4 ms·
Ask HN: How best can a software engineer prepare for getting into a Bschool?
I am fresher at a multinational company, and I am aspiring to do MBA after 2 years of experience, I am into R&D and just code day in day out, and as it is a product based company promotions take time (more than 3 years on avg). what do you think I should do to portray myself as a serious candidate for MBA program? what activities (in specific), what extra thing, etc. I am yet to give my GMAT.
- myrobostation 9y agoUnless you are falling out of love for software development, being the cool mysterious guy who solves everything, always getting challenged to the brink. Then and then only you may opt for a MBA.
- hubatrix 9y agoI just can't see myself coding for next 20 years whilst everyone else around me making millions just with getting C-type roles. I love technology!
- nemild 9y agoAnd you can make good money while coding and working with technology. You don't have to be a C level executive or work primarily on the business side.
- joeclark77 9y agoJust ace the GMAT and they'll be happy to have you. You should also have a decent reason why you want the MBA, and some sense of what you might do afterward. In my case, I had been through the dotcom bubble of 1997-2001 as a web developer, saw that all these companies had business models that made no sense, but didn't know what the better way was, so I thought I needed to get that MBA (in 2002-2004) to understand what makes a good business model. I suspect if you read HN, you have at least a little bit of interest in entrepreneurship, and that could be what you talk about in your interviews. Don't worry!
- hubatrix 9y agoTrue I am inclined more towards entrepreneurial methodologies, in fact bootstrapping a small startup. thanks for your insight. I like the way you played the question "why MBA".
- nemild 9y agoIf so, I would focus on entrepreneurship. You don't need an MBA - and it may even be counterproductive for the earliest stages of entrepreneurship (coming from someone who has both an eng degree and MBA). Still, hard to say 100% without knowing your background and goals.
- joeclark77 9y agoI actually think one of the best cases for an MBA is for a techie who wants to expand their business skills. When someone who does an undergraduate business degree comes back for an MBA, they're really wasting time going over things they already learned, just to gain a credential. For a programmer, though, an MBA could be your first exposure to fundamental stuff like the basics of finance, accounting, and marketing. Heaven knows they don't teach us about compound interest in high school.
- hubatrix 9y agoSo true, well I have a question, my plan is to work for 2 years in R&D and curate a story line telling how now that I know the technical part I would like to learn more about management part. Or should I make the story about the startup I am working on which is in the energy sector, showcasing how I grew the company from what it is to what it became? What do you think will look more appealing for the MBA colleges a kid who built a small startup(might become successful but fewer chances, also it can fail too ) or a kid who worked at a Fortune 50 company for 2 years as R&D Engineer and learned the technologies good enough? Honest opinion
- joeclark77 9y ago