MBA Handicapping: How To Explain Six Jobs In Five Years

Aiming for MBA programs at Stanford, Wharton, Chicago Booth, and Kellogg, John brings an array of startup experience from Silicon Valley with him, including working for two startups that have become unicorns. He has a 3.8 GPA from Notre Dame in computer applications and programming and political science. And the 28-year-old has made company introductions to venture capitals, often doing due diligence for them.

Eager to experience the Bay Area’s entrepreneurial culture, he moved out to Palo Alto with a suitcase and a few hundred bucks after graduating from Notre Dame without a job offer. He ended up living in a “hacker house” and sleeping in a bunk bed until landing his first gig in a few weeks. But he landed his first gig in a few weeks and ultimately a mentor who had founded StubHub.

But here’s the rub. John has held six jobs in five years, something that will certainly raise eyebrows in the admission offices of the schools he plans to apply to. As he himself puts it, “I’ve done a lot and in the eyes of most I’ve done too much.” Most of the companies he has worked for are in the enterprise space and most of the roles he has had are in sales and business development. How to explain the job-hopping?

In this episode of Fridays with Sandy, HBSGuru.com founder Sandy Kreisberg gives John a formula to follow and estimates his odds at Stanford and Wharton. He’s being advised to apply now to take advantage of the extended admission rounds at both Booth and Kellogg.

If you would like to participate in a future Fridays With Sandy webinar, you can contact Sandy and P&Q Founder John A Byrne here.

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