The 4 Realms of ApplicationNow
that you know the 6 internal attributes for success, you need
to apply these to the realms that are important to what the
admissions committee is looking for. As you work on doing
great things in the realms, make sure that you always keep the
4 external areas of focus (leadership, teamwork, integrity and
impact) in mind. Remember that the admissions committee will
want you to describe your experiences through those areas of
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Below, I describe the 4 realms that I believe are most
important.
Personal
Being good at something in
your personal life is rewarding. You should do this not only to help
you get into business school but as a habit for improving yourself.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. Here are the key
points to remember:
Pick a hobby or interest that you
are passionate about
For some people, this is somewhat
easy since they have many things they like to do. For others, it can
be a daunting task. Do you have friends who are ¡°talented¡± and/or
excel at things such as sports, musical instruments, etc.? Although
there are talented people out there, I believe being good at things
is a learned behavior. Choosing a few hobbies is ok but make sure
that you have enough time to get good at it. Remember that you will
be doing a lot of other things as well.
Do research
and read up on the hobby
Make sure you read up and learn
everything you can about the hobby. Find out how long it takes to
get to a certain level of expertise. More importantly, learn about
the hobby so that you become a subject matter expert in it.
Figure out a game plan to be good at your
hobby
Whether you¡¯re playing golf, a musical instrument,
or poker, create a 3 month, 6 month and 1 year plan to become good
at your hobby. I find that doing something frequently while spending
a short amount of time is better than doing something on a one off
basis while spending lots of time on it.
Join a group
and connect with others who have similar interests
Make
sure that you are not just doing the hobby on your own without
networking with others who have similar interests. Join a group and
become a member of the group¡¯s management. If there is no group, you
can start one. Make this your opportunity to take the lead and
become the respected expert in the group.
Measure your
performance against yourself, not against someone else
It
is very important that you measure your performance against yourself
and not against anyone else. No matter how many hours you spend on
golf, you will probably not be as good as Tiger Woods. Now that does
not mean you should not aim for this dream, but just keep that in
perspective. For example, if you couldn¡¯t read a note of music when
you started learning the guitar but are able to read sheet music and
play a few songs, that¡¯s a big deal. You certainly don¡¯t want to
exaggerate your progress but don¡¯t minimize it either.
Professional (Work)
Of the 4 realms of
application, your professional work environment is the most
important in terms of the relevance for business school admissions.
You need to focus on this realm the most. Below are some guidelines
to follow:
Do you enjoy your job?
Similar
to most people, you are probably looking to get an MBA so that you
can either advance your current career or switch careers. However,
it is extremely important that at some point in your career, you
really enjoy your job and excel at it. Figure out if you like your
current job and whether you have the opportunity to something
extraordinary.
Pick a project that will yield
extraordinary impact to the company
Now this statement
may sound daunting at first but you need to pick a project that is
tailored to the level you are at. For example, if you work in the
mail room, you can choose a project that will improve customer
service and increase the productivity of employees in the company.
Remember to choose a project based on the expected impact to the
company. You will be measured by the impact of the project, not by
the hours you put in, although those two are not mutually exclusive.
Does the project allow you to lead a
team?
Remember that the team need not be your direct
reports or even be an ¡°official¡± team. If your project requires that
you influence people across various departments, you can argue that
experience simulates leading a team.
Do you have the
talent to do the project?
Just imagining that you can run
a billion dollar company as the CEO is just that - an imagination.
You first need to figure out whether you have the talent to do the
project. Pick a project that will stretch your talents and take you
out of your comfort zone, but not so difficult that you have little
chance of success.
Do you have management¡¯s support of
your project?
A very important aspect that people tend to
neglect is management support. I would rank this as the most
important aspect. The main reason is that you will probably need
great recommendations of what you¡¯ve done for the company. Even more
importantly, you need your manager or another sponsor to support
your endeavors.
Do you have the time and resources to
be successful?
You are not trying to do the impossible.
You are trying to execute a well thought out plan to successfully
complete a project that has a significant impact to the company.
Make sure that you plan accordingly and line up your resources.
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