disingh wrote:Hi MG/Sameer,
Would really appreciate some help on my profile
- GMAT score: 720 (48Q/40V/5AWA/5IR)
Now for the questions
1. For people making a functional shift such as mine (IT Consulting to Marketing), what would be a good approach in the essays?
2. I dropped INSEAD from my list after researching and finding that international exposure is valued very highly there- I wanted to ask, is there a way to circumvent that? To show some other experience set? (My parents were in the defence forces, so I have traveled across India and have exposure to many cultures and peoples, would that count?)
3. Since ISB is my only target school for 2014, what would you recommend for their essays, considering my relatively less experience and background?
Thanks in advance!
Divya
Dear Divya,
Thanks for writing in. The questions you pose are the key ones, but a bit difficult to tackle given that those are really the crux of your entire application. But I'll try my best:
- As a general rule, bear in mind that there is no cookie cutter for the essays. Each essay is (and should be) unique, so difficult to 'prescribe' a particular approach. But for any kind of career switch, you need to exhibit the efforts you have put in as well as explain the rationale. For instance, why marketing and why not operations? FMCG and Tech marketing are as similar as say making ballpens and cutting coconuts - in short very low similarities. So whichever you pick, you'll need to explain why that sector/industry marketing appeals to you and what have you done to learn more about it.
- Many candidates try to write about India being a multicultural place, with X number of languages and Y number of cuisines. It is a fact that ours is a country full of diversity - but just interacting with people like those is not necessarily enough to show that you have a diverse experience. If on the other hand, you have consulted clients from various countries, that may be more powerful. What is the kind of experience and learning you can write about during the early years and as a consultant? Can you show any link between the two?
- Your experience is what it is. It totally depends on the kind of achievements and impact you have had - so difficult to say what u shuld write about. Have you accomplished something that takes say 3 years for instance?
Cheers,
MG