Judge MBA Essays

For those considering an application to Cambridge Judge Business School, understanding the “Judge MBA Essays” is key to crafting a successful application. These essays are a vital part of the admissions process, offering a platform to showcase your unique experiences, career goals, and how well you align with the values of Cambridge Judge. The admissions team uses these essays to gain a deeper insight into who you are beyond your academic and professional achievements.

\The Cambridge MBA program has a staged admissions process with multiple rounds throughout the year. It’s crucial to be aware of these deadlines to ensure that you submit your application in the round that best fits your preparation timeline. Early applications are encouraged, especially for candidates who are seeking scholarships or bursaries.

Cambridge Judge MBA Application Deadlines

Application Round	Deadline	Interview Dates
Round 1	27 August 2024	30 Sep – 14 Oct 2024
Round 2	7 October 2024	11-25 Nov 2024
Round 3	6 January 2025	17 Feb – 10 Mar 2025
Round 4	31 March 2025	28 Apr – 12 May 2025

Tips for Writing Effective Essays

• Be Authentic: Let your true personality shine through in your writing.
• Show, Don’t Tell: Use vivid examples and anecdotes to illustrate your points.
• Proofread Carefully: Ensure your essays are free of grammatical errors and typos.
• Seek Feedback: Ask friends, family, or mentors to review your essays and provide constructive criticism.

Example Essays

Please provide details of your post-MBA career plans. a.)The statement should not exceed 500 words and must address the following:

A. What are your short and long-term career objectives? How will the Cambridge MBA equip you to achieve these?

B. Looking at your short-term career goal, describe the research you have done to understand how this industry/role/location recruits MBA talent and what they are looking for in a candidate?

C. How confident do you feel about meeting your short-term career goal? What skills/characteristics do you already have that will help you to achieve them, and what preparation are you doing now?

In the short term, my goal is to transition from a sales professional in the technology industry to a Technology Consultant. The Cambridge MBA will enable me to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to this effect. Specifically, I want to build the skill-set of employing technology strategically to solve business problems. The Cambridge MBA, with its emphasis on problem-solving, critical reasoning, and case-based learning, aligns well with the requirements of technology consulting.

In the long term, I aim to establish a business aimed at addressing social issues in X using technology. I am passionate about utilizing technology as a catalyst for positive change within my home country. Cambridge’s proximity to Silicon Fen, a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship, provides an ideal environment to immerse myself in the world of technology and innovation. The ‘Entrepreneurship: How to Start a Company’ elective would provide me invaluable insights into establishing and managing a venture, and the ‘Social Impact Through Enterprise’ will enable me to address social issues. In addition, I aim to actively participate in a Global Consultancy project, focusing on the utilization of technology to address social issues.

Further, the opportunity to network with a diverse and accomplished alumni community will provide valuable insights and potential collaborations for my future ventures.

In the pursuit of my short-term goal to transition into technology consulting, I am acutely aware of the essential prerequisites. This transition necessitates a comprehensive understanding of both technology and business, enabling me to proficiently propose technological solutions to address intricate business challenges. My conversations with industry professionals have underscored the critical role of problem-solving skills and critical reasoning in evaluating MBA talents, often assessed through rigorous case interviews. To enhance these skills, I have been actively utilizing resources such as XYZ, dedicated to refining problem-solving abilities essential for excelling in technology consulting.

I am confident in my ability to meet my short-term goal. My current engagement in the technology sector, particularly in sales, equips me with valuable skills in presentation, networking, and negotiation. Furthermore, my experience in team management and the establishment of sales processes in my previous role has allowed me to develop crucial people management skills.

A Cambridge MBA will provide a comprehensive platform to enhance my existing qualities and enable me to acquire essential skills vital for success in the technology consulting sector. At Cambridge, understanding business strategies, exposure to consulting models and frameworks, and building a strong professional network would be crucial to my short-term goal. In conclusion, the Cambridge MBA presents an ideal platform for me to achieve my short-term goal of transitioning into technology consulting and my long-term goal of spearheading a technology-driven venture in India. The program’s blend of academic excellence, practical exposure, and a robust support system align perfectly with my ambitions and aspirations.

Tell us about a time when you made a professional mistake. How could it have ended differently? (up to 200 words)

While at XYZ, I was heading a project called “B-camp”, an online learning course for children. This project was first introduced in 20XX, when it was a massive success.

With a higher target of 20XX, I planned for extensive sales campaigns. However, the campaigns were not generating nearly enough leads. Without doing much research, I kept pushing for the campaigns. As a result, the program received only 20% enrolment, as compared to the previous year’s 80%. I, then, decided to do a root-cause analysis.

After speaking with the parents, I understood that after the pandemic slowed down, parents were keen on their children spending time outdoors, instead of in front of a screen. Since our program was online, it did not fit the need.

If I had done my due diligence in time, through customer survey or user analysis, I would have redesigned the offering. A successful implementation would have led to a 20% increase in enrollments than the previous year, which would have brought in $10,000 in revenue to the company.

This experience taught me the importance of making a thorough diagnosis from different perspectives and listening to the stakeholders. I have implemented it in every project thereafter.

Tell us about the best team you worked with. What made the team successful? (up to 200 words)

The best team I had the privilege of working with was during a challenging recruitment project at XYZ. I led a team of 5 to scout through and hire XXX young talent for an MNC

The project was entirely new to us, requiring extensive research and continuous adjustments to our approach. The team exhibited remarkable flexibility, readily accepting changes in plans and embracing the learning process. I set up regular brainstorming sessions, wherein each member contributed ideas and pointed out drawbacks, constantly improving and innovating. 

After extensive planning, we rolled out a marketing campaign, but we immediately faced performance issues. Recognizing this drawback, the team quickly adapted to the situation and focused on finding solutions. Despite the time constraints, they efficiently prioritized tasks, streamlined processes, and made the necessary changes within a 3-day window. This generated a revenue of $XXX K in 2 months.

What made this team exceptional was its adaptability and commitment to learning. They were open to learning and willing to meet challenges. I have worked with great teammates, but in this specific instance, the shared commitment toward a common goal and the attitude of putting the team first made it the best team I have worked with.

Since the project was entirely new, we had to do a lot of research to understand how to place it in the market. There were several situations where I brought in a plan, and the team started to work on it, but later on I would make changes and the team was so cooperative and understanding, as everyone knew we were learning they were very flexible.Regular brainstorming sessions were conducted to polish the plan to understand, and at each session, someone would highlight a drawback and the team would work on it. Later on, I divided the team into 2, a team of 2 who were gonna look into social media marketing, and 3 who were more involved in offline marketing activities like conducting marketing events to promote or visit colleges for a shout-out. I used to reach out to help both teams, and I didn’t have to ask for the reports on each campaign as the team was very involved and we took it as a challenge to make this project work. Fast forward after conducting several events, even though we had to exceed the budget by 20%, we were able to bring 85% success to the project, bringing about $65000 of revenue to the company.

This team was different from the other teams I have worked till now, in that everyone knew they were learning and were open to making mistakes, a rare quality I have seen in the other teams I have worked on until now.

This would have been not possible if the team had been that dedicated and showed no inhibition towards something new. In the end the team’s craving for learning something new, brought in success. Also, this team made me understand that we don’t need experts from different departments to make a project work, we just need people who are ready to work in a team and learn.

Provide an example of when someone else positively impacted your life. What did you learn from this experience? (up to 200 words)

The person who has been a constant inspiration to me is my dad. He left X for Y at the age of 18, and started working in manual labour. From there, he charted his way to a sales career, becoming the General Manager of an MNC, and then, at the age of 41, bootstrapping his company. 

While his business grew multifolds in the following years, the 20XX financial crisis forced my dad to shut down the company and return to India. At the age of XX, with his dependent wife and two children, he started his life from the start. During these years, I have seen him do blue-collar jobs simply to ensure quality education for us. 

He has always told us that the one thing he would not do is give up. At the age of 59, today, my dad is working to start his business again. His persistence and positivity inspire me whenever I find myself in a dark corner, and motivates me to seek out my dreams.

His journey taught me that setbacks are not failures, but opportunities for growth. It has instilled in me the belief that with determination, resilience, and optimism, I can overcome anything.

Previous roles/promotions
Previous roles/promotions at your current company – including dates

(Maximum 150 words)

NA; joined XYZ 10 months ago, and continuing in the same role

Primary responsibilities  

Describe your primary job responsibilities;

1. type and size of internal and external teams with which you work or supervise
2. type and number of clients or projects you manage;
3. size of budget or revenue for which you are responsible;
4. international experience or exposure
   (250 word limit)

As the Associate Manager of the Central Sales team at XYZ, my primary job responsibilities include overseeing the sales process, closing deals, and managing data tracking. I was hired as the second member in a new team, which is responsible for sales through a virtual approach, as opposed to the traditional field sales popular in the B2B SaaS industry. Along with my manager, I am responsible for setting up this new approach towards sales through experimentation and strategic innovation.

The Central Sales team consists of 6 members, and I supervise 2 team members in their respective roles. Also, I work with the IT team and purchase team from the client side, to get the deals moving.

Individually, I have handled over 60+ clients in the last 6 months, successfully closing 12 deals, amounting to $75K in revenue from a variety of clients including MNCs, enterprise clients, and government entities. My team is responsible for generating $150K in revenue for the current financial year.

Working in a global company, my international exposure is with various clients from different countries. For instance, I engage with a digital bank in the Px, one of the largest diversified family business groups in the Middle East, and several other clients in the Middle East region.

Challenge 

What has been your most significant professional challenge? (200 word limit)

When I initially joined XYZ, I faced a substantial professional challenge due to my lack of prior experience in the IT SaaS industry and a complete unfamiliarity with the products being offered by the company. Adding to the complexity, formal training was not available at the time, and there was a pressing need for our team to swiftly go live and initiate revenue generation. 

This situation posed a unique and demanding hurdle for me, knowing that I needed sufficient time to thoroughly comprehend and effectively present the products to potential customers.

Within a span of two months, I dedicated myself entirely to mastering the entire product lineup. I proactively sought guidance from relevant experts and colleagues, absorbing their insights and leveraging their experiences to accelerate my learning process. I immersed myself in understanding the market dynamics and strategically positioning our products. Engaging with experienced professionals and understanding their approaches to handling challenging cases proved to be exceptionally enlightening.

In the very first month, despite being on a trial period without any sales targets, I secured my inaugural sale. This early success highlighted my rapid progression, showcasing my dedication and adaptability to the role at hand.

Accomplishment
What has been your most significant professional achievement? (200 word limit)

Upon joining XYZ as the second member of the central sales team, I embarked on the unfamiliar territory of the IT Saas Industry. The primary objective of this team was to determine if the company could generate enterprise sales using a virtual approach, ultimately reducing customer acquisition costs. Thus, within one month, I had to gain knowledge of a new industry as well as formulate a new virtual structure of sales, rather than the field sales one.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the company and the current sales process, I proactively engaged with the technology team as well as the field sales team. Armed with the knowledge of experts in both technology and field sales, I set about developing effective strategies for the virtual sales approach.

As a result of thorough research and meticulous strategy formulation, I secured 12 new enterprise clients, including multinational corporations and government entities. Additionally, I signed international deals from the X and Y, generating revenue of $XXX within just six months, with a much lower acquisition cost than traditional field sales. My team and I, thus, effectively demonstrated the benefits of virtual sales, potentially revolutionizing sales for the company.

Conclusion

Crafting compelling Judge MBA essays requires careful thought, planning, and self-reflection. By understanding Judge’s focus, addressing the key essay components, and following the tips provided, you can increase your chances of gaining admission to this prestigious program. Remember, the goal is to present a well-rounded picture of yourself that showcases your potential as a future global leader.