We believe that asking MBA candidates about their goals is plainly absurd, because so many students change their goals while they are in school. Further, an MBA supposed to be about career development and exploration, right? Regardless of how we feel on the subject, though, during a time when the economy is down and many firms are cutting back on their MBA hiring, you must ensure that (if a school asks via its essay questions or an interview) you have a compelling story about where you believe your MBA will take you. Two years ago, getting a banking job might have sounded compelling to you. But are you really capable of making that transition today? Venture capital and private equity jobs are challenging to land even during the best of times; are you able to compete with the elite in this space during a downturn? Real estate hiring might finally be picking up, but are you prepared to wait while recruiting continues to be slow to ramp up? What will you do in the meantime to stay competitive?
These are just a few examples of questions you should honestly ask yourself. Keep in mind that in addition to examining your story to determine whether you could add something unique to the class, MBA admissions committees might send your profile to the career services office to help confirm whether your stated goals are realistic and you will not be difficult to place by, or soon after, graduation (i.e., you will not pull down the school’s employment stats and negatively affect its standing in the rankings as a result). So, pay special attention to your goal statements, and make sure that you can credibly stand behind them. And, as we have written in the past, being prepared to discuss some alternate goals is also a good idea.
