INSEAD MBA Job Description Essay: What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? (200 Words)
Traditional Role vs. Start-Ups – Describe the Hierarchy
For Fortune 500 companies and traditional industries (core engineering, Consulting, and Investment Banking), the hierarchy is clearly defined. The admissions team is aware of the titles. You just have to explain in a direct manner, hinting at your performance and the promotions you received.
The challenge would be for applicants from startups and mid-sized companies that are creative with the titles or conservative with them. A Sr. Consultant in a boutique consulting firm could be anyone who is overseeing a team of consultants to those who are in client-facing roles and, in some cases, pitching projects.
Describe the hierarchy in your organization, regardless of the size of the organization, starting with the responsibilities that you are currently managing, and end with the next role and its responsibilities.
Demonstrate Career Progression if you changed Job recently
If you had just moved into the organization, hint at the career progression in the previous organization that facilitated this offer, assuming you had a promotion in title that is typical with any job switch.
Hint at Stagnation in Learning and Overlap with current responsibilities
A big motivation for an MBA is when the applicant experiences stagnation in responsibilities and career progression. By mentioning overlap in responsibilities for the current and next titles, you can hint about the stagnation. Another clever way to highlight maximizing the learning opportunities is to mention a project and the learning curve.
For example, if the previous project required you to take on responsibilities that typically the next role in your promotion attends, reaching stagnation in learning opportunities could be cleverly articulated in the career progression essay.
Number of Years for the Next Title
If you are in an industry or a company that has a large gap in years of experience to receive the next title (Vice President), include it in the narrative.
