Monday Morning Essay Tip: Depth of Goals
September 15th, 2008 | Posted in Monday Morning Essay Tips, Blogroll
When MBA Admissions Officers read your application, they want to complete your personal statement feeling inspired; they want to feel that you have a strong sense of purpose and that you will aggressively work toward your goals. So, you need to ensure that you are not presenting generic or shallow goals. While this problem is not industry specific, it appears most often with candidates who are proposing careers in investment banking or consulting but do not have a true understanding of what these positions entail.
It is not enough to merely state
“In the short term, when I graduate from Wharton, I want to become an Investment Banking Associate. After three years, I will climb to VP, and then in the long term, I will become a Managing Director.”
The faux candidate above does not express any passion for his proposed course, does not show any understanding of the demands of the position and does not explain the value that he can bring to the firm. Thus, we suggest that you conduct a simple test: if you can substitute another job title into your career goals (“In the short term, when I graduate from Wharton, I want to become a Consultant. After three years, I will climb to VP and then in the long term, I will become a Managing Director.”), you know you have a serious problem on your hands.
You need to own your goals, and this means personalizing them and finding your own angle into why you might be a success in this position and why there might be an opportunity for you to contribute. By way of example, a former Forestry Engineer could make a strong argument for joining an environmental impact consulting firm (Note: He will still need to explain why he wants to join one); a Financial Analyst in the Corporate Finance Department at Yahoo! could connect his/her goals to Tech Investment Banking. While the connection need not be so direct (especially for those seeking to change careers), it is important that you relate your past experiences and/or skills to your future path. This approach will add depth to your essay and ensure that you are taken seriously.
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