Many prospective students I speak with are surprised to know that approximately 50% of Liautaud MBAs have come from non-business related careers and undergraduate majors. Each year, we typically take in new students with backgrounds in medicine, engineering, education, and a variety of other fields.
When reviewing an applicant’s work history, our Admissions Committee looks for the following:
- Two or more years of post-undergraduate work experience: Our work experience average for an incoming class is typically 5 years, with a range of approximately 2-10 years.
- Quality of work experience over quantity of positions held. This brings me to my next point…
- Career progression and growth: For example, were you promoted within your current company, showed initiative, moved to higher level positions, took on larger projects or higher profile clients, moved from a team member to a team leader?
- How have you provided value for your employer measured by real quantifiable actions and results such as number of employees managed, sales revenues generated, size of budget, cost savings, and so on
- A logical career progression with strategic next steps: Have you been strategic and thoughtful in terms of your career planning to date and how well researched are you regarding employment trends and possible career paths?
- Explanation of current or past gaps in employment: What were the reasons; and how did you use that break in your career?
I hope my insights prove helpful as you prepare your MBA application. Please feel free to contact me at lgsb@uic.edu if you have any questions about this or any other aspect of the MBA admissions process!