Job Essay 1

Provide a summary of your career since graduating from university, explaining the rationale behind your key decisions and career progression. Include a description of your current (or most recent) role, covering the scope of your work, major responsibilities, employees under your supervision, budget size, clients/products, and any notable results achieved.
Word Limit: 500 words
Tips: 
INSEAD’s short-answer career questions are meant to test clarity, not creativity. For the job history question, just lay out your career path focusing on why you made each move and what you learned. It’s okay if a choice didn’t pan out; just show self-awareness. Highlight what each role taught you about leadership, international exposure, or managing people, even unofficially. And when you talk about responsibilities or achievements, stay grounded no need to flex. Instead, link each experience to your long-term vision and values. For the “current role” question, be straight: describe what you do, who you work with (bonus if they’re international), and your top 2–3 accomplishments, ideally ones that show collaboration or influence. If you don’t manage people officially but mentor others say it, without exaggerating. And for the “what’s next if you don’t do an MBA” question: yes, you'd grow in scope or maybe get promoted but end with why that’s not enough. An MBA gives you structured learning, a global network, and the launchpad your current role can’t. Keep it real, tie it back to your future goals, and don’t waste time trying to be “fun.” They’re not buying tequila shots. They want clarity.
 

Job Essay 2

Describe your short and long-term career aspirations, including your target geography, industry, and function. How do you plan to bridge the gap between your current position and these goals, and how will INSEAD help you achieve them?​
Word Limit: 300 words
Tips: 
INSEAD wants a career vision that’s globally relevant and realistically achievable within the framework of a one-year program. That means no wild function-and-industry-switch combos keep your vision close to what you already do, with maybe one change (like shifting function or geography). To make the most of INSEAD’s global DNA, your post-MBA goals should include an international angle whether you’re working across markets, managing global teams, or serving clients in multiple regions. If your current vision doesn’t naturally have that cross-border layer, build it in. Frame your essay with a clear long-term goal and back it with a logical next step post-MBA. Emphasize how INSEAD’s strengths: its global network, one-year structure, and general management approach are exactly what you need to fast-track your path. Finally, briefly mention how you’ll contribute on campus whether it’s offering niche industry insights, helping peers prep for interviews in your field, or supporting others academically. Even if space is tight, show them you’re not just coming to take you’re coming to co-create.

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Motivation Essay 1

Give a candid description of yourself as a person and a leader, emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses you recognize in yourself. Explain how you are actively working on your development, sharing key experiences that have shaped you, providing specific examples where relevant.
Word Limit: 500 words
Tips: 
This INSEAD essay is all about showing self-awareness and emotional maturity. Focus on 2–3 strengths that directly support your career goals, backed by real, first-person examples not vague traits like “team player.” For weaknesses, pick honest ones (not humble-brags), explain how you recognized them, and what specific steps you’ve taken to improve. Tie everything back to personal or professional influences that shaped your behavior and growth. Stay authentic, grounded, and aligned with what your recommenders are likely to say. The goal isn’t perfection, it's progress.

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Motivation Essay 2
Describe a highly stressful situation you faced and how you managed it. What did this experience teach you about yourself and your interactions with others?
Word Limit: 400 words
Tips: 
For INSEAD’s stress-based essay, pick a moment where the pressure was real, not a disguised brag. Quickly set the scene: what was at stake, what made it tough, and who was involved. Then shift the focus to how you handled it, your thought process, communication style, and how you engaged others. Highlight what changed in you because of this: a mindset shift, a new strategy, or a better way to manage conflict. End by showing how you applied this lesson later, proving it wasn’t just a one-time fix but actual growth. It’s not about being flawless, it's about being self-aware, adaptable, and collaborative under fi
 

Optional Essay 
Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee?
Word Limit: 300 words
Tips: 
The optional essay is your space to address specific red flags like poor academics, low test scores, gaps in employment, or using someone other than your current supervisor as a recommender. Keep it brief, direct, and professional with no drama, excuses, or excessive apologies. Focus on facts, context, and maturity. If your boss isn’t your recommender, just explain that and why your alternate choice can still offer strong insight. For weak academics or low test scores, point to other indicators of intellectual ability or work ethic. For employment gaps, clarify the situation honestly and emphasize how you used that time constructively. If you’ve already addressed a weakness in your main essays, you might not need to repeat it here. Most importantly, use this section to show self-awareness and growth, own your story, show what you’ve learned, and signal that you’re ready for the rigors of an MBA.