Throughout this series, I have focused on freeing candidates from all other constraints so that they can pay careful attention to their essays come January. Short answers – the small sections within the actual application forms themselves which pertain to your work history, community accomplishments, scholarships and criteria, etc. – do not change much from year to year. While many choose to put-off these “details” you can rid yourself of a headache now by taking the time to complete these sections. Furthermore, similar in benefit to your resume, by completing this step early on, you may contemplate and discover stories that will be quite useful in writing your essays.
An abbreviated version of HBS’s short answer on work history (which actually did change slightly last year) follows:
Job Description:
Job Title:
Your Responsibilities: (200 characters only)
Key Accomplishments: (200 characters only)
Most Significant Challenge: (200 characters only)
Reason for Leaving: (200 characters only)
Again, if you need to complete these forms thoughtfully for several positions and then complete several other similar sections for your volunteer and extra-curricular experiences, this can be time consuming as you approach the deadlines. By completing them now, for all of your applications, you will have a brainstorming tool in hand and a small obstacle out of the way.
We offer specific pre-application services for those interested in charting a clear course to their MBA.