Boothie’s Advice to Early Career Candidates

If you haven’t already checked out the recently re-launched Booth Experience blog, run by students at Chicago Booth School of Business, you’re missing out! For the uninitiated, this blog covers the entire gamut of the Booth community, from daily student life to academics; to recruiting, career services and internships; to student clubs and travel stories, and everything in between.

Even if Chicago Booth isn’t on your short list, there’s a series on the blog that many of our visitors can benefit from reading. The first installment came in early November, when Alex Simon broached the topic, “How do you know when it’s time for an MBA?” Simon was 24 when he started at Booth, and with just two years of work experience, he worried he would be at a serious disadvantage with classmates five to 10 years older than he.

Does that sound familiar to anyone? If so, ask yourself the three questions he raises: Do I have enough experience to succeed and contribute? What benefit will I get out of one or more years of work experience? What’s my career progression with an MBA?  “You’ll avoid a lot of undue recruiting stress if you get a good handle on your options before applying to or starting your MBA,” Simon writes.

Whereas the first post in the series required introspection, the next installment, published last week, turns the tables and brings up some of the key questions MBA applicants should be asking about their target programs.

Simon believes early career candidates need to focus on these three issues: How strong are the career opportunities for early career candidates? How can I contribute to the school? Does the school offer enough diversity to explore multiple interests?

“The way I feel today may not be how I feel ten or twenty years from now, and you can only get an MBA once. As an early career candidate, you should make sure the program you select lets you understand everything that’s out there,” he advises.

Simon’s advice is spot-on, so we’re looking forward to reading his thoughts in the final post of the series, coming soon. In that entry, he promises to share some tips to early career candidates who are considering applying to an MBA program in Round 3 or next season.

You may also be interested in:

How to Determine When the Time is Right for an MBA

Timing Your MBA: Work Five First or Dive Right In?

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