Military MBA Applicants are conditioned to categorize obstacles to smaller problems, allocate the right resources to tackle each of them and apply the full force of their might to achieve the objective. Not many applicants have this natural inclination to systemize the problem and hit one goal after the other.
Evaluation reports in the military require cutting the fluff and focusing on the quality of the outcome, leadership, and character. Excessive capture of the scenery is not encouraged for MBA applicants, but we have noticed a concentrated effort from Military applicants to eliminate context or limit the context while explaining a challenging scenario. Not many of us have lived through life and death decisions and remained focused on the goal. Even in non-combat operations, the interactions between complex systems and documenting the plan and resource utilization is not what a traditional job entails. Offering a bird’s eye view of the interactions and why it is relevant for smooth operations of the military is a narrative that many don’t spend too many words on.
Another common error in perception I have seen in Military MBA Applicants is the assumption that the ‘general audience’ that includes the admission team is aware of the various terminologies used to separate military units, the rank in charge of the unit and the scope of the responsibilities.
Since the organizational hierarchy in Military is clearly defined with expectations set on the results, applicants are less enthusiastic about connecting the impact the unit’s work had on achieving the country’s strategic objective. Maybe a show of military strength and aggressive maneuver might have forced a controversial political head to seek a diplomatic solution. However, Military personnel are discouraged from thinking in terms of IMPACT. In MBA Admissions, ‘IMPACT’ is the one differentiator that separates an applicant with GMAT 720 from a 770 candidate. Academics and GMAT could separate you out of the crowd of underperformers, but true magic happens when you articulate the IMPACT your work had at the highest level.
The military does not encourage creativity. At least that is the perception the general audience have. With roles, responsibilities and outcomes clearly defined, anyone rebelling against the commanding officer and taking over tasks that help the unit achieve strategic objective would be seen as a misconduct.
The exception is in Combat operations.
When the enemy becomes creative, the rules of engagement and tactics in accordance with the military playbook does not bear the desired results. The only way to combat ‘out of the box’ thinking is to be creative.
That is why Business Schools and MBA Admissions team have a high affinity towards applicants with experience in combat. There are no corporate challenges big enough for someone who saved ‘5 fellow soldiers’ while disengaging the ‘enemy’ and limiting civilian casualties.
The fast thinking, assessment of the hostile environment and the adaptability to ‘pivot’ by the second is not something any MBA can teach.
For non-combat applicants, differentiating and showcasing creativity becomes tricky. Luckily, with the proliferation of technology into military operations, Generalist with skills just in ‘warfare’ is not enough to excel as a leader.
You should have the creative problem-solving skills to resolve personal problems of your troop, integrate and operate complex systems, change the perception about your country to seek local support in a combat zone, or address numerous logistical and cultural challenges in a partner country – skills that are transferable to general management, technology, marketing, and operations respectively.
6) Agreeability and Innovation
Another contentious trait many admission team members might not reveal is the high level of agreeability among Military applicants. This is a required trait to work efficiently in a well-defined organization like the military, Fortune 500 company and in Manufacturing, Healthcare, or the Investment Banking industry. Creative rebels don’t thrive in such environment. However, the trait might not encourage recruiters to employ military applicants in roles that require process or product innovation as agreeableness has a negative correlation with individual innovativeness.
A healthy level of disagreement in marketing and Management Consulting is required for ideas to clash on campaign choices, process changes and market strategy. Without a propensity to question the assumptions of the team members, the brainstorming would turn into a session of confirmation bias. Choosing examples within the military communication framework where you initiated a change in procedure or a practice is sufficient to demonstrate that you have the inclination to innovate. The challenge is at offering enough context to avoid translating the example as trivial or too complex.
Ask MBA Applicants from marketing or with the penchant for blogging on what is their biggest achievement; they would be ready with at least three plot points with the right amount of suspense, fear and joy mixed into the narrative. It is not a big stretch for applicants with a creative background to engineer an interesting narrative. MBA Admission team will have a problem if mediocre achievements are converted to creative narratives or what we call a ‘spin’. Fearing this tendency, competitive applicants learn to mix the right amount of narrative, numbers and objectivity to their essays.
