Many people working in public relations (PR) or other communications roles do not realize an MBA could be a helpful step in their professional path because they don’t know anyone who has gotten one.
Here are five tips for PR professionals who want to pursue an MBA:
1. Do your research.
Find out as much as you can from others with public relations experience who have taken this path. Check with schools of interest to see if you can contact students who might have a similar career background. Maybe there are students completing a summer internship in your city who could be a valuable resource. Meet them for coffee or lunch to find out how and why they decided to attend business school. How did their PR work help prepare them for an MBA program? What would they do differently if given another chance?
Talking to people who have made the leap from communications to an MBA could give you lots of insight regarding the possibilities for your future. For example, if you know you want to stay in PR, an MBA would give you the skills and knowledge to open your own boutique agency someday. If you’re not the entrepreneurial type, perhaps an MBA would allow you to jump into a management position at a company or agency that would have been harder to achieve otherwise. Or maybe you want to use an MBA to pivot industries. The skills you’ve gained in 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.
2. Acknowledge your gaps.
You’ve likely learned valuable skills while working in PR, but usually quantitative skills are not among them. Unless you majored in finance or business in college, you are likely to 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 many different ways to gain these skills and show the admissions committees you’re prepared for the rigors of an MBA curriculum. You could sign up for an online course or enroll in an accounting or finance course at a local college. All of these options 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 in illustrating your readiness, so spend plenty of time preparing to get that part of your score as high as possible.
3. Seek out new opportunities at work.
If you’re working in the public relations 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 PR 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. If you’re working at a smaller PR agency, take an interest in the business side of the shop. How does your boss get clients and plan the agency’s revenue and expenses for the year? How is the agency positioned in the market compared to competitors?
4. Guide your recommenders.
Unlike their peers in finance or consulting, many supervisors in public relations 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 communications 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 communications experience as an effective background to learn about broader business concepts. Most recommenders will be happy to help you but will want to learn more about why you want this degree and how it will help you down the road.
5. Play to your strengths.
Your communications background will be a positive differentiator in several ways as you apply to MBA programs. Your work has likely involved understanding how an organization’s brand is presented to the world; your applications are your chance to present your own brand to your audience—admissions committees! Also, don’t be shy about marketing yourself as someone who will bring a unique perspective and an interesting set of skills into the classroom. Business 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. Finally, use your writing experience to your advantage by putting together clear, crisp, and compelling essays. You likely have stronger writing skills than the average MBA candidate, so this is your chance to shine!
Not sure where to start? Need help unpacking your experiences to date and figuring out what path you want to take? Sign up for a free 30-minute consultation with one of our Stratus MBA admissions experts.