Write a Strong MBA Career Interests Essay
One piece of the MBA application puzzle that candidates often overlook but that holds a lot of weight is the MBA “Career Interests” essay. This isn’t just another checkbox to tick. Think of it as an opportunity to showcase your professional dreams, career journey thus far, and strategic approach to success.
First, think carefully about your post-MBA goals. Your gut reaction to this question might be, “I want to be a successful entrepreneur” or “I want to leapfrog up the corporate ladder.” Sadly, that won’t cut it with the admissions committee. These folks read thousands of applications each season. They’re most interested in candidates who embody Merriam-Webster’s “Word of the Year”: Authenticity.
And that starts with an extended self-reflection session. Where did your career ambitions begin? Did a childhood experience or role model set you on a particular path? You may have had an aha moment in college or on the job. Whatever that career origin story is, the next step is to illustrate how you nurtured and developed those ambitions over time.
Common examples include pursuing internships or volunteer work that supported those interests. You may have found mentors to guide you or took courses or certification programs to bolster your skill set. No matter what happened, describe your journey in a clear, detailed way. Talk about the difficulties you faced, what you learned from them, and the essential goals you reached.
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But don’t limit yourself to the highlight reel of past experiences. The AdCom team wants to know how you plan to leverage those experiences to propel yourself forward. To succeed, research industry trends. Connect with relevant professionals. Identify the knowledge gaps you need to fill.
“We don’t need a detailed roadmap of your future professional life,” notes Yale SOM’s assistant dean of admissions, Bruce DelMonico. “But we do hope that you’ve thought directionally about how your graduate management studies will launch you into your desired post-MBA career.”
The Golden Rule of the MBA Career Interests Essay
Above all, you want your MBA career interests essay to have concrete and tailored goals. Specificity is your friend when the task at hand is to create a convincing narrative. Remember that you also want to highlight what you bring to the table that differentiates you from the competition.
Every one of us has unique strengths, experiences, and values. Whether it’s your knack for problem-solving, your leadership potential, or your passion for social impact, weave these elements into your essay to showcase why you would make an excellent addition to the class.
Rest assured, you don’t need to present yourself as a “perfect” MBA candidate. The roadblocks and detours on your journey forced you to become resilient and adaptable when facing challenges. Admissions committees seek applicants with these qualities. Whether you had to navigate a career transition, overcome setbacks, or embrace ambiguity, taking ownership of your vulnerabilities is a testament to your character.
Listen to B-Schooled Podcast #161: Write the Essay that Scares You
Finally, wrap up your MBA career interests essay with optimism and passion. Your enthusiasm for your chosen career path will leave a lasting impression on admissions officers. After all, they’re not just looking for qualified candidates but future leaders who can’t wait to make a meaningful impact on the world.
And remember, “Your career interests will likely come up again in your interview,” says Yale SOM’s DelMonico. “Your interviewer will ask you more about your interests in an MBA and what you hope to accomplish post-MBA, so you will have another chance to expand on some details that you might not have been able to include in the written parts of the application.”
In the end, it’s not just about what you want to achieve; it’s about the journey that brought you here, the strategies you’ve employed to get there, and the unique value you bring. So, unleash your inner storyteller and craft a narrative that leaves admissions committees clamoring for more.
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Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
