It is no secret that having substantial work experience before you apply for an MBA degree makes for an impressive application, and it also increases your chances of getting into the school of your choice. But the reason why this is the case goes beyond what meets the eye.
Firstly, your work experience sets your application apart from all others, because it is specific to you, unlike academic experience that is more or less similar across all applications. Other ways in which your initial work experience affects your MBA degree include but are not limited to the following:
Find your niche
All pre-MBA work experience helps you to understand what you are interested in, and what you are good at. This helps you to explore career paths and make a thoroughly informed decision about which MBA specialisation to pursue in the future.
Once you gain work experience in the industry, you are able to judge every course not only by its theoretical structure, but also by how relevant it is with the market of the times (because you have already worked in the said market).
Better learning experience
Students who have had relevant industry experience are able to gain more out of the MBA curriculum because they are able to connect the knowledge of the books with actual industrial application. Case studies can become especially easy for such students, since they are able to correlate business knowledge to the course material to identify relevant issues.
If you have already worked a job related to the specialisation you are studying, nothing would feel completely alien, and you would not have to start from scratch; you can just hit the ground running.
Development of relevant skills
Apart from industrial know-how, they are many other skills that are required for a professional to be successful in the industry, which can only be learnt well by actually working a full-time job. Pre-MBA work experience comes in handy in such situations, because when you are employed, you get to learn skills like taking initiative, resourcefulness as well as accountability.
Management professionals needs to be nimble with their responses, hence presence of mind is a must, and it cannot be learned solely by bookish knowledge. This is where your work experience exhibits your hold of these skills that are mandatory for professional growth. Schools look for candidates who have leadership abilities, and if you have any such instances to share from your previous job(s), it takes your application to a whole new level.
Accelerated career growth
One of the most important benefits of having pre-MBA work experience is that once you are done with your MBA degree, you can join a job at number of levels higher than your peers. This is owing to the fact that you do not require the basic industrial training that your peers do, which is always a plus, since it accelerates the overall growth of your career.
So you see, work experience is not just another entry to your resume. It has all these underlying benefits that go a long way in strengthening your application, and facilitating your career growth as well.
