More than ever, top MBA programs want students who have work experience in the broadest possible range of industries, functions, and geographies. Human resources (HR) professionals historically have not pursued MBAs. But if you currently work in HR, whether you want to stay in the field or not, you can make a strong case for how your experience on the people side of the business would make you a valuable resource in the MBA classroom. As an HR professional, you have seen issues and problems in organizations from a unique angle—the employee angle—that many in finance and strategy have not. Coupled with an MBA from a top program, solid experience in a company’s HR department or at an HR consulting firm could translate into many different career paths for you.
Here are some tips to consider if you are an HR professional who wants to pursue an MBA:
1. Start early.
MBA applications are a lot of work for everyone—but if you’re coming from the HR space or other nontraditional paths, you may have more to do than the average applicant coming from consulting or finance. As you assess your candidacy, there may be areas you will want to strengthen (such as taking a quant course before you submit applications), and that takes time. If you begin considering applications a month or two before the deadlines, you’ll miss the chance to strengthen your profile as much as possible.
2. Do your research.
Find out as much as you can from others with HR experience who have taken the MBA path. Check with schools you’re interested in to see if you can get in touch with students who might have come from similar backgrounds. A school’s website may list a student ambassador who happens to have experience in HR. Maybe there are students working on a summer internship in your city who could be a valuable resource. Meet them for coffee or lunch to find out how they made their decision to go to business school. How did they find the HR work helped prepare them for business school? What would they do differently if given another chance?
Talking to people who have made the leap from HR to an MBA is likely to give you lots of insight as to the possibilities for your future. For example, if you know you want to stay in HR, a business degree would give you the skills and knowledge to be in a more strategic human resources position in your company (like HR business partner) or perhaps go into HR consulting. Or if you’re the entrepreneurial type, maybe you want to start a boutique HR consulting firm someday and need the skills from an MBA to make that happen. Or maybe you want to use an MBA to pivot functions. The skills you’ve gained on the people side of the business—communication, client service, collaboration, and project management—coupled with the knowledge you’d gain in an MBA program would serve you well in a wide variety of roles, functions, and industries post-MBA.
3. Leverage your strengths.
Your HR background will be a positive differentiator in several ways as you apply to MBA programs. Your work has likely involved understanding how to navigate complicated interpersonal relationships or dynamics and how to communicate effectively to different types of audiences. Many HR professionals have a great deal of empathy, which translates perhaps into mentorship and the ability to find solutions to tricky personal situations. Your MBA applications are your chance to present these differentiators to the admissions committee. Also, don’t be shy about marketing yourself as someone who will bring a unique perspective and interesting set of skills into the classroom. Schools are looking for people with experience across all functions and industries, so be clear about how your experience will add to your peers’ learning.
4. Recognize your weaknesses.
You’ve likely learned valuable skills while working in HR, but quantitative skills probably are not among them. Unless you majored in finance or business in college, you might have gaps in your quantitative profile that could make you less competitive for top MBA programs if you don’t address them. If this is the case, you’re in luck because there are so many different ways you can gain these skills and show the admissions committee you’re prepared for the rigors of an MBA curriculum. For example, you could sign up for an accounting or finance course online or at a local college. Doing so would show schools that despite your non-quantitative background, you’ll be prepared for all aspects of an MBA program. Of course, a solid quantitative score on the GMAT or GRE also goes a long way toward illustrating your readiness, so spend plenty of time preparing to get that part of your score as high as possible.
5. Explore new areas at work.
If you’re working in the HR department of a company, look for ways to learn more about what’s going on in the business beyond your silo. Can you volunteer for a project that overlaps with another department—perhaps operations, corporate strategy, or marketing? As you learn more about the broader business context, try to figure out how the HR department fits in with the other functional areas. If you find this interesting, you probably would be a good candidate for an MBA, which teaches you the fundamentals of business alongside people who have experience across every function and industry. Depending on your industry, if you’re working at a smaller firm, take an interest in the business side of the shop. How does your boss get clients? How do they plan revenue and expenses for the year? How is the organization positioned in the market compared to competitors?
6. Guide your recommenders.
Unlike their peers in finance or consulting, many HR supervisors haven’t worked with employees who leave to pursue an MBA. Take special care to explain to your supervisor why you want to get an MBA and how you see yourself benefiting in the future. Tell them that the HR work you’ve done will allow you to offer a unique perspective to classroom discussions. Perhaps give them several bullet points on how you see your experience as a very effective background to learn about broader business concepts. Most recommenders will be happy to support you but will want to learn more about why you want this degree and how it will help you down the road.
Learn how a Stratus admissions expert can help you on your MBA applications. Sign up for a free consultation today!