quit, then you definitely should disclose the information in your applications; if you get asked about your current job in the interview and then you tell them you are not there anymore, it will give a negative impression.

Best of luck,
Lisa