M7 MBA Admissions Step #4 - Work Application Balance | F1GMAT MBA Admissions Consulting, Essay Editing and Interview Prep

In this series, I will break down 10 easy-to-follow steps that I have used to help clients get into M7 schools and the mistakes many clients confessed they made while tackling the multiple work, life, and admissions priorities.

The 4th step is managing the Work-MBA Application Balance.

What about your social life?

The answer is short and sad.

You would have very limited time to engage in travel for leisure or social events without the awareness that there is a deliverable for your MBA application waiting.

I had many experiences of applicants on vacation in some beautiful tropical island, sending me edits of their essays throughout December.

If you go with the 2:3 strategy that I have suggested in one of my early MBA admissions strategy advice, you can avoid getting overwhelmed in one round with essays and recommendation letters.

But the larger question is – how much time should I dedicate to my MBA application?

It depends on four factors

1) GMAT/GRE prep

It is a huge challenge if you are managing both GMAT/GRE prep with your essay writing. I had few clients who were extremely disciplined and could manage both. But the majority of the applicants went silent for a long time.

Once the GMAT/GRE scores were within the median range of top schools, they reached out to me again. Typically, June/July is the month for your GMAT/GRE prep if you are targeting Round 1, or September/October if you are targeting Round 2 in January.

2) Startup vs Fortune 500 Culture – One Quick Tip

Gone are the days when there was this fixed time from 9 to 6 or 9 to 7 when one works and then disconnects; never to communicate with your bosses or clients during that day.

We work in an extremely flexible work-life dynamic in a global workforce with multiple time zones. It is a blessing when you just have work to manage but it could be a curse when you have GMAT/GRE prep, Essays, Coordinating with recommenders, and writing scholarship essays.

Startups: In startups, it tends to be worse. The management is trying to optimize talent. The hiring is aligned to get more ‘jack of all trades’ and maximize their potential in multiple roles. If you are in such a culture, taking large breaks when you are near the deadline or when a GMAT test is a week away is not the ideal way to manage both work and application deliverables.

Fortune 500: In Fortune 500 companies, the time commitment is similar, but the roles are confined to one. This is a blessing because you don’t have to switch context through multiple roles professionally and in your MBA application.

In MBA applications, you must switch roles between writing, recording videos for Video Essays, and playing the facilitator to guide supervisors with recommendation letters. We have a service for that with F1GMAT’s Recommendation letter editing where our primary role is to guide supervisors with guideline documents.

So, what is the shortcut to managing both work and MBA applications?

You must start planning by the hour, as I had suggested in my Time Management Advice for MBA applicants.

Every hour should include a professional or MBA Application task with 10-15 minutes break at the right time.

This schedule is unforgiving, and you can feel overwhelmed if this is the first-time you are applying this time management technique.

In the first week, I would suggest taking a routine 10 to 15-minute break or assigning free unscheduled 10-to 15-minute time slots every hour until you get used to this planning.

I have seen applicants ruin relationships with supervisors by taking 3-7 day or even 1-month leave when the GMAT/GRE test date is near or the deadlines are a week or two weeks or a month away.

Always assign at least 2-3 hours every day for your GMAT/GRE prep and your essay writing.

The more you practice, the more likely you will cross the median scores.
The more you write, the better you become at writing.

3) Industry and Travel

Your industry determines, to a large extent, how much free time you have in a day.

If your role requires traveling, where the supervision on your hours is low, you can utilize those time with brainstorming for your essays, preparing for GMAT/GRE – at least revising the notes, and gain some perspective on the progress in your preparation.

If you are constantly monitored like in Investment Banking or Technology, it could be a challenge to manage all deliverables. You must make some sacrifices during weekends or Sundays if Sunday is all you get unofficially as a holiday.

4) Find a Mentor

If you are not in a position to reveal your MBA plan to your supervisor or you have limited social relationships with your supervisors, finding a mentor who is at least 5-10 years older than you – preferably an MBA would really help you manage the ups and downs of the application process. I am always there to help you. You can reach out to me using F1GMAT’s Contact form. I reply to all the questions that are not advertising or partnership pitches.