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Leading MBA Admissions and Master's Consultant

Commentary: HBS MBA Career Choice Essay (Creative or Finance)

I have advised against using exploration of career through MBA as a narrative. One reason is that schools don’t like applicants who have not dedicated their time in exploring careers or finding a fit in an industry or a function. 

Your due diligence and commitment for career growth will be questioned if you are coming from a traditional background. But in our modern careers - a technology person can very well have a loyal following through YouTube or TikTok, or a travel enthusiast could have 1 million followers and a traditional career.

Commentary: HBS MBA Career Choice Essay (Creative Applicants)

For the HBS MBA Business Minded Essay Example of an applicant who has consulting, investment banking, and, most interestingly, ballet dance experience, I had to highlight the interesting career transitions. This is not required if you have extra-curricular as truly as an extra-curricular and not as a full-time serious career pursuit before other choices became clear in your teens or more from 8th grade when typically, students tend to choose a career path.

Commentary: HBS MBA Career Choice Essay (PE Professional)

For the HBS MBA Essay narrative on an applicant from Private Equity who transformed after a personal setback during covid, the career choice essay is more about the person’s evolution in values within private equity.

This narrative works for someone who has a traditional career path.

I have interacted with many clients who find it challenging to shortlist stories from their life if they are in a traditional consulting, investment banking, private equity or technology careers.

One Task Focus – No Task Narrative

If you are an Entrepreneur or a person managing a family’s multiple needs and interests, a challenge that adds pressure on you is context switching.

When you are switching from Chores to Technical to Content Creation to Marketing to Life tasks, the skills and mindset required for each task are different.

Our programming from the industrial era is to be a specialist in a field. This mindset is a cultural programming that is tough to get out of. That is why you see a lot of work-life balance complaints in popular culture.

College Application Storytelling - Building Empathy for your Story

Jamie Foxx – the Oscar-winning actor, shared an interesting anecdote about his rise to fame and the impact on his stand-up routine. Once he got the big dough in the mid-90s, he started testing out experiences from his new rich life. He bombed. The audience couldn’t relate to the complaining about Range Rover Sports Car and its lack of mileage.

About Atul Jose

I am Atul Jose - Author and Consultant. 

Most of my work over the past 15 years can be found at F1GMAT, where I guide applicants with tips on writing persuasive essays and help them shortlist the right post-MBA career and schools. 

I am the author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, MBA Research Guide, and MBA Admissions Interview Guide, in addition to Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning and Essential GMAT Reading Comprehension Guide.

You can purchase the books through F1GMAT's Store. 

For Consulting and application-related help in Master's and MBA Admissions, use F1GMAT's Contact Form to reach me. 

Why I started a Blog

Through my blog, I hope to share concepts & ideas on writing that works in any admission or job application.

Share with your friends if you find the posts interesting. 

Reach out to me through LinkedIn to connect.