Before writing your essays, have a look at your life with an unbiased perspective.
We are our biggest cheerleaders, so all the events that have happened in our life would appear more heroic to us than to the admission committee. So do the following exercise:
Just list it (no details required) . You can also include achievements that are related to not for profit organizations. Like - I raised 50k for the Old Age Home in my neighborhood, which was a record for that year. I know that 10 achievements are a big pain for most of the average Joes. Take your time.
This is the most important step in the whole MBA application process.
Now that you have listed the achievements, strike off the ones that are irrelevant to a Business School admission committee, like I was part of the soccer team in grade 2 (To show my competitiveness at a very young age). This argument might sound good but on second thoughts, without a strong argument to support this achievement, listing these kinds of achievements is a waste of time. Participation is good but focus more on leadership roles and in roles where you have actively contributed.
Give high priority to 3 and 2. Most of the time, people learn from their jobs and then from their course work.
Job does not necessarily mean working for a company on a payroll; it can be volunteer work or internship for a start-up or starting your own business.
