Briefly describe the career path you intend to pursue immediately after business school. Explain why this career option appeals to you and why an MBA is appropriate at this time.

Sample One


My long-term goal is to drive innovation and social responsibility as CEO of an emerging alternative energy firm, creating products and delivering services that are both consumer and environmentally friendly. To reach this goal, upon completing my MBA at Kenan-Flagler, I plan to leverage my education with my existing financial expertise to obtain a position with a management consulting firm, such as McKinsey and Company or The Boston Consulting Group in their Alternative Energy Technology practice.

As a management consultant in the alternative energy space I will have the opportunity to develop solutions to the unique challenges facing this emerging industry. I am excited at the prospect of creating and improving companies that strive for "triple bottom line" profitability. Management consulting also requires unconventional thinking in a collaborative environment and will allow me to use my analytical skills while engaging my creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.

While at Matstone, management presentations and raising capital for firms like Sunbelt Corporation captivated my interest in alternative energy not only for the financial aspects of these ventures, but also for the operational and strategic decisions necessary to conduct business “through a lens of sustainability.” This new perspective motivated me to incorporate environmentally responsible practices into my personal life as I voluntarily changed my power supplier to more expensive wind generation and began following local Cleantech projects, such as the underwater "wind farm" operating in New York City’s East River. My exposure to these technologies and education about their potential uses inspired me to make a career move to the alternative energy field.

I have also reached a point in my current career path where I wish to refocus my energy in pursuit of my true passion and an MBA is necessary for me to reach the next step. A Kenan-Flagler MBA at this point in my career is imperative for me to obtain the general management skills and leadership training necessary to accomplish my goal of becoming a consultant. I am well versed in finance, however, I need industry experiences offered through Kenan-Flagler such as the CSE Consulting program, Global Immersion Electives focused on sustainability and the opportunity to work collaboratively with the revolutionary BASE incubator. The school’s overwhelming support of these programs, like the recent addition of an international component to the inaugural Sustainability Immersion program, demonstrates Kenan-Flagler is firmly committed to connecting students with business leaders across disciplines and across continents.

I am attracted to the flexibility of the Kenan-Flagler curriculum as I intend to take full advantage by pursuing concentrations in Management Consulting and Entrepreneurship in addition to the Sustainable Enterprise enrichment. I look forward to actively participating in strategy class with Dr. Paul Friga and evaluating strategic marketing decisions by utilizing advanced analytical software in Marketing Analytics class.

My strong desire to attend Kenan-Flagler is further fueled by its commitment to developing leaders, empowering community activism and encouraging student body cohesiveness. I am eager to take advantage of this unique culture of collaboration and all that Kenan-Flagler has to offer.

Sample Two

My short-term, post-MBA career path is focused on private equity investing in distressed companies. I plan to join a solid team of individuals at a firm with a long history of success in the distressed marketplace, ideally a firm like Cerberus Capital Management, MatlinPatterson, or Centerbridge Partners. Through my five years of experience in private equity and investment banking, I have learned what it takes to succeed in the industry. From what I have learned, and whom I have learned from, I have concluded that that the most logical and beneficial next step in my career path is to get an MBA, specifically at Kenan-Flagler.

I first learned of the distressed marketplace while I was a Financial Analyst in the Financial Restructuring Group of Firm A. Here I learned many valuable skills, such as financial modeling and investment evaluation, and had significant client interaction. After my tenure at Firm A, I joined Firm B, a multi-strategy private equity firm where I learned many valuable investment skills and gained exposure to a highly sophisticated group of investors. At Firm B, I primarily worked on the Distressed Opportunities Funds ("DOF"), which consisted of $1.8 billion under management in two funds. Through the DOF, I made investments in firms, which included private equity firms and hedge funds, with a focus on the distressed marketplace, as well as evaluated co-investment opportunities.

One particular co-investment that I worked on was an acquisition, which had a deal value of $14 billion. While working on this deal, I learned all of the aspects of how to make such a large and significant investment. From initial deal screening, to legal and financial due diligence, to capital structure formation, and then the final exit plan, the time and energy involved was enormous, yet the process was personally and intellectually rewarding. I found it extremely exciting and inspiring to work with the incredibly bright investors of the acquiring firm, as well as the top industry consultants and financial advisors that were involved. It was working on this deal when I realized my passion for distressed investing.

The beauty of distressed investing is that it can potentially involve almost any industry, and every deal is different in nature. The need for creativity, thoroughness, and a strong general knowledge of business and finance are all essential throughout each stage of the investment process. Furthermore, given these interesting economic times, I believe that the industry of distressed investing will become even more intriguing and opportunistic in the coming years.

I have come to a point in my career where I have established a strong core of professional skills and knowledge, and it is now time to further develop these skills while learning many more. For example, I have not had significant exposure to marketing and operations, which are of high importance when investing in distressed companies. I believe that a MBA from Kenan-Flagler will perfectly position me to fulfill my career goals and succeed in future endeavors.