You are about to complete your undergraduate degree and you are thinking what the next steps in your life would be or maybe your family already might be asking you to consider an [MBA] to further your education and to become more competitive at work. But when is it a good time to do an [MBA]?

At the Rotman School of Management, we require at least 2 years of fulltime work experience post-graduation. We accept all four-year undergraduate degrees from recognized institutions in any field and any job that requires a bachelor’s degree is considered to be professional experience. The reason for the work experience requirement is simple; an [MBA] is a practical degree. The focus is on the application of knowledge not on theory. While we make exceptions in some cases*, most of our students have at least two years of fulltime work experience under their belt. It helps them connect the dots during class discussions, also they take away more from the program. For our fulltime [MBA] program the average work experience is around 4 years and for our part time [MBA] programs the average experience is around 6 years.

When you just complete your undergraduate degree, surely your first job will be a junior position. Based on my discussions with many third and fourth year students, having junior experience on resume is viewed as a disadvantage. We do realize that fresh graduates do not get senior level positions and at RotmanSchool, we value your individual impact on the organization more than your title. What we look for is team work, showing initiative and good communication skills. When you get your foot in the door-any door- volunteer for diverse projects, don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone. Show your supervisor that you are willing to take the extra mile to contribute to the growth of the organization. When you decide to do your [MBA] in a couple years, your supervisor will be one of your references. We all want them to say positive things about your work and soft skills.

Started working, then what?

Once you start working, you can start your application as well. As you know one of the requirements is to write the GMAT or GRE; we have been told that when people write the test right after graduation, they tend to get higher scores. On a side note, in the past, we accepted only GMAT, as of 2009-2010 we started accepting GRE as well.  Both tests are good for 5 years. When you consider the time and energy you invest in either of these tests, you will see that writing it earlier in the process will not only save you a lot of time but also will give you a peace of mind. You can focus on making an impact on the organization so that you can get good references. It is also a good idea to start working on your essays during your first year at work. To get some good tips for your essays, you can attend one of our Information Sessions and the Open House to explore the school and the program further!

For more information on this topic or to discuss your eligibility, you can always contact me at gumus@rotman.utoronto.ca

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*I will discuss these exceptional candidates in another blog entry.