Meet three classical types of MBA applicants
An MBA is the most prestigious and challenging business Master’s degree there is. Its stamp on a CV offers instant worldwide recognition. It corresponds to a Professional Certification in Business Administration as well. This means that an MBA opens many doors careerwise, wherever you choose to live, and gives you the chance to negotiate higher salaries. Yet who makes such a huge investment when there are so many options available? This blogpost presents you three types of MBA applicants and what you can learn from them.
1 – The Dreamer
Everyone can change their mind, of course, but there is a specific kind of MBA applicant whose determination impresses most admissions teams. They’ve been preparing for their MBA experience since their teenage years and have invested in international schools, learnt languages, developed IT skills, traveled the world, and embarked in volunteering projects or startups. When they started working, they looked for international companies that offered geographical mobility and merit-based bonuses and didn’t have qualms about promoting young employees.
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We call this type of applicant the “dreamer” because they often describe taking an MBA as their dream. Many come from families that have an established tradition of taking top MBAs and – for them – an MBA is simply another unavoidable step towards a successful career.
The main lesson the Dreamer teaches us is simple: preparing for a top MBA begins long before you think about submitting your application.
2 – The Networker
The Networker is that person who has a particular knack to meet people and make the most of any encounter. Usually, when this person applies for an MBA, it’s not because of intellectual curiosity about the topics addressed in lectures. The reality is much simpler: the “networker” feels he’s exhausted all opportunities to make new professional contacts within his comfort zone and needs to look abroad to satisfy his or her restless sociability.
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Indeed, networking is major part of a solid MBA. As an MBA student, you’re surrounded by really smart and ambitious people who – just like you – want more out of life. Some of them may become friends for life, business partners in post-graduation ventures, investors that make your ideas a reality… The Networker knows this and is ready to hit the ground running.
Networkers are wonderful people to hang out with during an MBA because they help you focus on everything the program offers – events, conferences, sporting matches, market exposure, etc. – preventing you from missing out on all that goes on outside the classroom.
3 – The Bored Professional
Loving your job also means finding ways to love tasks that aren’t that exciting. We’ve all been there and, no matter how creative we are, sometimes looking at spreadsheets or proofreading documents is a true challenge. Yet the real problem arises when you find yourself feeling uninterested in what you’re doing all the time.
The Bored Professional applies for an MBA to feed his/her hunger for knowledge and trials in a competitive environment that makes up for the time he or she spent fulfilling what now feel like mindless duties.
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This type of applicant is on to something: an MBA does give you time to pause, update your knowledge on core subject matters, develop crucial soft skills and expand your horizons to embrace opportunities available for those with a global mindset.
Most MBA applicants display elements of each of these three types, yet knowing your motivations and expectations – as well as your strengths and weaknesses – before you apply for an MBA gets you halfway there. So, what type of applicant are you?
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