What should MBA students do over the Christmas break?

You’re heading home for the holidays, looking forward to taking a well-deserved break and catching up with family and friends. But if your mind is still on coursework, recruitment, or what comes next, the Christmas break offers a chance to pause and reflect.

With some distance from classes and deadlines, this period can also be used to make progress at your own pace.

Here are five ways MBA students can make the most of the Christmas break.

1. Get ready for MBA job applications

“At least plan where you want to get your job and see where the next networking events are,” says Christine Blin, an MBA graduate from Copenhagen Business School.

In Denmark, things tend to close down around Christmas. But wherever you are, the festive season is a chance to perfect your resume, set your New Year's Resolutions, and think about the next steps in your career.

Make a list of some of your target companies so you have in mind what you're working towards next year. Some of the world's top companies are among the biggest recruiters of MBA graduates.

2. Build your MBA network over the Christmas break

Christmas parties generally mean food, drink, and merriment. But for MBAs, festive season revelry can also bring opportunity. 

“It’s definitely helpful to start building your network,” says Sudipta Kundu, an MBA grad from the UK’s Cranfield School of Management. “Find out who the relevant alumni are, and what sort of jobs they’re in.”

It can be as simple as reaching out to someone on LinkedIn and starting a conversation.

3. Consider specializing after your MBA

The MBA is a generalist’s degree. Depending on your chosen career path, you may want to gain specialist knowledge in a particular area to really stand out to employers.

Vincent Chevalier is a Chicago Booth MBA graduate who runs his own digital advertising agency in Silicon Valley. He recommends that MBAs who want to work in tech learn additional practical skills through online courses.

“Any way you can show that you’ve been running a bit more miles to learn something more technical makes a huge difference,” he says. “For instance, to have some sort of understanding of HTML and SQL makes your life so much easier in the tech environment.”

To upskill before your MBA, GMAC offers courses in Business Fundamentals, alongside platforms such as LinkedIn Learning.

4. Prepare to ace the GMAT

While the GMAT can be a challenging part of the MBA application process, a strong score provides evidence of academic readiness and can strengthen your application.

“I ended up sleeping at work two times a week and studying almost all day,” says Patrick Davis, a recent MBA graduate from the University of Hong Kong. “For me, it was a test [for the MBA]; to see if I could put myself through it.”

You could even add some GMAT Test prep books to your Christmas wish list. 

5. Take a break

You need to use your time wisely, but sometimes a break away from it all can be just as beneficial. At Christmas, in the middle of his MBA, Patrick went on a three-week, 900-mile cycling trip from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day rat race of the MBA,” he says. “If you get time off, get away from everything. For me, the best thing was to get some time by myself, some space and perspective.”