Profile evaluation request / question : Ask mbaMission

Hi,

I am a second year Investment Banking analyst working in a LatAm office for that Swiss bank that got acquired...

Given the news, it is probable that I will be out of a job in a few months. The context for recruiting for other banks is not the best right now in my country. I will probably have to transition to a corporate development (or local small boutique bank) role before applying to MBA this coming cycle

My concern is what happens if I am unemployed during application process / interviews. Would this hurt my chances significantly? I can always say that the reason I got fired had nothing to do with my performance and that I am currently recruiting for other roles but I don't know how this will be perceived by an admissions officer

My other concern is how good are my chances for H/S/W (or M7 in general). Would like to know how I stand. A brief background:

-Latino male, 25 yr old

-Went to college in my home country, 3.74 GPA (converted to US standard, raw number is 9.21 / 10)

-Currently 3.5yrs work experience, 4 yrs by the time of application and 5 yrs by the time the program starts

-Worked 2yrs as an analyst for this IB in the LatAm office (participated in a couple of big deals in the region), 1-yr in a $700m AuM local PE shop before that

-EC's: 3 years experience in a mentorship program for high school students for an international organization

-750 GMAT (took the exam in March 2021, would this hurt my chances at all?)

-Post MBA goals: Investment banking in NYC

Appreciate any responses

Thanks,

Hi superavitfiscal, thanks for reaching out. Sorry to hear that the acquisition has you worried about your job security, but it's good to be thinking ahead. It can be challenging to apply when you're unemployed. It's one more thing you have to explain. But it's not a deal breaker, it's just usually much better to apply when you're employed. You are absolutely right that if you are let go as a result of an acquisition or restructuring or large layoff, that will look better than being fired for performance issues, so I wouldn't be too worried about explaining that, but I still think it would look stronger to show admissions that you bounced back and were able to land a new position, as that will give them faith about your future ability to network and succeed in recruiting.

Now would be a good time to apply, as 5 years upon starting is the average. And perhaps your layoff will help bolster your reasoning for getting an MBA now. So if you're unable to line up a new position, I would still apply now, but make sure you have a few things to show that you are being productive with your time (could be community/volunteer work, startup activities, travel, learning new skills, etc.).

Otherwise your profile sounds really strong. Great GPA and GMAT and EC involvement! And no, taking the GMAT in 2021 won't matter, the score is valid for 5 years.

Hope that helps!
Kate

superavitfiscal wrote:Hi,

I am a second year Investment Banking analyst working in a LatAm office for that Swiss bank that got acquired...

Given the news, it is probable that I will be out of a job in a few months. The context for recruiting for other banks is not the best right now in my country. I will probably have to transition to a corporate development (or local small boutique bank) role before applying to MBA this coming cycle

My concern is what happens if I am unemployed during application process / interviews. Would this hurt my chances significantly? I can always say that the reason I got fired had nothing to do with my performance and that I am currently recruiting for other roles but I don't know how this will be perceived by an admissions officer

My other concern is how good are my chances for H/S/W (or M7 in general). Would like to know how I stand. A brief background:

-Latino male, 25 yr old

-Went to college in my home country, 3.74 GPA (converted to US standard, raw number is 9.21 / 10)

-Currently 3.5yrs work experience, 4 yrs by the time of application and 5 yrs by the time the program starts

-Worked 2yrs as an analyst for this IB in the LatAm office (participated in a couple of big deals in the region), 1-yr in a $700m AuM local PE shop before that

-EC's: 3 years experience in a mentorship program for high school students for an international organization

-750 GMAT (took the exam in March 2021, would this hurt my chances at all?)

-Post MBA goals: Investment banking in NYC

Appreciate any responses

Thanks,

Thanks Kate, the feedback is very much appreciated!

mbaMissionKate wrote:Hi superavitfiscal, thanks for reaching out. Sorry to hear that the acquisition has you worried about your job security, but it's good to be thinking ahead. It can be challenging to apply when you're unemployed. It's one more thing you have to explain. But it's not a deal breaker, it's just usually much better to apply when you're employed. You are absolutely right that if you are let go as a result of an acquisition or restricting or large layoff, that will look better than being fired for performance issues, so I wouldn't be too worried about explaining that, but I still think it would look stronger to show admissions that you bounced back and were able to land a new position, as that will give them faith about your future ability to network and succeed in recruiting.

Now would be a good time to apply, as 5 years upon starting is the average. And perhaps your layoff will help bolster your reasoning for getting an MBA now. So if you're unable to line up a new position, I would still apply now, but make sure you have a few things to show that you are being productive with your time (could be community/volunteer work, startup activities, travel, learning new skills, etc.).

Otherwise your profile sounds really strong. Great GPA and GMAT and EC involvement! And no, taking the GMAT in 2021 won't matter, the score is valid for 5 years.

Hope that helps!
Kate

superavitfiscal wrote:Hi,

I am a second year Investment Banking analyst working in a LatAm office for that Swiss bank that got acquired...

Given the news, it is probable that I will be out of a job in a few months. The context for recruiting for other banks is not the best right now in my country. I will probably have to transition to a corporate development (or local small boutique bank) role before applying to MBA this coming cycle

My concern is what happens if I am unemployed during application process / interviews. Would this hurt my chances significantly? I can always say that the reason I got fired had nothing to do with my performance and that I am currently recruiting for other roles but I don't know how this will be perceived by an admissions officer

My other concern is how good are my chances for H/S/W (or M7 in general). Would like to know how I stand. A brief background:

-Latino male, 25 yr old

-Went to college in my home country, 3.74 GPA (converted to US standard, raw number is 9.21 / 10)

-Currently 3.5yrs work experience, 4 yrs by the time of application and 5 yrs by the time the program starts

-Worked 2yrs as an analyst for this IB in the LatAm office (participated in a couple of big deals in the region), 1-yr in a $700m AuM local PE shop before that

-EC's: 3 years experience in a mentorship program for high school students for an international organization

-750 GMAT (took the exam in March 2021, would this hurt my chances at all?)

-Post MBA goals: Investment banking in NYC

Appreciate any responses

Thanks,