Hey everyone, so I have a pretty interesting background that’s led me to here. I’ll do things in quick bullet points.
Graduated college with a humanities degree, double major, in 2010. Economy was terrible then but I looked for, and was unable, to secure paying work in the nonprofit field.
A year pases with little career traction, so I turn away from a goal of getting an MBA and instead focus on applying to law school.
I begin law school in 2012, during this time my girlfriend of 2 years passes away and I take a leave of absence.
I start working in retail sales for a cellular carrier to make money, and I’ve done very well. Within a year of starting there I’ve already moved up and am in training for a management position.
My hope is to get my own store within another year or year and a half from now.
Needless to say I don’t plan to go back to law school at this point. My heart was never truly in it, but a lot of circumstances forced me into chasing it as an opportunity.
That background isn’t the best, I hope my story can help improve it and adcoms won’t think I’m one of the more directionless older candidates as I’ll be applying most likely right after I turn 30 or 31.
But with retail store management, despite multiple promotions and heading a number of in-store projects as a sales associate, I’m worried it won’t look like the “right” kind of work experience.
So I’m looking at 4 or 5 years of experience with this company by the time I matriculate, unless experts here suggest I try to find a new line of work as soon as possible.
GPA: 3.37 (but I’m taking some business and math classes at a local community college starting this fall)
GMAT: 640 on a practice, expecting I bring it up closer to a 690 by the time I take it.
I’m intrigued with staying in cellular, but I’d like to move away from the retail sales and more into marketing. Get away from working weekends and commissioned paychecks and a steady 9-5 that better fits with my lifestyle goals.
Schools that interest me:
UC- Irvine
UC- San Diego
UC- Davis
Santa Clara
USC (probably a reach)
University of Washington
What are my chances with these schools and my background?