The art of transferability brainstorming pre mba experiences and skills you already possess

1. http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/
The Art of Transferability brainstorming
pre-MBA experiences and skills you
already possess

2. By the Amerasia Consulting Group,
Boutique MBA Admissions Consulting
The Art of Transferability brainstorming
pre-MBA experiences and skills you
already possess
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

3. In working with clients of all age, gender, nationality, and
industry, one thing we're always trying to do is identify
things that connect everyone - common elements that
become and remain true, regardless of differences.
To be honest, there aren't many such elements. Almost
everything about the MBA admissions process is a
contextual exercise.
You can almost never divorce a unique applicant or a
specific school from your analysis.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

4. It's part of the reason this is such a difficult endeavor for
people, part of the reason why so many admissions
consultants do a horribly incomplete job of advising
candidates, and a huge part of the reason why
admissions consulting even exists.
You have to do a lot of things right and you have to do
them with great contextual specificity.
If you confront "one size fits all" advice, typically you can
sprint away from that as fast as possible.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

5. That said, there is one universal truth that we have
uncovered that seems largely overlooked by the rest of
the MBA admissions landscape and that is how
enormously important it is to abide by what we call the Art
of Transferability.
What does that mean? Quite simply, it means finding the
experiences and skills you *already possess* and
highlighting them as the proof that you will succeed in
business school and beyond.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

6. Most people either intuit or they learn that work
experience is important in an MBA candidacy and many
others grasp the concept that certain trademark themes
(leadership, teamwork, maturity, motivation, intellect, etc.)
are critical as well.
What few seem to understand, however, is that this whole
ballgame comes down to how well you EXTRACT from
those experience and then PRESENT evidence of your
relevant ability. And this is true of literally any candidate.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

7. Consider:
- If you are "young," then the pressure is on to show that you are
mature and ready for an MBA and what comes next. The way to
do that is to comb through your personal background and work
experience to show off your early acceleration - that you've been
challenged early in life and you've stepped up and met those
challenges. You prove your credentials as a young applicant by
highlighting specific skills and experiences - by zeroing in on that
which is transferable to an MBA and to your relevant career
goals.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

8. - If you are an "older" applicant, your goal is the same. Rather
than overwhelm a reader with 10+ years of seemingly unguided
career wandering, zoom in on the specific experience and traits
that will add value. There's nothing wrong with having a little
moss on you so long as you can boil things down to the essential
ingredients. As long as you can say "look, to be good at X, I
need A, B, C, and I have those skills," you can be highly
competitive, even if you are older than 30.
- If you are a traditional applicant (banking, consulting, etc.) and
you are looking to stand out, you do it by highlighting specifics
and not banking (pun intended) on assumed, general
characteristics of those industries. Focus on specific value you
will bring to the class and then to hiring companies (and their
clients) later on.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

9. - If you are a non-traditional applicant, it is the same exact
exercise. Don't worry that you were an actor and not a banker or
a restaurant manager and not a consultant; simply comb through
your life and work history and find the building blocks that will
make you successful in your line of work. As a restaurant
manager, you worked on tough timelines, managed difficult
personalities, thought critically, came up with innovative and
creative methods, got a chance to try your hand in everything
from marketing to accounting, and generally grew up faster than
someone would in an analyst position ... and now you are ready
to bring all those critical and mandatory skills to strategy
consulting.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

10. On and on it goes. No matter what background you are
coming from you, the burden is on YOU, the applicant.
To show what transferable skills you bring to the table
and that will impress recruiters during on campus
interviewing.
The admissions office will never assume you have them.
Put another way, if you don't display them, they will
assume you DON'T have them.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

11. Obviously, this is something a vetted admissions
consultant can help you with a great deal.
Starting with the career goals, we can help you move
backward toward the transferable skills that need to be on
display, and then help you research your own past to find
those skills.
As long as there is a straight line running through
everything, you can clear this hurdle and move on to
showcasing fit with each unique program (a much harder
exercise, to be honest).
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

12. If you are interested in the MBA Admissions Consulting services offered by
Amerasia, please email mba@amerasiaconsulting.com to inquire about setting up
a free consultation.
http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/