---
title: Do You Need Professional Experience to Start Business School?
description: "One of the biggest questions is whether or not you should have professional experience before starting your studies: there are advantages to both. "
---

[Blog | Solvay Lifelong Learning ](https://exed.solvay.edu/en/blog)

# [Do You Need Professional Experience to Start Business School?](https://exed.solvay.edu/en/blog/do-you-need-professional-experience-to-start-business-school)

 Written by [Advanced Masters Team](https://exed.solvay.edu/en/blog/author/advanced-masters-team) | 5/25/21 1:02 PM

Deciding to go to business school is a big, often life-changing, decision – one that probably involves a myriad of factors. Perhaps one of the biggest questions is** whether or not you should have professional experience before starting your studies**. Although not a prerequisite for enrolment at Solvay Brussels School, there are **advantages to both**. 

## You have some professional experience? Great! 

 

> “Having four years of professional experience definitely helped me connect the dots between the topics discussed in class and my job,” says **Marine Hotchamps**, an [Advanced Master in Financial Markets](https://exed.solvay.edu/en/advanced-masters/advanced-master-in-financial-markets?hsLang=en) student. “Having prior experience allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the core concepts and how they can be applied in a real-world environment."

**Louise Schelstraete** agrees.

 

> “Although I had no difficulties with the theoretical part of the programme, I quickly saw a difference between those with and without professional experience during group assignments,” she says.

Unlike Marine, Louise decided to begin her [Advanced Master's in Innovation and Strategic Management](https://exed.solvay.edu/en/advanced-masters/advanced-master-in-innovation-and-strategic-management?hsLang=en) immediately after completing a master’s in business engineering.

 

> “The biggest challenge was feeling confident enough to communicate and share my ideas with those whose opinions were based on real-world experience,” she adds.

Another advantage of having prior work experience is maturity.

 

> “During group work, those with experience tended to excel in terms of efficiency, the ability to quickly understand tasks, and time management,” adds **Naomi Vereecke**, who began an Advanced Master in Financial Markets without prior work experience.

That being said, there is at least one disadvantage to having prior work experience: transitioning back into ‘student mode’.

 

> “The benefit of going straight into business school is that you’re still in the pattern of studying – even on weekends,” says **Nel Thieren**, who started her Advanced Master in Financial Markets programme immediately after completing her masters. “I can’t imagine it being easy to get used to the school pattern again, so I have a lot of respect for my peers with prior professional experience!”

## No Professional Experience? No Problem!

Those who begin their studies without working first are quick to point out that **their lack of experience also brings numerous advantages**. For example, Louise felt that even with a master’s degree, she could not still apply her academic knowledge to real-world needs. She decided to pursue an Advanced Master's as a means of bridging this gap. 

> “The advantage of going to business school without experience is that I was able to use the programme as a transition between the academic and career phases of my life,” notes **Louise**. “I was able to learn new ideas and acquire new skills while also building a professional network and leveraging the career advice of my professors.”

**Naomi** had similar reasons for pursuing an Advanced Master.

> “I decided to go right into the programme because I didn’t have the confidence to jump into a career in law or finance – I wanted to strengthen my skills and build my background first,” she explains. 

The Solvay Brussels School programme was an opportunity for Naomi to not only **build her confidence but also to bolster her CV** and open the door to new opportunities.

> “The advantage of not having prior work experience is that I was able to go through the programme with a completely open mind,” says Naomi. “The programme really opened my eyes to what I wanted to do with my career and gave me the chance to apply for jobs I didn’t even know about – or wouldn’t have dared to apply for – without the Advanced Masters.”

## A Deeply Personal Decision

At the end of the day, the decision to attend business school with or without prior professional experience is a deeply personal one. That’s because everybody’s journey is different and deciding whether or not to do your Advanced Masters with or without work experience really **depends on your unique needs and goals**.

 

> “It is important to know upfront what your goals are and what you hope to achieve from your Advanced Masters,” says **Marine**. 
> 
> “If you’re not sure where to start your professional career, I would definitely recommend attending business school,” adds **Louise**. “Not having professional experience may make the learning curve a little steeper, but the people you meet, connections you make, and knowledge you gain make it well-worth the extra effort.”
> 
> “There are advantages and disadvantages to both avenues, but regardless of your background, my recommendation is to just go for it,” concludes **Naomi**.

[View full post](https://exed.solvay.edu/en/blog/do-you-need-professional-experience-to-start-business-school)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Advanced Masters Team"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2024-01-31T15:31:39.939Z",
  "datePublished" : "2021-05-25T13:02:00Z",
  "headline" : "Do You Need Professional Experience to Start Business School?",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 600,
    "url" : "https://5255402.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5255402/Do%20You%20Need%20Professional%20Experience%20to%20Start%20Business%20School%20%281%29.png",
    "width" : 1200
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://exed.solvay.edu/en/blog/do-you-need-professional-experience-to-start-business-school",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60.0,
      "url" : "https://5255402.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/5255402/Logo%20SLL%20x%20ULB.png",
      "width" : 450.24
    },
    "name" : "Blog"
  }
}
```