The proof versus the promise.

We’re reblahgging this gem from the snarchives that we just rediscovered at random – from way back in 2011! Dang we’ve been doing this a long time. Some posts are timeless.
 

Amazing video from Pixar University:

Very inspiring, touching on themes of innovation, collaboration, and even improv — though frankly, we weren’t sure if he was talking metaphorically or not when he made those points:

To wit (we’re paraphrasing):
* Take every offer
* Give praise
* Build from what you’re given

And, he threw out this so-powerful bit of guidance around hiring — that companies trying to create something new need to look for evidence of past mastery in *something* rather than depth of skill in the desired area. In other words, if the candidate is a crackerjack skateboarder, and has “mastered” that art, then she knows how the skill of mastery.

But this other part was the most relevant for your bschool apps: The “I’ve done that” aspect.

He says that “it’s one of the great things about the proof of a portfolio, versus the promise of the resume.”

This is what your bschool essays are for, Brave Supplicant. They are essentially your portfolio. Your essays are where you talk about what you have done, what you have accomplished, what you have achieved. It’s how you prove to the adcom that you’ve got it going on.

So many people talk in huffy fluffy terms in their bschool applications, and it’s all vaporware. There’s no “proof.” Your bschool essays are about proving that you’re ready for bschool, that you’ll make a contribution, that you have something to offer — based on what you’ve done and how you’ve offered your somethings before.

Love that video. Makes us want to quit our essaysnarkin’ and go to work for Pixar.

If you’re working on your essays to a school like Kellogg (or NYU or Duke), you may want to spend some time with this video and see if you can grok what this guy is talking about.