Make an outline for your “career goal” essay.

The following is an example of a general, all-purpose outline for a “career goals” essay. The easiest way to proceed with writing your “career goals” essay is to prepare an outline and begin filling in information. The “why an MBA” and “why XYZ school?” type essay questions are technically separate essays but are frequently combined with the “career goals” type essay to form a single essay.

General Outline

I. Introduction (brief)

II. Goals (+vision)

III. Background

   a. professional experience

   b. educational experience

   c. international experience

   d. personal experience

IV. why an MBA?

V. why XYZ school?

VI. Conclusion (optional)

Again, the two biggest questions you are likely to have in terms of writing this essay type is what to write and how to divide the essay up. In a combined “career goals” and “why an MBA?” and “why XYZ school?” type essay question, there are essentially four things to write about. The best structure to use in presenting these four items is as follows: 

1. Your goals and your business vision.

2. Your background and experience.

   a. professional experience—work experience (both full time and part time)

   b. educational experience—undergraduate major(s) research projects, which may also include extracurricular collegiate activities.

   c. culture/international experience—travel, language, family, country, culture

   d. personal experience—hobbies and interests; relevant traits, insights, philosophies, and sometimes mentors, career or personal turning points or setbacks; this may also include community service.

3. why you want an MBA

4. your reasons for wanting to go to a particular business school.

The following is a sample outline written by a candidate interested in pursuing a career in investment banking.

Sample outline

I. introduction (Para 1)

II. Goals (Para 2)

a. long term goal—investment banking doing IPO (initial public offering) work in Argentina

b. short term goal—get an MBA, join investment bank in New York, transfer from New York to Argentina

III. background and experience (Para 3-7)

For the past five years, I have been building a specialty in finance and real estate:

a. professional experience (Para 3)

1. begin with in “ABC” real estate firm

2. current working for “XYZ” bank

b. educational background (Para 4)

1. obtained bachelor’s degree in finance with minor in real estate

2. took part in extracurricular activities

c. cultural /international experience (para 5)

1. traveled and worked in Mexico and Spain

2. languages : speak Spanish and English; having working knowledge of Portuguese and French 

in addition to solid work experience, I posses some valuable personal traits and have gained some insights which will be invaluable to my future work in investment banking.

d. personal insights and business vision (para 6-7)

1. first, my sharp people skills

2. second, my great persistence

3. third, why technology holds the key to the future of this industry

IV. why an MBA? (para 8)

a. cross-functional skills

b. recognized for advancement purposes.

V. why XYZ school? (para 9)

a. academic specialties and course offerings

b. students, faculty, and facilities

c. Geographic location and employment opportunities