If you are preparing to undertake an MBA with the intention of pivoting into a new career, you may find yourself at a bit of a crossroads when it comes time to write a convincing essay. Although most MBA students intend to make career shifts, each person’s career path, values, skills, experiences, and goals are different, so there’s no clear model to guide you. So what can you do?
One approach we recommend to clients in this situation is to consider treating the essay like a cover letter you would submit when applying for a job. Let’s consider what the purpose of a cover letter is, what makes a cover letter effective, and how to translate that to an MBA essay.
An uninspired cover letter might directly state what job the writer wants and simply set about listing the person’s qualifications and achievements. A more effective approach will make clear connections between past experiences and specific skills that can be applied to succeed in the new position, as well as growth opportunities and personal or professional goals that the writer hopes to achieve in this role. The next steps are to think about how to translate that into an MBA essay. Here are some ideas about how to connect your background to your future career goals so that it plays up to your greatest advantage.
Soft Skills
If you worked in business development or marketing, or if you’re generally just known for being a social, outgoing person, consider pointing to your soft skills as a transferable advantage. If you are a salesperson looking to move into product management, you might highlight that you will be able to adapt to product management thanks to a combination of your proven communication abilities along with your efforts to study data analysis tools and related personal projects. Entrepreneurs, senior sales positions, and leadership roles can benefit greatly from strong presentation, collaboration, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills. Use your smooth talking and relationship-building abilities to convince the admissions committee that you can be a great connector in your MBA class and that you will find success in your new career on the strength of your charisma.
Hard Skills
Often, hard skills gained earlier in your career can be framed advantageously if they connect to your later career goals or industry. For example, if you’ve been working as a physical therapist but want to start your own business making innovative fitness products, the strength of your profile is your specialized knowledge and what you need to gain is business know-how from an MBA. Related examples might include a chef who wants to become a food and beverage consultant or an engineer who wants to become a fintech manager. In these instances, specialized knowledge has been acquired and the writer needs to sell their ability to apply that knowledge in new ways.
People Management
Not all people management experiences are created equal. Let’s consider Franklin, a manager at a telemarketing company. Franklin manages many people but works within a rigid system that doesn’t offer decision-making opportunities. Franklin dreams of becoming an HR partner in a company with progressive ideas about work-life balance. One option would be for Franklin to upsell his success working within a system with a key selling point being that he has a desire to improve upon people management practices by building people-centric systems for large companies. In this case, Franklin showcases that he is familiar with a work process and his goal is to improve that common process.
Project/Product Management
One advantage of these kinds of roles can be that they generally grant people the chance to understand multiple business functions and departments. A project manager is likely to understand at least some aspects of operations, accounting processes and budgets, negotiations, client management, and industry-specific information, such as marketing or manufacturing processes. Similarly, a product manager might know how to speak to business people and technicians, understand consumer data, consider technical integrations, and grasp supply chain management functions. If you’re coming from one of these backgrounds, identify which parts of your current work will project well in your future role and lean into those strengths.
Above All, Know Thyself
All of the strategies above are based on having a clear and deep understanding of your true skill level and ambition. These should be your guiding principles when writing an essay in support of a career pivot. Don’t claim to know things you don’t yet know, because there’s a good chance someone reading your essays will know it better than you do. Stay in your lane and be honest about what you need to learn to achieve your goals. Your profile is unique to you and you’re best served to play on your own strengths. The most convincing stories are authentic and genuine, so upsell what you can and don’t be shy to talk about why you need this degree.