Family Business Work Experience

[mdesiato]

I am 27 years old and looking to apply to business school this fall. My undergraduate education is in business with a concentration in finance, and I am currently finishing a master's degree in management information systems while working full time.

Right after college I began my career at Bear Stearns as a fixed income analyst, but left the firm to work in my family's business. We were able to complete a leveraged buy out of the company's shareholders in 2004, and I have worked here since. During this time, I have initiated significant changes to the way business is done, including the architecture and management of our online quoting and customer service platform. I love technology, particularly software, and I am constantly seeking to stay ahead of the curve on new ways to increase productivity and improve customer experience through well-built computer systems. Additionally, I started a complimentary business and have grown it to annual sales of over $500K.

My question comes down to this: how do I dispel any notion that my achievements are due to nepotism? I want to go to business school in order to expand my professional network and have access to careers and industries (particularly VC and Hi-Tech) . What would be some good ways to keep my efforts from being discounted?

Thank you.

[MBAApply]

First of all, adcoms welcome and value applicants coming from family businesses, so you don't have to worry about nepotism as long as you focus on the same kinds of themes that make up a strong applicant: a record of achievement and getting results, progression (not in terms of job title, but in terms of impact, maturity, initiative and responsibility), and so forth. Moreover, you can really emphasize how your experiences can really contribute to the discussions in class - you have a unique perspective that other cookie cutter bankers/consultants/engineers would value.

Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

[mdesiato]

Thanks a lot. I am taking the online gmat class and looking forward to a great score. Any other input and personal experiences are greatly appreciated!!