Are you joining an MBA for Vocation?

According to a Gallop poll, only 28% of the workforce is actively engaged, rest of them are going through the motion, collecting paychecks, and a small fraction – 19% are actively involved in destroying the organization. An MBA is not for the 19%, but it is likely that you are part of the 53% who are doing their job for the money. If you confess again that post-MBA, you are likely to be in the 53% group, perhaps an MBA is a bad investment.

Your job is closely tied to the task assigned in the project, and most resumes are filled with job descriptions that highlight the daily tasks. Your personal brand is shaped by the job description, and the Admission committee (AdCom) is likely to find an association between your personality and your jobs. If you are a humanities student – the assumption is that you can think critically and creatively about a problem. If you are from an IT background, the assumption is that you are logical, and can connect data to solve complex problems. If you are a Banker, numbers excite you, and the assumption is that you can filter the distractions in the real world, and focus instead on the number that truly matters – profits.

Your personal brand might not be entirely defined by the “job”. Perhaps, you want to disassociate your brand from the ‘job’, and you look at the MBA as a solution. It is not enough to say that you had achieved all that can be achieved in your domain of expertise. It is not enough to say that you are not motivated by the ‘job’ that defines your personal brand. You want more. AdCom appreciates ambition but following the trend of becoming a consultant or a banker will not convince them that you are excited about the new ‘job’ that will define your personal brand. The bigger question is – “Will an MBA lead you to your vocation?”

Vocation a.k.a “Calling” matches your talent with the job and truly fulfills your dream. If you have not demonstrated that you have an eye for numbers with the undergraduate grades or through your performance on-the job, writing about how you will be a successful banker post-MBA will be an empty exercise. If you are a Career Switcher, convincing the AdCom is a bigger challenge. Upload your profile, and we will guide you through the process.

Business Schools know that their MBA programs will offer the push to switch careers, but more than half the work is done by the candidate. Unless you demonstrate eagerness to learn, and post-MBA goals that matches your vocation, schools will be graduating mediocre professionals, who in the long run will be disgruntled, and ‘disengaged’ from the Alumni community. Schools bet on their Alumni for long-term growth and networking. If the Alumni feels that the MBA program has not taken them closer to their vocation, schools are likely to lose. School’s profitability depends on selecting professionals with the right mix of confidence, leadership, eagerness, learnability, and humility. That is why long-term goals have become an essential part of the essay.

In reality, only 5-10% of the applicants are sure about their long-term goals. Others are articulating their long-term goals during application, and majority of them will realize their ‘Vocation’ during the MBA program. What should be your strategy when you write about long-term goals? How should you approach the essay? Download our essay guide and find out.