Job placement to social good. Why you owe it to yourself to do an MBA in an age of uncertainty.

Has the last few years put a crimp in your game? Life can give us many reasons to become disenchanted. Some dislike their jobs, finding them tedious. Others wish for a pay rise and see their growth opportunities circumscribed. And then there is the thrill of being trapped in a toxic work environment. The good news is that there is a way out of your conundrum. What you need is a transformational experience to reignite your sense of purpose where you are satisfied with what you do and are properly remunerated and rewarded for your effort. These are the main reasons why many people do an MBA.

We believe that getting an MBA is the ultimate career accelerator. It opens a door to personal development, self-awareness, and authenticity. Professionally, it gives you the space to enhance your toolkit, bolster your organisational skills, and if properly exploited, put you on a path to business leadership where you take ownership of the career your heart craves.

With so many fabulous global options from which to choose, we advise you to think outside the box of the "usual suspects". To enhance your MBA candidacy journey, I have listed below 9 pointers to improve the journey once you decide to commit.

9 Key Pointers Fundamental to MBA Admissions

1)?Assess your professional development?needs. What skills do you lack? Do you need to add to your foundation? Are you looking to build a path to business leadership? Is some form of entrepreneurship in the cards for you? Do you need to enhance your team-building and organisational skills? If the answer is yes to any of the above questions, then know that the MBA is a perfect fit to catalyse your career options.

Note that most qualified candidates are attracted to the top 20 business schools. The competition is intense, but don't let this deter your candidacy. We do recommend however that your targets match your metrics. Metrics do matter, although they are only initial indicators in the MBA admissions process.

Please consider that an 800 GMAT score will not get you accepted. I say this because certain STEM candidates believe if they capture this score, they will get accepted and have a sense of entitlement to win a scholarship. If this is your attitude, you will be very disappointed when you apply. We would like to underscore that the key to "yes" is selling compelling narratives.

2)?Do not choose?your business school targets based on pedigree alone.?Choose the best schools suited to your profile and professional objectives. Therefore, it is highly recommended to have a serious game plan and strategy to hit your target MBAs. Remember that, not all business schools are created equally. Forget the marketing hype online. Each management education programme has a unique culture, special features, and thriving networks. Investigating the schools online is only your first rudimentary step. Another "petit astuce" is to make sure you set aside enough time to prep and meet your deadlines.

3)?Why are MBA admissions so complicated? MBA admissions although not quite the?Bataan death march, gives you a good run for your money. If you are an adrenaline junkie, it is a ticket to ride. For starters, every MBA candidate is attracted by the larger-than-life salaries, prestige, and opportunities. Candidates do not realise that they are competing against an applicant pool of overqualified applicants. Do not approach this process lightly. Acceptance criteria go beyond big data and incorporate highly subjective extras.

4)?How to harness content marketing. The required essays and videos are an exercise in content marketing to the nth power. Therefore, make your stories distinctive. This is not about age, professionalism, or maturity. It is about showing what truly motivates you. Self-awareness and authenticity are fundamental. The admissions committee knows BS when they read it. If your essays and videos replicate some of the examples I've seen pushed online and in chat rooms, the game is over.

5)?Why do you want an MBA??What are your short-term and mid-term goals? Everyone who applies for an MBA must be able to answer this question with authority. Saying you want a better salary or a better job is a sine qua non. Your answer must be a lot deeper than this. We suggest reading some of the books written by Adam Grant, Robin Sharma, and Simon Sinek. These books will help you identify what truly motivates you and give you a sense of purpose that you didn't know you had.

6)?Examine business school attributes. When building your applications, examine the language a school uses to?sell its programme. Harvard Business School is a case in point: “We encourage candidates who can benefit from — and contribute to — a transformative education in which students challenge and learn from each other as they test their growing leadership abilities. To create a dynamic environment that mirrors the breadth and depth of our world economy, we seek diversity. Each fall, we welcome 900 students representing more than seventy countries and a wide range of interests and backgrounds. While our students’ lives and experiences vary greatly, they all share a demonstrated capacity for leadership and a desire to effect positive change. For the right person, now is the right time to apply.”

7)?Tackling soft admissions criteria.?All schools look for diversity. According to this logic, the more?different?you are, the better your candidacy looks on paper. Although there are no official quotas, "soft criteria" do play a role in MBA admissions. There is nothing you can do about this. Generally, MBA programmes recruit candidates 25-28 years old. If you are +30, European MBAs will be a better fit for your candidacy. EMBA candidates are typically +35 or more. This programme is better adapted to your experiential level and peer cohort.

8)?Considering the financials. The cost to do an MBA is not getting any cheaper. Many people consider that the ROI is not worth it. I disagree. However, relativising the question of?worth is highly subjective.?Is it worth taking out a loan? The answer is a definitive yes should you get accepted to a top 10 business school. Scholarships do exist. However, they are harder than ever to win. This doesn't mean do not try. Go for it, and should you win one, see it as a bonus.

9)?Weighing the differences?between European and American MBAs.?As George Orwell might have stated, “Some MBAs are more equal than others”. My only counsel is to choose wisely. Comprehensive studies are published across the media. In our view, European MBA programmes offer greater value for money and are every bit as good as their American counterparts. Schools such as INSEAD, HEC-Paris, London Business School, IMD, and IESE Business School are worth their weight in gold.

Bringing It Back Home: An MBA has the potential to dramatically alter the course of your career. Despite criticism in the media on MBAs over the last few years, this form of education has the power to shake up your professional life on every level. Although an MBA is not for everyone, it has the power to be a transformational experience. The rest is up to you.

About the author

Andrew Scharf is an Award-Winning MBA Admissions Consultant and also offers ?? Executive Coaching ?? He is widely recognised for helping top performers and aspiring professionals be all they can be. His?mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world at Whitefield Consulting .