How to Strengthen Your MBA Profile

KEY TAKEAWAYS

If getting an MBA is in your future, every day counts as you build your business school profile.

When applying to a top business school, having a strong MBA profile is essential to increase your chances of getting accepted. Your MBA profile is a representation of your academic, professional, and personal achievements, and it is used by admissions committees to evaluate your fit and potential for the program.

Many business school applicants worry they need a more substantial quantitative background to get into a top program. If your entire career has been in marketing, for example, how can you convince an admissions committee that you’d be able to handle core classes like finance or accounting? Thankfully, schools have no intention of composing an MBA cohort made up entirely of bankers and accountants.

Top programs know that people from industries that aren’t traditionally quant-focused, like healthcare, education, or cybersecurity, can offer firsthand perspectives to their classmates on things that dominate news headlines. Whether you intend to apply to MBA programs next year or several years from now, you should take time now to plan your next steps so your profile will be competitive.

1. Prepare early

Once you’ve decided that you want to pursue business school in the near future, it’s critical to get started on your MBA profile as soon as possible. To write a solid application that admissions committees are looking for takes time, and there is no better moment than the present. When you start early, you can get the ball rolling on volunteer work, professional opportunities, and school extracurriculars all in the name of boosting your overall MBA profile.

The flexibility of extra time can also be used for tackling the more time-consuming aspects of your application, like reaching out for recommendation letters and the back and forth that usually comes along with it. Keep in mind that you can’t change details like your undergraduate degree or GPA. But with time, you can add on to your record of extracurricular involvement, you can expand your professional horizons, and you can lock down a stellar GMAT score.

2. Do your research

Business school research is important because it would help you identify those business schools which will help you achieve your career goals. Identifying the correct business schools is important to achieve your career goals because different business schools have different areas of expertise and resources that can help you achieve your desired career outcomes. For example, if your career goal is to become a consultant, you may want to consider applying to a business school that has a strong consulting program and a large alumni network in the consulting industry. Similarly, if your career goal is to work in a specific industry, such as technology or healthcare, you may want to consider applying to a business school that has a strong reputation in that industry and resources to support students interested in that field.

The location of the business school can also be an important factor in achieving your career goals. If your career goal is to work in a specific region or country, attending a business school located in that region or country can provide you with valuable networking opportunities and an understanding of the local culture and business practices.

3. Build your resume

One of the most important aspects of your MBA profile is your work experience, outlined on your resume. Schools are looking for applicants with a strong work history to add to their new MBA class, and you need to show them that you are prepared, excited, and ready to jump into whatever the program offers.

The admissions committee is looking to cultivate a diverse class with different backgrounds, with each admit being able to bring unique skills and perspectives to the classroom. Your resume needs to represent who you are in a coherent, concise, and thorough way. This is often the very first thing that admissions officers pull from your application, and so your resume represents your best chance to make a great initial impression. To add some meat to your resume, you can begin a new job to show your capabilities, or you can begin a new project at work to highlight your eagerness to develop in the business world. In general, you should try and show diversity in your pre-MBA experience and ensure that your leadership skills shine through in your list of accomplishments.

4. Get involved in the community

Community service is another great way to improve your profile for MBA admissions. Business schools are looking for applicants who are socially responsible and have a strong sense of community. You can get involved in community service by volunteering at a non-profit organization, mentoring, or participating in a community service project. Community service shows that you are committed to making a positive impact in the community and that you are socially responsible.

This demonstrates that you are not only interested in advancing your own career, but also in making a difference in the world. It also requires strategic thinking, such as identifying a problem and developing a plan to solve it. This demonstrates that you have the ability to think strategically and make a positive impact, which is an important trait for MBA students, who will be required to solve business problems in their future careers.

5. Don’t panic over your GMAT

It’s very helpful to get your GMAT score out of the way as early as possible. The MBA application itself takes a lot of time and energy: there are countless administrative details, essay writing that demands introspection and storytelling, and an interview process that will put your communication skills to the test. It can be hard to keep up with the work when you’re in the thick of it, so we recommend that you take the GMAT early, before crunch time. Keep in mind that the average scores on various parts of the GMAT can be distorted, so make sure to check how to calculate what to aim for.

When you get a satisfactory score, one that aligns with the stats of your top choice for business school, you can check the GMAT off your to-do list forever. Then, you can fully focus on the other aspects of your application without having to worry about studying and scheduling time to take the test. Your GMAT score is valid for five years, so there is plenty of time for you to finish up all the other aspects of the application process after you take this off your plate. A difference of 10 points can be crucial to whether you get into your dream school or not, so this is not something to take lightly.

As you can see, it takes time and a lot of dedicated, hard work to build a complete MBA profile worthy of admission to top business schools. It is never too early to start, because preparing for your MBA journey now only relieves stress later on. A well-rounded profile that highlights your strengths, skills, experiences, and career goals can help you stand out from the rest of the applicants and increase your chances of getting accepted. The MBA application process is highly competitive, but by taking the time to build a strong profile, you can increase your chances of getting accepted and achieving your long-term career aspirations.