Articulating your career vision is one of the most critical elements of your entire business school application.

A strong career vision not only helps you stand out in the MBA application process, but it’s also essential for your admissions interviews. It will also help you hit the ground running when you actually begin your MBA, because recruiting and job search begin as early as your first day at school.

In this two-part series, my Fortuna Admissions colleagues and I distill our advice on how to craft a compelling career vision, along with tangible tips for getting started. Collectively, we have reviewed thousands of business school applications and the career visions within them. From that perspective, we explain what a career vision is, why it’s important, what schools are looking for and how to get started. (Part 2 clarifies how to express your long-term vision versus short-term MBA goals, with specific examples.)

Whether you’re in the throes of writing your application or looking ahead to acing the MBA admissions interview, this guide will aid you with articulating a career vision that’s convincing, clear, achievable, genuine and specific to you.

What is a Career Vision & Why It Matters

At its core, a career vision defines what you want to do and who you want to be. Identifying this vision provides a distinct and inspiring direction for your professional life, guided by your ambitions, motivations, ideals and beliefs. 

It’s about portraying a clear picture of where you’ve been, where you are headed, and why an MBA is essential for getting you there. B-schools are looking for students who are poised to get the most value from their MBA experience by going on to great things in the future. Stated clearly, this vision allows admissions committees to understand what drives you — in your life as well as in your career.

Every MBA program explicitly asks about your career aspirations in its application. At the interview stage, you will be expected to present and defend these goals. Finding a theme and story around the decisions you’ve made so far will help with the process of developing an eye-catching career vision.

What Is the MBA Admission Committee Looking For?

When deciding between candidates with comparable profiles, admissions committees will look for those who are best positioned to leverage the resources offered at their business school. Your career vision should clearly show the steps you will take to achieve your goals.

Five criteria the MBA Admissions Committee Looks for

1. Clear and Compelling

You must demonstrate you’ve done the industry and company research that’s essential to convey a vision that’s both strong and realistic. Consider it your first MBA assignment! Articulating a clear and captivating career vision is an indication of the quality of work — and clarity of thought — you can produce.

2. Ambitious and Inspiring

Admissions committees are seeking future industry leaders and changemakers. A career vision that’s ambitious expresses that you’re aiming for seniority in your chosen industry (no b-school is looking for applicants aspiring only to middle management). An “inspiring” career necessitates that you aspire to impact an industry, community or society at large.

3. Logical and Achievable

Admissions committees want to see that the plan you’ve mapped to claim your lofty aspirations are logical. You’ll need to show an understanding of what business school will do for you and also how the career recruiting process operates.

4. Coherent and Persuasive

Along these lines, you want to present a coherent narrative or thread that persuasively links your past experiences and your reasons for pursuing an MBA with your short- and long-term career aspirations.

5. Urgent and Essential

You’ll need to be persuasive that an MBA from this program is mission-critical to your future ambitions. Schools also want assurance that they’re equipped to help you reach your post-MBA targets.

Finally, programs want to know you’ll add value to their school and community. How will your experiences and network help others to reach their career aspirations and build a diverse incoming class? What about you makes others imagine you can achieve this (your unique background, personal experiences, passions, etc.)?

The career development process can be daunting, but a thoughtful methodology will help you enjoy what’s essential a process of discovery.

Four Steps Toward Your Career Vision 

Get Introspective

First, be sure you have a solid answer to this fundamental question: Why do you want an MBA? What do your short- and long-term aspirations convey on both a professional and personal level? This kind of reflection not only helps make the case to the admissions team but can also clarify for yourself why this next phase of your life is important. 

Step back to consider your values, strengths, career interests and life ambitions. Ultimately, your particular motivation and future aspirations become the lens and filter for honing a vision for the future and the map for how to get there. Many candidates tell us that their engagement with the admissions process inspired greater insight and self-awareness — a validating and unexpected benefit to working through their applications.

Forecast Your Future

What type of jobs do you wish to undertake post-MBA? Take time to explore and do your research. For example, in which sectors do you want to work? In which functional areas, and with what kinds of companies? Can you pinpoint your dream companies? Get as specific as you can by creating a list of your top 10. 

Imagine yourself in the future in one of these companies. Why are you motivated to work for that specific firm? What is it about its brand, products, company culture and career opportunities that feels compelling to you? You may discover that some companies value an MBA more than others and that companies in certain sectors (e.g. hospitality, travel, consumer goods) put a premium on more practical experience and ascending the company hierarchy. This part of the research process allows you to affirm that having an MBA will really add value to your career plans.

Set Parameters

Set some parameters to guide your research and start narrowing down your options, by thinking of any restrictions you might have (such as location, family considerations, potential visa issues, etc.). Is your goal to work in a specific industry (i.e., private equity, technology or consumer goods), where you may circulate through different functions over the course of your career? Or is it to develop an expertise or specialization in a certain area (i.e. marketing, human resources, CFO)?

Do Your Research

With your parameters established, do some research to better understand each potential path. This means homework on certain roles and industries, networking and conducting informational interviews, as well as spotting new trends and opportunities that excite you. There are no stagnant industries, so you’ll want to pinpoint the trends that shape them and understand the competitive landscape.

If you are transitioning from investment banking to luxury goods, can you show that you’ve thoughtfully researched the sector, along with influential players and brands? 

Do a Skills and Gap Analysis

Identifying the skills you’ll need for your ideal career positions allows you to assess the logic of your chosen path. Throughout the MBA, what skills will you acquire and how? This will also help you identify the transferable skills that set you up for success.

Career changers must anticipate some of the challenges ahead, for example—if you don’t yet speak Mandarin but want to work in China. Have you considered taking a language course to demonstrate your commitment to the culture and location? Have you taken steps towards your goal, e.g., by working pro-bono on weekends with a start-up in the field you want to enter? Have you joined affinity groups focused on the area?

Distinguish Long-Term Vision and Short-Term Aspirations

A long-term vision is usually around 10 years out — arguably the height of your career. By contrast, your short-term plans are stepping stones on your path to that pinnacle, meaning they are your immediate plans (for your internship) to two to three years post-MBA. (In part 2 of this series, we do a deeper dive into the long-term vision.)

Remember: Your ability to express a logical and motivating career vision signals your commitment to the journey, even if the destination changes en route. Admissions officers are aware your plans may evolve. After all, getting an MBA should be a life-changing experience; it will inevitably present new opportunities and possibilities.

Weigh Up Your Options

It’s okay to share a Plan A and Plan B. It can even be advantageous, as it shows that you have considered the possibilities and narrowed down your options, and that you are methodical and realistic in your approach. 

It’s important to stay open to the opportunities that may shape you during your program—not everyone nabs their dream job straight out of b-school. Your career journey may be a series of steps that will guide you to your future goals. You can demonstrate this awareness by factoring it into your career strategy. Well-considered steps in your career path are far better than radical and unplanned pivots that can wind up costing you time and advancements in your career.

 

Want More Advice?

• How to Create MBA Goals: Long-term Vision vs. Short-term Goals (blog part 2)
• Your Post-MBA Career Goals & How to Position Them In Your MBA App (video)
• How to Position Your MBA Application When Your Post-MBA Career Goal Is Consultancy (video)
• Your Current Role & How It Connects to Your MBA Career Vision (video)
• What You Should Do Now to Prepare for You MBA Career Vision (video)

Let’s Get You In.

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Fortuna Director Heidi Hillis is a senior expert MBA admissions coach and alumna of Stanford GSB.