Welcome to F1GMAT’s #askAtulJose series. I am Atul Jose. In today’s episode, I will share one secret to improve the Tell me About Yourself or Walk me through your resume Interview question.

When I conduct mock Interviews for F1GMAT, even applicants working in Management Consulting, Marketing, or in C-Suite roles try to sequentially mention their work experience. The schools expect that, but they have the timeline in front of them with details about each role, the IMPACT, and the responsibilities.

What is missing is the motivation behind each transition.

If you transitioned from leading a three-person to a 20-person team, and you have highlighted them clearly in the resume, the motivation is obvious.

The problem arises for many of you who work solo or with a limited team, especially if you are coming from Private Equity or in a Venture Capital role, where there is a lot of autonomy. In such cases, the motivations will be around the kind of investments you made or the unique frameworks you created for due diligence, or the dynamics you have created with business owners & entrepreneurs. You must clearly articulate the interest behind pursuing certain projects. Don’t assume that the interviewer will understand.

If you are a career switcher, you should articulate the reasons for the transition. This is true for a military candidate transitioning to Finance/Consulting, a law candidate transitioning from Corporate law to a VC role, a CFA transitioning to Investment Banking, a Technologist transitioning to Management Consulting, a non-profit or government candidate transitioning to Consulting, or even consulting candidates transitioning back into Technology Product Development - all require elaborate motivation narratives.

The motivation can vary from an interaction with a client/supervisor, a non-profit engagement, an experience in the family business, an opportunity to maximize one’s talent in a project,  a realization about one’s true calling, finding that the role was a misfit for your personality, your value not matching with the company or industry’s culture, or your desire to venture into an IMPACTFUL industry.

I always remember this client who worked in Crypto when Crypto was not even a buzzword. And the person transitioned away from the industry. On the side, he was building his venture around interior designing. This was a finance candidate who started with an Investment Banking firm. There were 3 transitions in his career, and he was over the age of 30.

How do you narrate such complex and diverse career transitions to an Interviewer?

If there is even a slight hint that the person was aimlessly exploring careers, his admission chances could have gone down. But we logically connected each career transition, and that helped him secure admission to an M7 school.

So regardless of your age, whether you have overextended your stay in a role or you are trying out startups on the side – all can be connected if you add motivation and an interesting narrative behind each transition.

For help with MBA admissions interview preparation, subscribe to F1GMAT’s Mock Interview Serviceor you can reach out to me Atul Jose.