Using Community Service to Enhance Your MBA Credentials

Many MBA applicants believe that an excellent GMAT score and GPA alone will earn them a ticket into a top MBA program.  While solid numbers will certainly help, applicants often overlook how community service involvement will enhance their profile and give them an edge.  MBA programs are searching for students with intelligence and business acumen, but also well-rounded and passionate people who want to make a difference.  Extensive community involvement is a way to show the other side of your personality and character.  And practically, if you did not participate in many outside-the-classroom activities in college, now is the time to involved so that you can add another dimension to your application package.         

Here are some reasons why community service can enhance your MBA credentials.

Displaying leadership skills.  MBA programs carefully evaluate candidates’ leadership ability and future management potential.  However, because many candidates only have 2-3 years of experience they have not had sufficient time to reach management level at work and often have difficulty showing legitimate leadership examples in their essays.  Getting involved in community service is a great opportunity to get real leadership experience that can truly benefit you and your resume.  Community service groups always need help with their activities and will likely give you a lot of responsibility if you ask for it.  In addition, you may also be able to improve other business and organizational skills if you work directly with the organization’s management on planning programs and events. 

You are an engaging and active person.  A person that was very active in their community in the past is the person who will likely get involved in the future. MBA programs are not only looking for people with deep business knowledge and experience to add to case discussions, they want people who will get involved outside the classroom in clubs, sports, competitions, recruiting, alumni affairs, etc.  Especially for the MBA programs that stress the importance of a close community environment, the admissions committee will be looking for evidence of your past community involvement.  And as social responsibility and ethics are becoming more important themes in business, MBA programs are searching for people who care deeply about their communities, and will be more inclined to admit people who have taken leadership roles in community service in the past.  MBA programs will also evaluate you on the type of alumni you may become – a person who gives back to their community will probably become an active MBA alumnus that helps the school promote its brand.

You are highly motivated.  Employers want people who are highly motivated self-starters.  Leaders must have the ability to motivate themselves and others.  However, many people say that it is unfair to expect candidates to excel in very demanding and time consuming jobs AND take on substantial community service commitments.  While these complaints are somewhat valid, we need to look to the core of what community service means.  The type of activities you engage in and the fact that you will not be getting paid says a lot about you.  Community involvement shows that you have passion for certain causes and that you are motivated by things other than money which are very attractive qualities. 

In addition, being able to thrive in a demanding job and getting involved in your community shows that you truly know how to balance your time and that you are willing to put a little bit more effort forth than everyone else.  These are the types of demands that are always present for CEOs and by showing you were able to successfully manage your time in the past indicates that you will probably be able to do so in the future.    

If you are planning to volunteer, do something that you have a passion for that fits your overall personality and application—you may be surprised by what you learn and how rewarding the experience can be.  And in the future when enroll in an MBA program, take advantage of all the community services activities available through the school, this may become the most rewarding part of your MBA experience!