The survey of 3,816 global b-school students found consulting was their most desired sector, followed by banking and financial services, and international trade and development. A large number of students also sought government and nonprofit roles.
Amber Wigmore Alvarez, chief talent officer at Highered, said strong showings for development and nonprofit roles showed a growing demand for more purpose-driven careers.
“Many business schools now focus on areas such as [the United Nations] Sustainable Development Goals and encourage students to think about their impact on major global problems—and clearly this is filtering down into their career choices.”
The most popular business school careers
Nearly half (44%) of respondents to the survey said they wanted to work in consulting after graduation. A further 39% said they wanted to enter the banking and financial services sector.
A total of 26% of students said they wanted to enter international trade and development roles, while 21% opted for the government and nonprofit sector. Other popular industries included manufacturing (12%) and real estate/construction (10%). The least desirable industries were tourism, architecture, art and design, aviation, and fashion.
“While the top career choices are perhaps unsurprising, it’s interesting to see a leaning towards more purpose-led careers,” Amber said.
Along with their top industries, the survey also asked students to list their most desired function. Almost half (44%) chose operations, followed by sales and marketing (38%) and research and development (37%). IT (19%) and production (18%) were less popular among survey respondents.
Advising students on how to land these roles, Amber said: “Do your research early, understand the skill sets and in-demand digital skills involved, take extra courses if needed and pursue work experience and internships.
“Take advantage of business school career services and networking opportunities such as online career fairs where there is a wealth of advice on things like how to optimise your CV or handle different types of interviews.”
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