Work experience is one of the most significant factors of an MBA application when it comes to one year MBA programs offered by top B-Schools such as ISB, Great Lakes, IIMs etc., work experience is an essential pre-requisite for applying to them.

But even if we talk about the traditional two year MBA programs, work experience can set a candidate apart from the rest of the pool. Let us figure out how:

A career is a path to an MBA

If an MBA is your end goal, it is crucial for you to determine the right kind of work experience. A lot many business schools are very specific about work experience in their eligibility criteria. Therefore, the period of employment should not be too short or too long and a respectable position in a dynamic industry should be sought out, as far as possible.

For top business schools, students working for big names stand out in an already competitive pool. But this doesn’t mean that working for lesser known companies gets discarded by the B-schools. Any and all types of work experience strengthen your MBA application.

Before applying, you must conduct an extensive research on what the requirements are at different schools, and in different countries. In India and the US, requirements are generally lower than they are in Europe.

Experiential Learning

A pre-MBA career helps you determine your interests and goals before you join a business school. You can, therefore, identify which MBA specialization to pursue in order to achieve your career goals.

Such career goals are also easier to realize because candidates already possess business knowledge. The experienced students also get more out of the MBA pedagogy as they are able to identify pertinent issues in course case studies.

How Work Experience leads to the Development of valuable skillsets?

Work experience is a key differentiating factor in MBA applications alongside high GMAT/CAT/XAT scores and good personal attributes. Candidates with strong work experience in the competitive corporate landscape demonstrate an understanding of the business world and their own ability to cope within an arduous working environment.

Prior work experience stimulates valuable skills like resourcefulness and taking initiative and responsibility in candidates. The students who possess prior work experience are contributors instead of just learners.

In addition to this, a graduate with previous work experience can return to a full-time position, often several ranks higher.

So, you see this is how getting a minimum of two years’ worth of experience before going to a business school can make all the difference.