Handicapping: Ms. Analyst, Ms. Social Sector, Mr. Startup, Ms. Finance, Mr. Sovereign Fund, Ms. Ed Tech, Ms. Marketing, Mr. Banking

Mr. Sovereign Fund

680 GMAT (84V/68Q)
3.3 GPA
Undergraduate degree from a top ten French business school
Work experience includes four years for PwC in Europe as a real estate financial auditor and three years (current) as financial controller for a big sovereign fund in the Middle East
“I am in the real estate business, and I am happy to remain in that business even if I am open minded for a change. I’d like to pursue an MBA to advance my career quicker and reach a management role before my 40s (in finance, ideally CFO)”
“Given my current good job (tax free!!!), I wont go for anything else than the best MBAs”
29-year-old male, French and Moroccan, who has lived in five different countries

Odds of Success:

Sandy’s Analysis: This is a mixed bag of low-ish scores, OK jobs and confusion as to career trajectory. Where did your current job, “3 years as financial controller for a big sovereign fund in the Middle East” come from? I realize you are both Moroccan and French and may have some contacts or relations in the region, but that still needs explaining.

Further, you add, “I am in the real estate business, and I am happy to remain in that business even if I am open minded for a change.” What does that mean? To what extent are you currently in the real estate business while working for sovereign wealth fund in the Middle East — you don’t have to answer, but I am getting a real film noir vibe.

And further, what does being “open minded for change mean?”

OK, moving right along, let’s say you optimize this story, do not incriminate yourself in the application, and manage to put together a clear through-line of how a PWC gig in real estate audit, plus a job as a financial controller for a big sovereign wealth fund and a “MSC from a French business school (top 10)” adds up to the need for an MBA.

Perhaps by saying, “my goal is to build out my audit and controller roles to become a CFO of an MNC where I would be engaged in blah, blah, blah.

What exactly is blah, blah, blah in this context.

Oh try this,

▪Assist in formulating the company’s future direction and supporting tactical initiatives

▪Monitor and direct the implementation of strategic business plans

▪Develop financial and tax strategies

▪Manage the capital request and budgeting processes

▪Develop performance measures that support the company’s strategic direction

see, http://www.accountingtools.com/job-description-cfo.

[Digression and tip for all essay writers: the Internet is the most overlooked tool BY FAR in writing business school essays. And I mean beyond searching for consultants and generic essay writing tips, both of which are often of marginal utility ;-). I mean for finding jive just like those bullets above, which can easily be broken down and incorporated in an essay to transform this confused slacker dude into someone who sounds like a solid fellow with a passionate desire to use his financial and audit experience in a strategic and MBA-like way.]

OK, let’s say you do all of that.

This is not likely to fly at HBS, too much crud on the windshield including low stats and odd jobs. A “Hail Mary” (will some reader please post the Islamic equivalent ) approach at HBS is to play up the Sovereign Wealth angle and hint that you want to join or start a consulting shop that advises Middle Eastern Sovereign Wealth funds while hinting you gots lots of connections there.

At LBS, if you make your bed and straighten up, all of a sudden you got a lot going for, including all of the above and a much wider door. Your inchoate dreams can certainly come true there.

And no one has lost money in London real estate for the last 100 years except the very unlucky. That does not seem like you.