An unusual career path/history.

Greetings AF, So this might seem like a bit of an unusual situation that i have found myself in. Im going to cut right to the chase. Last November i graduated and got a Bachelor of arts(honours in audio production) degree - Middlesex University With a lower second class honours(equivalent to a 3.0-3.2 GPA) I have a diploma in audio engineering I cleared level 1 CFA in december,last year(while doing my degree programme) I am studying for level 2 and plan to work for an NGO that helps the underprivileged in my country within the next month. I will look to work in a financial position after i complete level 2 which i plan to give next year (2017) My goal is to apply for an MBA in finance in the US in a good school after i get about 2years +of work experience. My question is…Based on the information above, how f***** am i? Also what are the odds of me getting into a Good MBA programme

NGO work could be the difference maker if you make it sound interesting to the schools but overall background is pretty lacking for top MBA program in the US. GPA is not competitive but could get in maybe top 25 in the US as a career switcher.

Thing is. CFA is pretty much my career switcher. I know for sure that once i clear level 2 i will get a decent paying job through the network and contacts that i have. Im 22 right now. The MBA is merely to leave my country. Also what amount of time spent on social service would be good on an MBA application?

How good of an MBA program do you need to get into? If you’re looking for 10-15 ranked schools, then I don’t see any problem, provided that you can pay for it and your NGO experience is not bad. After MBA, you probably won’t work in finance though.

The fees arent a problem at all.

I dont expect to get into the top 10 mba programmes either.

My goal is to get out of my country and live a life away from here and start afresh.

My skepticism lies in my past performance. For example my GPA and the fact that i was once an assistant sound engineer in a recording studio that recorded stuff for advertisments(Menial BS) and now i am studying for a CFA.

I know my career path towards the future will be more focused and serious.

I want to know how to meet the requirements to get into lets say the rank 10 - 15 programmes. How much social service would be enough to reflect well on an MBA application?

^ What’s wrong with the Netherlands? I love that place.

Agree. Your background and scores are extremely sub par for any top 10 MBA program

As I mentioned, I dont expect to get into a top 10 but atleast a good programme that has decent recruiters and somehwere where i could find work.

GMACTCLUB might be a better fit for that question as they have actual MBA consutltants and MBA grads (who may have come from a similar background as you) and most importantly admissions people from actual schools.

Even with their expertise, knowledge, data, and experience, their advice might be equal to shooting darts blindfolded given the time frame, lack of GMAT score, and 0 work experience.

Hey infinity thanks for the suggestion. And you are completely correct. I do not have work exp or a gmat score. But i am assuming that i will get some decent work exp for a few years and a decent gmat score. You are also right by saying that anyone who gives me advice is shooting darts blindfolded. But i just want a perspective as of now. I want to know what people think of my situation as well. Because im just a bit insecure about my past performance.

to be honest, I see not how working for a NGO can get you anywhere.

The closest you can get to finance via that route is development finance which has NOTHING, really NOTHING to do with finance as you probably expect it to be. Neither do I see how you could be attractive to even this type of career.

Honestly, looks like you are wondering about without a clue.

I don’t see why you would not be able to get into a decent MBA program in the US few years down the road. Pass your CFA and kick ass at whatever job you are doing and ace the GMAT. You never know where you will be 2,3 or 5 years from now. Whatever you do give it 100% because you never know where it will lead you or open doors to. Plenty of people with your stats get accepted into top20 MBA programs in the US.

Your actions today can either pay you or cost you in multiples down the future. Never late to give it 100%.

I strongly agree with this. If i hadnt started to like that girl, i wouldnt have been studying for a CFA. One thing leads to another and often in the most unexplainable and unexpected ways.

Why do you want to leave the Netherlands so much? You just want to leave the Netherlands or Europe in general?I mean there are bunch of decent MBA in Austria/Germany as well.

And by the way there a lot of good Master programms in Netherlands - may be with lack experience in finance this is the best option to consider

I have had my master in Finance degree in Netherlands. Didn’t manage to get decent job in Finance there (probably due to no experience back then at all and probably also due to the fact that a lot of corporate finance jobs require dutch language which i don’t know) and I had to return to my home country.

But i am still hoping at some point in the future to have a job somewhere in Europe and live and work there. Somehow i don’t want to US at all (no offence to people from US). I don’t want specifically Netherlands (however would be glad to work there as well) but i know quite a lot of people working and/or willing to work in Netherlands in Finance.

Anyway i just thought, may be you could consider to work several years in Netherlands and then move to US in MBA if you wish. I think that having relevant experience not only makes easier to land in better MBA school but also it will be a better fit for you (since you will know more specifically what you want, what you know and what you want to know). It is not accidentically that most top MBA programms require work experience

Good luck

Well I am not from the netherlands.

I do not want to disclose my country of origin because it is too embarassing.

Etiher way i really appreciate your input and yea, there are many great MBA institutions in my country too one of them is among the top 10 in the world. But, I know that if I pursue one from here, I will be stuck here.

MBA + CFA seems like the only option for me to get out of my country and live my life abroad. I am not even chasing money , I just want a decent job that can help sustain myself .

Either way, I have a long way to go and who know what might change.

As mentioned in the reading in Economics in level 1, Everything is subject to change in the long run.

Let’s be honest here. You as an international student after graduation will have a very short period of time to find job so that your employer can sponsor you for visa. I don’t see that happening when you look at the recent trend when companies are facing a hard time explaining that why can’t they find American worker. This isn’t 90’s anymore and you aren’t in tech industry so… MBA from top 25, it won’t add any value if you don’t have solid work experience and on top of that you will pile up debt. My two cents, stay wherever you are and focus on regional program and network. Don’t waste time and money to be another wolf of wall Street. Because you can’t.

How would you define solid work experience?

LOL yeah listen to this big shot! You have no shot OP. hahaha… wild talks on AF on Monday morning.

You will have only 3 months to find an employer to sponsor you or you pack your bags and go home. Now, you can decide for yourself.

However harsh this may sound i believe this is true. I have read about the visa issues in the US and i must say, it isnt the most welcoming. I appreciate your advice atush but I will try none the less.

Besides, this is probably 5 years later so who knows, I may just end up becoming a pornstar or something. Everything is subject to change in the long run.