Can you write negative experiences on a grad school essay?

Question

Hi!

I'm currently working on my grad school application essays for b-school. One of the questions asked, "Give an example of a situation when your thinking differed from that of your collegues or superiors."

The answer (I rather passionately) want to respond is more a "failure but learning experience" essay - where I left my last company due to significant differences between my supervisor and myself. (which a lot of people left for similar reasons due to poor management) My supervisor.. while a "nice" person, was very political, always worried about loyalty, she had slow turnover of her own work while letting her subordinates do most everything. She would often blame other parties for mistakes. Granted, I was very happy to be employed there in the beginning, I worked hard and was there for 3 years, but due to a "push and pull" situation and new job offer, I left.

Of course I want to approach this tactfully, but are we allowed to talk negatively about our past employer and boss?

Answer 1

I think what this question is really looking for is a situation in which your different way of thinking eventually led to a new insight, a creative solution to a problem or a new, improved way of doing things.

It's not meant to highlight personal differences or others' weaknesses but rather a chance to highlight your creativity, persistence, and ability to look at problems from a variety of perspectives.

This wouldn't rule out the situation you describe if you can work a happy ending out of it that makes you the hero. If your negative experience then led you to suggest innovative ways of improving work relations and avoid bad politics at your new job, for example, it might be relevant. Otherwise, you might want to look at other options. It's probably better to use a small yet concrete example of you coming up with something no one else thought of, rather than a simple instance of a difficult boss, which really says nothing about you in particular.

Answer 2

It would be nice if the differences were more creative and constructive, but if you have nothing else, then a "what I learned" essay with specific bad managment points to avoid where the examples are drawn from the job might serve your purposes. I would have someone else read it before submission to see if it comes across as whining.

Answer 3

If you didn't identify the company, it wouldn't make any difference. Also don't identify other indeviduals.
As long as the negativity is constructive in nature and intent, their would be no problem.

Answer 4

I would thing so.