HI,
I am 22 years old, Indian.
i recently wrote the GMAT and scored 690. I have done Electrical Engineering with a GPA of 3.0. My extra- curriculars in college were quite good as in i have experience in organising and managing a number of college events like technical festivals, dance workshops, seminars etc. I was also a member of worldwide technical organisations such as the Institute of Engineers.

Right now, I am working as a Technical associate in TCS( An IT Services Consulting Company) and will complete a year in this company on 1st August, 2008. The company is within the top 10 companies in the field of IT services.

My role is that of a Clinical Data Analyst in a team of 55 members working on a data management project for Eli Lilly(pharmaceutcal company). To be more clear, we create standard web-sites for their investigators to enter clinical data in. This mainly involves coding of validation checks for the data while it is being entered.

I am looking forward to doing an MBA in marketing from top 20-30 business schools. I want to apply for the 2010 session.

These are my questions:
1.How does my profile look as of now and what more can i do to improve this?
2.Should i consider retaking the GMAT to improve my score(I am confident that i can improve my score)
3.I am considering a job change. The sort of roles that attract me are in marketing, business research or market research. How would these roles fare as compared to my current profile of an IT associate
4. Would a purely Technical profile in Electrical Engineering be a better option than any of the above?

I know those are a lot of heavy questions. But, i am in a complete dilemma as to what my next step should be. Please help.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Considering the fact that you are targeting schools in the 20-30 range, it is not crucial that you retake the GMAT. However, if you are confident that you can increase your score significantly, I don’t see why you wouldn’t retake it.

In terms of improving your profile, I don’t see any evidence of continued leadership outside of work. You should diversify your candidacy by pursuing some community-leadership. As for changing careers, you should do what you are most interested in and thrive while doing it. If I were you, I certainly would not make a career change for an admissions committee. I would make it for myself, recognizing that I am better suited for a new position and that I can excel in that position. If you think that you can be more passionate and have a greater impact and quicker progress in another field, then you should definitely go for it. The AdCom will notice success, not your industry.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission

www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844