<p>Hey Guys,</p>
<p>Some advice needed here please. </p>
<p>I'm a senior at a Midwestern State University (maybe you've heard of it... MAYBE NOT!). By December I'll have a BBA with a Finance major/Economics minor. I have a 3.8 cumulative GPA and a profound interest in the Finance industry.</p>
<p>However, I am an international student, originally from the Caribbean islands. I don't know how that fact will play out for me in the future. I have two years experience at an indigenous commercial bank from back home, and would desperately like to get a foot into the investment/finance/financial engineering field here in the US. </p>
<p>A lot of the Business school research I have done so far lists work experience as a definite plus. One of my questions is, would my "work experience" count toward an easier acceptance into an MBA program? </p>
<p>Another question is, does one want to jump into an MBA program soon after getting their undergraduate degree? </p>
<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.</p>
<p>DeCavman</p>
<p>Yes, in fact, almost all top tier MBA programs require candidates with a few years of post-college work experience. You may be able to get into some MBA programs directly from undergrad. </p>
<p>To get a position in US post graduation, you must find an employer who is willing to hire you and sponsor your H1-B working visa. Get the details from your career service/intl student office as many firms simply don't interview/offer intl students. </p>
<p>You will significantly increase your chance if your resume shows some good internship/coop experience. Most recruiters pay little attention to your pre-college entry-level experience.</p>
<p>Thanks dallas808. So how much emphasis is placed on the relevant work experience by B-school recruiters and admissions offices? </p>
<p>For example, let's say I graduate with a BBA in Finance and end up working in the Sales Dept at Home Depot for 4 years. During those 4 years I was promoted rapidly and showed strong signs of leadership potential and decision making ability... </p>
<p>Would my experience at Home Depot count heavily toward being accepted into a Top tier B-school when compared with another applicant with similar experience at a Wall Street based firm?</p>
<p>Absolutely. The fact that you are probably the few who know the HD business and apply helps too.</p>
<p>So, what kind of job prospects can I expect after graduating from a BBA program that is not nationally recognized?</p>
<p>I know top finance firms recruit from top schools.... so where does that leave us unfortunate low tiered graduates?</p>
<p>Your options are often severely limited. However, if you are willing to put in extra work, good things can still happen. The strategy I most recommend is short listing alums currently working in your desirable firms/locations. Run the list by your professors and ask if they are willing to make some calls for you. Your pretext should be "to explore career opportunity" in a particular firm. If the alum network in your school is usually very helpful, you can try cold calling them. But, in my experience, a-personal-call-from-one-favorite-professor strategy usually works very well in getting an interview slot. From there on, it's all about how well you sell yourself and compete with other candidates during the interview process. Your resume and experience will still need to be on par with those from the top schools.</p>
<p>Get a job, work hard, get promoted and go to a top 50 MBA.</p>