March 5, 2022

Are you taking time off before school starts?

, During your MBA, you'll find that your schedule will get booked up quickly - even during vacation! Many students question whether it makes sense to take more time off before school starts, how to communicate those decisions, and what to do with that time.    The 100 Week Sprint team

To-do's this week

Got 5 minutes? Check out our list of pre-MBA opportunities.

Got 30 minutes? Draft your "exit email." Consider what to share with colleagues about your future plans. Set calendar reminders to reconnect with colleagues.

Got an hour? Set clear goals for what you want to get out of your time off and develop (or review) plans to ensure that you will achieve them.

Why you might want to take more or less time off before school starts You may want to take more time off if... You're using your MBA to make a significant industry/functional transition and would like more time for career exploration before school starts. There are specific pre-MBA internships or programs you want to pursue. Note: many of these deadlines are in early May, so take a look at the ones that interest you! There are pre-MBA courses you want to take to brush up on academics. You want to focus on a non-profit or community initiative. You're working on special projects like writing a book, exploring a startup. or achieving a personal fitness goal, etc. Your MBA experience requires a major move to a new city. You'd like additional time to build and strengthen relationships with family/friends. You may want to take less time off if... There are critical work projects requiring your involvement for completion (or you signed a contract to stay). You don't require a major move to a new city/environment for your program. There is a special project at work that you'll get to be a part of that helps you to develop a new skillset. You need the additional income from your time at work. It is a big change to go from having an income to simply doling out money for the next two years! Stay tuned for Week 5 of the 100 Week Sprint where we explore the financial tradeoffs of taking time off.

Tips on communicating your decision Be clear: be sure that you have a clear date/time frame in mind. Identify who you want to tell: work colleagues (determine who needs to know first since word travels quickly), friends and family, and former classmates. Communicate at the right time: given that your school decision is a big change (and might surprise many), it may be helpful to let others know in a one-on-one setting. Know what you'll say: prepare to respond to your coworkers (who may have either positive or negative reactions). It will be helpful to have an email drafted to let your broader team know that you'll be leaving soon! Allow others to step up: although you're preparing to leave, find ways to spur your colleagues' growth by allowing them to take initiative on your previous responsibilities. Keep in touch: open the door to continued communication by connecting on LinkedIn or providing a non-company email address.

A checklist before you leave Let colleagues know in advance (recommended: 6-8 weeks) so there's clarity as you begin to transition out of your role and there aren't missed expectations. In particular, if you're in a mentorship role, connect with your mentee to wrap up any goals that you were working towards together. Update your resume & LinkedIn profile to reflect the latest results that you've achieved. Make a list of people you want to connect with before you leave your job, and set time on the calendar to make those meetings happen! Ensure that you're connected with your colleagues on LinkedIn. If you plan on returning to the same company for your MBA internship or post-MBA, ensure that you have the necessary contacts in place.

Looking to get a head start? Over the next 100 weeks, we will refer to ProValues, our online career diagnostic tool, to help you identify what motivates you. We would love for you to get started sooner than later on the tool, and therefore are offering ProValues for 50% off (use code T22022 during registration) to you if you register before April 1, 2022.

Know someone interested in the 100 Week Sprint?

Interested in helping others get the most out of their MBA experiences? Want to already be seen as a helper to your peers? Refer your classmates to 100 Week Sprint. Each person listing you as their referrer enters you into our raffle for a $250 Amazon gift card!

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