Ask Jon Frank- P69-Q&A:WHY MBA? 7 OVERLOOKED REASONS TO GET AN MBA

spoiledchild

Hi, Jon. I have some questions.
I am a government officer in the Quality Supervision Bureau of the municipal Government of Suzhou, the second largest industry city in China, and I am the youngest(30 years old already
L) middle-level leader (deputy director of a department) in this bureau. My job responsibility is focusing on operating annual Mayer Quality Award, which is based on the criteria of US Boldrige Award and aims to raise awareness of quality management and recognize companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems, and making short term and long term quality management plan for municipal government. My GMAT score is 730, and iBT score is 105, all just taken once.

One of my career goal is to be the Director of Operation in a large-scale private enterprise in Suzhou, and my short term goal is attend a leadership or rotation program of an international company in order to learn the overall company management skill which I am lack of. A top MBA degree is a ticket for me to enter the business world.


Another seemingly more logical and ambitious career goal is to create a quality management consulting firm, providing operation and production improvement consulting for local private enterprises. This goal fits my past career experience and I do have a deep view of the quality management deficiency of Chinese manufactures. To achieve this goal, I plan to attend a top consulting firm to get consulting experience in operation and collect varieties of cases to prepare for my future career.


Q1: If you were an admission committee member, which career path seems more logical, convincing and competitive?


Q2: Do you think I have a chance to be admitted in TOP20 US Bschools? Any recommendation and suggestion?


My school list is as follows:
DukeMichiganCornellUNCEmoryWUSTLVanderbiltNotreDame


Thanks for your time. Looking forward to your reply.

OxSead

My school list is as follows:
DukeMichiganCornellUNCEmoryWUSTLVanderbiltNotreDame

-- by 会员 spoiledchild (2011/11/27 19:10:20)

哇 前五间选校完全跟我的一样

JonFrank

Hi, Jon. I have some questions.
I am a government officer in the Quality Supervision Bureau of the municipal Government of Suzhou, the second largest industry city in China, and I am the youngest(30 years old already
L) middle-level leader (deputy director of a department) in this bureau. My job responsibility is focusing on operating annual Mayer Quality Award, which is based on the criteria of US Boldrige Award and aims to raise awareness of quality management and recognize companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems, and making short term and long term quality management plan for municipal government. My GMAT score is 730, and iBT score is 105, all just taken once.

One of my career goal is to be the Director of Operation in a large-scale private enterprise in Suzhou, and my short term goal is attend a leadership or rotation program of an international company in order to learn the overall company management skill which I am lack of. A top MBA degree is a ticket for me to enter the business world.


Another seemingly more logical and ambitious career goal is to create a quality management consulting firm, providing operation and production improvement consulting for local private enterprises. This goal fits my past career experience and I do have a deep view of the quality management deficiency of Chinese manufactures. To achieve this goal, I plan to attend a top consulting firm to get consulting experience in operation and collect varieties of cases to prepare for my future career.


Q1: If you were an admission committee member, which career path seems more logical, convincing and competitive?


Q2: Do you think I have a chance to be admitted in TOP20 US Bschools? Any recommendation and suggestion?


My school list is as follows:
DukeMichiganCornellUNCEmoryWUSTLVanderbiltNotreDame


Thanks for your time. Looking forward to your reply.

-- by 会员 spoiledchild (2011/11/27 19:10:20)

Hello my friend and sorry for the late response—yes, I do think that you will get into a top program.  While Michigan and Cornell will be stretches for you, schools like Wash U, Vanderbilt etc. would be delighted to have you I am sure.  I wish your TOEFL were just a bit higher, but it is fine for those schools (Cornell and Ross…it is a tad low, as you know.)  Now honestly,  you wont like my answer to your other question.  Actually BOTH career goals are just fine!  I would believe either one.  The key will be that your description of your CURRENT job will need to change, according to which one you talk about.  If you chose the consulting route, then you should describe your current government job in THOSE terms—working with teams, solving problems…doing all the stuff that consultants do.  If you choose the other path, your description of your current job should reflect THAT path.  But given your background, and provided that you craft your essays VERY carefully, either one could work.  I hope this helps, and good luck!


Jon Frank
Founder PrecisionEssay

needthat

Dear Jon,

What kind of long term goals are compelling enough for top 15 school?
I heard that American always prefer starting own company than working for corperate. Corperate seems to be the last way out?
Is GM for a division of a multinational grand enough for the time span of "long term"? How about senior management?

flyingnoodle

Hi Jon,

I have been a housewife since I quit my job last year. Do you think this career gap could be a huge disadvantage? My last job was at a global consulting firm, and acutually I quit just because I want to have a rest and stay at home to take care of my family. Should I tell the true reasons when asked by schools? Or find some better explanation?

Regards,
LL

Streeter2012

Hi Jon,

I read your analysis of the HBS essay 2, the three setbacks. I would like to know does my story necessarily have a happy ending? I mean may I just write a failure as one of the three serbacks?

Best,

S

yuanyuanxin

Great! Thanks a lot!

JonFrank

Dear Jon,

What kind of long term goals are compelling enough for top 15 school?
I heard that American always prefer starting own company than working for corperate. Corperate seems to be the last way out?
Is GM for a division of a multinational grand enough for the time span of "long term"? How about senior management?

-- by 会员 needthat (2011/12/5 3:30:06)

Hello my friend—business schools need a class that has MANY different types of people.  All schools need a good mix of future consultants, general managers, and entrepreneurs.  The best bschool applications, however, are the ones that connect applicant’s past experiences to their future goals.  you should pick whichever career goal suits your PAST experiences the best—wherever it will be easiest to get a high-paying, influential job.  Make sense?


Jon Frank
Founder PrecisionEssay

JonFrank

Hi Jon,

I have been a housewife since I quit my job last year. Do you think this career gap could be a huge disadvantage? My last job was at a global consulting firm, and acutually I quit just because I want to have a rest and stay at home to take care of my family. Should I tell the true reasons when asked by schools? Or find some better explanation?

Regards,
LL

-- by 会员 flyingnoodle (2011/12/5 14:57:46)

Hey there—yes you should tell the truth!  But…you should change it just a bit so that the adcomes respect it.  Why did you quit?  Did you just have a baby?  Was there timing involved?  If you can explain that your family NEEDED you, you will be just fine.  That is your best bet—tell the truth, but make it seem like you HAD to quit, to take care of your family.  We work with folks who have this type of work gap every year!


Jon Frank
Founder PrecisionEssay

JonFrank

Hi Jon,

I read your analysis of the HBS essay 2, the three setbacks. I would like to know does my story necessarily have a happy ending? I mean may I just write a failure as one of the three serbacks?

Best,

S

-- by 会员 Streeter2012 (2011/12/6 14:15:57)

Hey there—and I am so glad that you found our essay analysis useful!  Yes, you do need to talk a bit about what you learned from the failure.  And ideally, you can link it somehow to a way in which you have used the lesson IN A POSITIVE WAY in the future.  Does it need to be “happy?”  No, but you do need to show that you’ve since applied these lessons, somehow, in real life.  Make sense?


Jon Frank
Founder PrecisionEssay