Claire Gumus has recently joined the ranks of elite Admit Master MBA admission consultants. We’ve asked Claire to share her advice for prospective MBA candidates and help you determine the best time in your career to pursue an MBA.

During my time at the Rotman School of Management, I attended countless MBA fairs in different cities and the following question was commonly asked by candidates from all over the world:

When would be a good time to do an MBA?

Although every individual has his/her own personal reasons to pursue an MBA, I can give you some scenarios to help you make the best decision for yourself.

Is your job too “technical” but you aspire to be a leader in your field?

Did I hear a “Yes”, then it’s time you pursue your MBA. At the Rotman MBA program, I’ve seen a healthy number of students who were engineers by trade and who decided to do an MBA to enhance their soft skills. The MBA education will give you the business background you need to be able to work cross-functionally. It will also improve your soft skills through extensive team work, studying with a very diverse group of other students. For example, at Rotman, the largest full-time MBA program in Canada, approximately 40% of the MBA students come from outside of Canada (30+ countries). Such diversity will provide you with an excellent opportunity to broaden your international perspective through peer-learning.

Do you want to increase your international exposure but your current position does not allow you to work in another country?

If the answer is yes; I think you should consider doing your MBA in Canada. The diversity in Toronto will definitely increase your exposure. The diverse student body will improve your cultural adaptability. In addition, unlike other countries, Canada offers an excellent post graduation work permit program; you will be eligible to work for any employer in Canada for three years upon graduation. Employers in Canada’s largest cities such as Toronto, the most multicultural city in the world, are used to working with international students and will recognize your past experience, which will allow you to build on your career from other countries and not start from scratch to prove yourself!

Are you a new comer who is looking for a smooth transition into a new society?

Again if you choose a top-tier program like the Rotman MBA, you will find a wealth of opportunities the school will bring to you. As a new comer to Canada, choosing a local school will allow you to gain access to local employers for both networking and campus recruiting. As you may be aware of, by now, networking is the key to tap into the hidden job market. The MBA itself is a rigorous education and you don’t want to find yourself taking a day off from classes to have coffee chats in the city. At Rotman, all students take advantage of the close proximity of the school to the employers for their job search strategies. Furthermore, through the guest speaker series, you will have constant access to a great pool of industry leaders who participate in panel discussions and interviews on campus.

Are you an entrepreneur or working for your family business?

There is a common misconception that people who own their business don’t need further education. My experience is quite the opposite – entrepreneurs who pursued an MBA degree were often able to improve their businesses dramatically while still studying in school! We live in a very fast paced environment where what is hip today can be outdated tomorrow; it is very important to keep yourself current. If you who are planning on starting a new business, expanding your family business to different geographies or modernizing it, you should seriously look into the programs and resources a business school has to offer. If you choose to join the Rotman School of Management, you will have the opportunity to take classes and learn from industry leaders. Unique to business schools in Canada, the Creative Destruction Lab is an innovation hub that offers various programs and workshops to anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit.

These are just some of the reasons why you might decide to pursue an MBA. If you think that you have what it takes to take your career or your business to the next level, it may be time for you to take the next step. Good luck!

About Claire Gumus

Claire is a seasoned admissions professional. She has been in higher education for 10 years in different capacities; from student recruitment and marketing to management. Most recently she worked for Canada’s top business school, the Rotman School of Management. During her time at the b-school, she was responsible for driving candidate growth in various regions: India, China, Canada and the US.

In the last 5 years, Claire has worked with over 2000 MBA candidates, helping them find the best fit and apply to business schools in Canada, the US and overseas. She is often praised for her professionalism, unshakeable integrity and superb listening skills. Claire has an innate ability to understand candidates’ needs, recognize the most important differentiating factors of their personal and professional profiles, and help them develop an appealing story that captivates attention of an admission committee.

In addition to significant experience working as an admission officer for a top business school, Claire has developed an extensive network of admission professionals and consultants all over the world. She currently lives in Chicago, IL and works as an MBA admission consultant for Admit Master. If you’d like to leverage Claire’s connections and expertise and get a competitive edge on your MBA applications to best business schools, please request a free introductory consultation with Claire: