Post-MBA career options: What are my choices?

The great - and difficult - thing about doing an MBA is the wide variety of career opportunities it opens up. Finance and consulting have traditionally been popular choices but there are many post-MBA career choices to explore. Why not listen to some of our podcast playlists (organised by sector) for inspiration?

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Career options after MBA in finance

If you choose to follow a specialist MBA in finance track, which is available at some schools, then it is worth speaking to alumni who followed a similar path to understand. This is particularly true if your previous work experience is in a different area or sector. Just because your MBA is in finance doesn’t mean you are restricted to the banking or financial services sector - many MBAs choose to follow the CFO track at major corporations, move into consulting after their MBA, or take a more generalist path.

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What are my career options after an MBA in marketing? What MBA marketing career opportunities are popular right now?

Marketing is a popular post-MBA career option. Some business schools even offer a specialised MBA in marketing, whilst all will cover the subject as part of their core curriculum. As for popular marketing careers for MBAs, many will look to join large companies in sectors including finance, healthcare and FMCG - some of these firms will even have their own MBA marketing career programs, particularly in the U.S. Product marketing, particularly in the tech sector, is also becoming popular with MBAs who want to combine their technical abilities and soft skills.

 

To discover more about how an MBA can help your career in marketing, listen to our interview with Ryan Gray

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What are the MBA jobs with best work-life balance?

Many people associate MBAs with jobs involving 80 hour weeks and all-nighters but that doesn’t have to be the case. If work-life balance is an important part of post-MBA life for you then the sooner you understand this the better as you need to consider it when evaluating sectors, roles, and firms. Consulting and finance can be two of the most challenging industries to retain a work-life balance in but these are big, broad sectors with a whole spectrum of roles and opportunities so you need to do your due diligence on your exact field of interest. Similarly, many expect MBAs in not-for-profit organisations or education to have a better work-life balance but stretched resources mean this isn’t always the case. Do your research carefully. 

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Can I have an MBA career in media and entertainment?

You definitely can - it might not be as common a choice as consulting or finance but this is definitely an industry with plenty of opportunities if you know where to look. Finance and marketing are common media and entertainment roles for MBAs to move into, and new tech players such as Netflix are popular choices too. This competitive and attractive industry requires serious networking to break into, even more so than regular post-MBA roles.

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MBA project management careers: What are the options?

Many MBA courses now include a module or elective focusing on project management and some schools may offer reduced rates on qualifications such as PRINCE 2.

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JD vs MBA: What JD-MBA career options are available?

Some business and law schools in the US offer joint MBA/JD programs which usually last for three or four years. JD MBA jobs and career paths include areas such as M&A, restructuring, in-house legal or compliance work, as well of course as all the opportunities usually open to MBA or JD graduates.

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