Every forum will have an Applicant quoting with abbreviations IB/M7/Male IB/American IB/Indian IT/Chinese Hardware/Tier-2 Undergraduate – all a shorthand to evoke an association of traits.
This is a recent trend. Right around 2021-22, the increase in salary in Technology and some functions in Finance was so substantial that it created a scenario where post-MBA salary vs. pre-MBA salary was not this 100-120% shift but a reasonable 30-40% change. And this change has offered leverage both for the admissions team and applicants.
You uploaded the essays 1-week before the deadlines; your recommender endorsed the message that you are mature beyond your age with a distinctive understanding of group dynamics.
Personal branding is important for any working professional. In a highly competitive ecosystem like MBA Admissions, the need for branding is even more pronounced. The concept is beyond gaining fame, reputation, money, or fans.
Learn how to articulate USP for Personal Branding
“What you want to do with your life?” This was a question that we were asked in 2006 by my ex-boss, who also happens to lead a workshop – “Perspective”, a three day program to unearth our purpose in life. Yes - ”Life”. The audience was brutal.
There are no right answers but here is your first step
We have been guilty of such advice too. The Business School representative repeats it each time they meet you during MBA Info Sessions, and even during one on one correspondence via email. MBA applicants worry too much about USP that they forget one quality that by itself will be a USP – the resilience of their character.
How to Demonstrate Resilience in MBA Admissions
What comes to your mind when I say, “Finger licking goodness” and “Open Happiness”. Unless you have been isolated from all forms of media, the slogans can be attributed to world’s two best-known brands – KFC & Coca-Cola. They have spent billions of dollars on mapping the message with the brand, but the fundamentals of brand recall have an eerie similarity with personal branding.
Learn about personal branding through Power of Attention & Consistency
The goal behind personal branding is to be a signal in a world of noise, and you cannot do that without identifying traits of the previous class. For MBA Applicants, this can be tricky.
Beyond the demographic and academic data, the profile pages offer very little information on the personality, and the drive of the Alumni and current students.
Here is a simple 3-Step process