Saakshi2407 wrote:Hi Everyone!
I would like to request my profile evaluation -
32Y/F
Mother of a toddler
Chartered accountant with 8+ (9 by the time I join mba program) years post qualification experience.
CA - 53% (Both groups cleared together; exemption in 2/8 & 5/7 subjects in Final & Inter respectively; articleship from a Big 4)
B. Com. - 71%
12th - 86%
10th - 91%
Experience -
1. Working as a Finance Manager in one of the Big 3s (2+ years in current role) Key responsibilities - Planning/ budgeting & tracking actuals against budget, performing margin analysis (critical KPI as drives partner bonus); Spearheading implementation of a new accounting standard/first time implementation of a new process & multiple other finance functions (consolidation, audit etc.)
Prior to this was an experienced manager in Big 4 and worked on end to end of an audit of all FS captions of diversified industries - Consumer goods, Fashion apparel, industrial goods (spent 6+ years post qualification).
Key professional highlights -
1. Throughout rated a high performer
2. Got An offer for secondment to US office
3. Promoted from Senior to AM within a year of joining (1 out of 13)
4. As a Manager 1 handled one of the biggest engagement of the firm erstwhile handled by an experienced SM
5. Secondment in Transfer pricing & Forensics department
6. Won multiple awards for performance, team management & exceptional client service
7. Have been actively involved on hiring drives, leading the onboarding efforts; imparting accounting & audit trainings (group size ~50) and handled team size/direct reportees ~20
Extracurricular - 1) Won painting competitions in school for multiple years and a prize at district level
2) Emceed multiple school events; participated in debates, quizes, drama etc.
3) Was invited to my school as a 'guest of honour' and a judge.
Motivation - Always wanted to pursue an MBA but couldn't due to personal/family reasons; then ROI seemed too high for taking a break. Now I am at a point where I want to do it before it is too late - for my personal growth; get a real college experience and pivot my career from a core technical accounting role to a role that is general management.
I know my extracurricular is quiet weak. I do have some ideas that I can work on but i'm confused as to what's the key to choosing - is it volunteering for an NGO/social cause but volunteering in my skills as a CA is fine or volunteering in a different role and thus make it really an extracurricular
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Hi
Saakshi2407- Your strong academic background, as a Chartered Accountant with good scores in B.Com, 12th, and 10th, sets a solid foundation for your application. With 8+ years of experience in finance and accounting roles, including your current Finance Manager position and previous work at a Big 4 firm, you bring a wealth of expertise to the table. Emphasize your secondment offer, promotions, and awards in your application.
- Your extracurricular activities, such as painting competitions, emceeing, and guest of honor appearances, showcase your diverse interests. To enhance this section, consider volunteering at an NGO or social cause that aligns with your passions. You can leverage your CA skills or explore new roles to demonstrate well-roundedness and commitment.
- Clearly articulate your motivation for pursuing an MBA at ISB, including your desire for personal growth, a college experience, and a pivot to general management. Explain how an MBA from ISB will help you achieve your goals and add value to the program. Have goals that are specific and necessitate an MBA, explaining what you want to achieve and why your current experience and education is not enough. Just mentioning a move ot general management will not be enough.
- Don't worry about your extracurriculars being weak; focus on what you can do now to make an impact. Choose activities that resonate with your interests and showcase your unique skills. These may not be big ticket from where you are right now (a few months before applying), but they will still help. While ECA helps, the core of your profile is still your professional experience, and you are good there.
- Aim for a GMAT score of 680+, and of course, the higher the better. Try and apply this year and don't delay to the next, given the relatively higher work experience already.
Remember, it's never too late to follow your dreams. Pursuing an MBA can unlock new opportunities and provide a platform to accelerate your career. Stay determined, work on building a strong application, and believe in yourself.
). But yes, as the last comment mentioned, ISB caters to a relatively younger set of experienced professionals at this point. I have first-hand feedback from ISB students with over 8+ years of experience that opportunities out of ISB are not as they had expected due to the very large cohort and more focused recruitment toward folks with 3-6 years of professional experience. And therefore, you must add schools focused on more experienced professionals (for example IIM A and B PGPX) to your target list and work harder to maximize the admits since the IIMs have much smaller intakes than ISB for the 1 year full-time PGP programs.
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