Home Build A Career Not the Usual Post-MBA Route? Own Your Story Confidently in Interviews

Table of content:

Start with Your Value, Not Justifications
What I Actually Said in Interviews
Show You’ve Walked the Talk
Don’t Fall Into the Over-Explaining Trap
Stop Undervaluing Your Side Projects
TL;DR – Your Interview Story Toolkit

Not the Usual Post-MBA Route? Own Your Story Confidently in Interviews

Chose a non-traditional path after MBA? Discover how to confidently own your career story, highlight your strengths, and ace interviews without any apology.

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Not the Usual Post-MBA Route? Own Your Story Confidently in Interviews

Your story isn’t broken. It’s just different.

I didn’t take the typical MBA path. After B-school, I chose healthcare instead of joining FMCG, BFSI, or consulting like many of my batchmates. Unconventional? Maybe. Regret? Absolutely not.

I didn’t take the highway. I took a few U-turns, tried some scenic routes, and even walked barefoot for a bit (figuratively–I love shoes). And now, having chosen healthcare over traditional post-MBA dream jobs, I’m here to tell you: the destination matters, but so does how you talk about your journey.

When someone asks, "So, why this path?" or "Why the switch?", they’re not challenging your choices. They want to know:
Do you know yourself? Can you communicate with clarity?
Spoiler alert: you absolutely can–and you don’t need a Fortune 500 logo on your resume to do it.

I believe our paths don’t have to be linear to be valuable. And if you're heading into interviews with a non-traditional journey, an industry/role switch, or even an unexpected gap, this blog is for you. I’ll walk you through:

Why brand names aren’t the only proof of value
How to answer "Why this path?" or "Why the switch?"
How to show self-awareness without sounding apologetic
How to avoid common traps like over-explaining or underselling side projects

Let’s make your story work for you–not against you.

Start with Your Value, Not Justifications

Many candidates with non-traditional backgrounds start from a place of defensiveness:

"I know I don’t have XYZ brand on my CV, but…"

That opening already signals that you think something is amiss/lacking. Instead, lead with your strengths and direction. For instance, you could say:

"I realised that my strengths in simplifying complex ideas and building empathy-led solutions could have a real impact in healthcare. That’s what pulled me in."

What matters is connecting your skill set to the value you bring today. Think about:

What you’re good at
The problems you’re passionate about solving
Why this moment made sense for a switch

Your story becomes powerful when you own your decision instead of explaining it away.

What I Actually Said in Interviews

When asked why I chose healthcare, I kept it simple and honest:

"Post-MBA, I took a step back to think about what I wanted my work to stand for. I worked in manufacturing, did projects in BFSI, and explored consulting–but I kept coming back to one question: where can I solve real problems for real people? That led me to healthcare. It’s messy, layered, and deeply human, and I knew I wanted to build there."

A good answer doesn’t need to sound rehearsed or impressive. It just needs to reflect clarity.
You can even say:

"It wasn’t a switch; it was a decision,"
Or
"My journey may look non-linear, but the throughline is clear when you look at what drives me."

Show You’ve Walked the Talk

Saying you're interested in a new field is one thing. Acting on that interest is what makes it real.

In my case, I ran a three-month user research sprint for a diabetes care app. It wasn’t part of a job. I just wanted to learn. That experience taught me more about healthcare delivery and product design than any classroom could.

Whether you’ve:

Joined a community
Freelanced for a startup
Built a side project
Shadowed someone in the field

–talk about it.
These are signals that you are serious, curious, and committed. And you don’t need formal titles to build credibility.

Don’t Fall Into the Over-Explaining Trap

Here’s a classic mistake people with an “unusual” route make: giving a long, chronological breakdown of every job and every twist.

Remember: This isn’t a therapy session. Or your LinkedIn timeline.

You don’t need to justify every turn.
Instead, synthesize how each experience added to your toolkit:

Maybe an FMCG that taught you about consumer insights.
Maybe how BFSI taught you about stakeholder management.

Then, connect it all to where you are now. It’s not about the sequence–it’s about the actual journey.

Stop Undervaluing Your Side Projects

I can’t stress this enough: If you built something, even if it’s small, talk about it.

One of my friends built a wellness-tracking app during his MBA. But he left it off his resume because it wasn’t “official work.” That’s such a miss.

Side projects show:

Initiative
Creativity
The ability to self-start

If you contributed to a startup, even as a freelancer or volunteer, it still speaks volumes. I once helped redesign a patient onboarding flow for a startup. That single project gave me talking points for multiple interviews.

Confidence isn’t about sounding perfect. It’s about owning your voice.

Instead of saying:

"I know I don't have formal experience, but I’m willing to learn,"

Flip the script to:

"Here’s what I’ve already explored–and here’s what I’m excited to go deeper into."

You’re not asking for permission. You’re showing up as someone who is already contributing and building.

TL;DR – Your Interview Story Toolkit

Your journey is not a problem to solve. It’s a story to own.
Focus on value, not apology. ("I know I don’t have..." → No.)
Link decisions to what energises you, not what was available.
Share real efforts: projects, shadowing, side work–it all counts.
If it taught you something, it’s worth sharing (even if unpaid).
Flip the script: "Here’s what I’ve done" > "I know I lack experience."

If I had a rupee for every time someone said– "But consulting would’ve been safer," I could probably fund my own startup by now.

The truth is: there’s no “safe” path–just a few well-marketed ones.

While the consulting-BFSI-FMCG highway has its perks, I’ve found more meaning in navigating healthcare’s bumpy, beautiful side roads.

Career planning, I’ve learned, is less like a Gantt chart and more like Bangalore traffic.
You have a destination in mind, but the real progress happens when you:

Stay alert
Take detours wisely
Know when to honk

So if your journey’s been messy, nonlinear, or filled with “why the heck did I do that?” moments–own it. Those curves are your competitive edge. Just make sure you’re steering, not spinning.

And hey, if all else fails... remember: even GPS reroutes.

Want to learn directly from the mind behind this article? Connect with Sonik Sourabh on Unstop for personalized 1:1 mentorship, expert guidance, and more!

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Edited by

Sonik Sourabh

Sonik Sourabh is an MBA grad who swapped the traditional post-MBA rat race for a purpose-driven ride in healthcare. He writes about career pivots, storytelling in interviews, and why taking the scenic route is often the smartest move.

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