Here’s How to Best Convey Your Post-MBA Goals in Your Application

Defining your post-MBA career goals clearly is a critical aspect of the MBA admissions process.

“To craft the best career vision for the MBA, you must present a coherent narrative that persuasively links your personal reasons for pursuing an MBA with your past experiences as well as your short- and long-term goals,” Heidi Hillis, an MBA admissions coach at Fortuna Admissions writes.

But crafting a strong career vision can often be difficult: how specific should you get? Or how do you efficiently tie your goals to an MBA program? The experts at Clear Admit recently discussed a few strategies for how to clearly define your post-MBA career goals and leave a lasting on admissions officers.

BE SPECIFIC, PROVIDE CONTEXT

Specificity is key when defining your post-MBA career goals, experts say.

“Unlike the undergraduate experience at many U.S. colleges and universities – where students might not declare a major until several years into their studies – MBA admissions committees believe that students need a clear direction at the time they enter the program in order to take the right classes, join the appropriate clubs and seek the best internship,” according to Clear Admit. “Everything is oriented towards preparing for the post-MBA job, so identifying a specific post-MBA industry and/or job function for the short-term is of the utmost importance.”

When defining your goals, you’ll want to provide sufficient context into how your experiences have shaped your said goals.

“The admissions committee will have an especially easy time following your post-MBA career goals if there is some link between the past and the future,” according to Clear Admit. “Perhaps an experience at work or in a volunteer activity inspired you to pursue an MBA in order to transition to a more meaningful or rewarding role.”

EXPLAIN THE ‘WHY’

In addition to providing context into the how, you’ll also want to give explanation around the why. Experts say your application should clearly explain why you’re interested in pursuing a particular program in order to reach your goals.

“Individuals who name specific classes that are relevant to their goals, identify student clubs that they would join to advance their professional development, or share what they’ve learned from conversations about the career paths of alumni and students will be in good shape,” according to Clear Admit. “The aim is to convey the fact that you’ve conducted extensive research and are making an informed decision in applying.”

Beyond just explaining why a B-school may benefit you, experts recommend including context for how you’ll bring value to campus.

“A strong candidate describes insights he or she could contribute in class, and offers detailed intentions for getting involved in campus activities,” according to Clear Admit.

Sources: Clear Admit, Fortuna Admissions