The MBA continues to be a career-catapulting degree for many future entrepreneurs and business leaders. However, the value of the degree and its return on investment depends on many factors. Ultimately, an MBA is only necessary — and worth your time and money — if it is aligned with your career goals.
Are you looking to switch jobs or enter a new profession? Perhaps you feel outpaced by rapidly changing industries and constant innovation. Whatever your motivation for seeking an MBA, you will need to ask yourself what you hope to do with the degree. If earning a degree with staying power and relevance is at the top of your list, read on to learn some of today’s hottest career options for MBA graduates.
For the longest time, mainstream industry and established MBA recruiters have grabbed the lion’s share of MBA grads. These have included consumer goods companies like Clorox, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson, Wall Street heavyweights like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, and consulting companies like McKinsey and Bain. But as the digital revolution has continued to transform the business landscape, new players — and even entirely new industries — have been emerging.
With this in mind, it’s not surprising that tech has become one of the most popular industries for MBA grads. According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), the hottest new jobs for MBA hires are in the technology sector, particularly in Silicon Valley, and in the products and services industry. Given this explosion in tech, a new academic specialty has even emerged: financial technology (aka FinTech).
Another hot new pursuit for MBAs is in healthcare management. The world of medicine is shifting to a business model, so new roles are being created every day. Finally, other areas where MBA-holders are in-demand are marketing, operations, and data analytics positions.
MBAs typically follow one of a few common paths (and expect those paths to be paved with riches). But this is not always the case. Wherever there is a business to run, or an enterprise to launch, there is a place for an MBA.
Here are some uncommon and interesting industries in which to utilize your MBA skills:
If advancing your skill set and emerging as valuable player in your workplace is important to you, earning your MBA may be a great career decision. And these days, MBA grads have more options than ever. Though the business landscape might look slightly different in 2019 than it did twenty or even ten years ago, it is filled with exciting opportunities and offers plenty of room for growth.