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Thread: Grad school and work experience

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    Featured Member dangerousdiva's Avatar
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    Default Grad school and work experience

    Anyone here get an MBA? I'm going back to get a a MBA and MHA concurrently. The kicker is that I got my bachelors over six years ago and returned to dancing soon after.

    The MBA/MHA program I want to apply to strongly encourages you to submit at least two years post bachelor work experience to be considered.

    I'm proud of what I've accomplished though dancing and have successfully ran it like a business BUT how can I submit that as experience and not forever taint myself or get laughed out of consideration?

    Is there a way I can present it without being explicit about exotic dancing, maybe like self-employed entertainer, emphasizing the business skills used? Like quarterly taxes, SEP IRA's, marketing and managing myself ect...?

    Also, if I don't mention it what the heck do I say I've been doing for the last six years?


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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    Is there a way you could say you worked for yourself? When I needed to explain about a few years, I said I was working for myself. Freelancing is what I told them, though in realiy I was dancing.

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    Featured Member saphire123456's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    Yeah, working for yourself is a good idea, i def wouldn't mention the stripper skills, the other option is to write a fake resume and have smne you know as the contact number. I'm pretty sure they don't care enough to call and check anyway. (They didn't call my references, although half of mine were real)
    These days I like to count my money. I like to wash it delicately and iron it. Sometimes I dry it with some bounty to make it all nice and cuddly. I love my money... did I say that out loud?

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    Featured Member dangerousdiva's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    *Update*

    I'm meeting with an adviser next week or so. Working for myself doing what, exactly? What do I say I did that required me to travel around using relevant business skills for the last six years?

    Help!! I'm so nervous and don't want to screw this up.


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    Featured Member saphire123456's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    I used consulting for my business experiences as well as investing in real estate and a franchise. Just pick smthg you know the most about and get some friends to back you up as references.
    These days I like to count my money. I like to wash it delicately and iron it. Sometimes I dry it with some bounty to make it all nice and cuddly. I love my money... did I say that out loud?

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    Senior Member WoodyLV's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    steal one of your friends job and pretend its yours. will be easier to tell the story like its your own instead of making something up.

    i wouldnt try to fake the dancing into a real job. too transparent. to my knowledge they dont check with your employers on your application. they didnt for me. it doesnt matter once you are accepted either.

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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    Tell them you were a self employed singer/ burlesque dancer (burlesque seems to have a far more acceptable reputation, ditto bellydancer)/ magician's assistant/ motivational speaker/ dance teacher/ promotional model/ personal trainer = all things which share traits with dancing so that you can use the transferable skills but can be spun as more 'respectable'.

    Let me know what you choose and i can send you some info on the profession for you to gen up.

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    God/dess ViolaStrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    I'm going to try to get my MBA after I finish my bachelor's and my work experience is a home based bikini business. It will help explain why I've been in and out of school so much.

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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    There are MBA programs that don't require post-bachelor work experience. Quite a few of them in fact. I graduated from one of them and basically all they cared about was GMAT score and undergrad GPA. A big GMAT score will cure a lot of ills. Admissions standards vary widely. Which school do you want to apply to? Have you taken the GMAT yet? Your competition is likely to be stiffer now that the economy has tanked and more people are probably applying because the job market sucks. Also if the school requires experience it is probably one of the harder ones to get into anyway and if you don't have at least such-and-such a GPA and such-and-such a GMAT then you're toast.

    I suppose you could try to lie your way past the admissions people and claim work experience you don't have. If you ever get caught, though, you will be in deep doodoo and if you don't, when you apply to companies after you graduate they will want to know what you were doing at that time and they WILL check references and call old bosses. I would apply to at least one school that doesn't prioritize work experience as much just in case.

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    Featured Member dangerousdiva's Avatar
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    Default Re: Grad school and work experience

    ^ Thanks for your response.

    I'm not trying to lie about work experience I don't have. Unfortunately, the school I'm applying to is in a VERY conservative area.

    I'm proud of what I've accomplished though dancing and have successfully ran it like a business. I want to present it without being explicit about exotic dancing, like self-employed entertainer, promotional model, personal trainer (haven't decided on what yet) while emphasizing the business skills used. Quarterly taxes and the appropriate business deductions, SEP IRA's, business travel, marketing and managing myself ect...

    I obtained my undergrad degree from CalPoly, which is a very good school, with a good GPA.

    As for choosing a school that doesn't require work experience that's not an option. I'm rooted where I live (although I have always traveled to dance) and the school I'm applying to has a good program and reputation. What kills me is that I HAVE great work experience, which is far more extensive than just working for a corp as an employee for a few years. I just worry about the title.

    No, I have not taken the GMAT, I'm just beginning the process and meeting with an adviser to get all my ducks in a row.


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