The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Enrolled Students Survey quizzed current b-school students and graduates on their application successes. The survey found the average respondent sent 16 applications, receiving five interviews and a total of three job offers.
The report was based on 660 responses, 93% of which were from current students and 7% from graduates. Business school students often send job applications during their studies and a large proportion secure job offers before graduation.
Female & international students receive fewer job offers
The success of respondents’ applications varied significantly depending on different factors.
Male respondents typically had to send fewer applications than women: on average, men sent 11 applications, receiving four interviews and securing three job offers. Conversely, female respondents averaged 21 applications, five interviews, and two job offers.
Among those students who had secured a job offer before graduation, 35% were female. Women also represented a majority (52%) of those students who had not yet secured a job offer at the time the survey was carried out.
Likewise, the report found domestic students had a significant advantage over their international counterparts during recruitment. For every 12 applications sent, domestic students secured five interviews and three job offers, while international students had to send 36 applications to acquire four interviews, resulting in one job offer.
Just 7% of students who had accepted a job offer at the time of the survey were international, a further 28% of those who were still searching were also from international backgrounds.
Top job search methods for b-school students
The study also revealed the most common methods for students to search for jobs. Online job search sites (47%) were the most popular, while applying directly to companies of interest (44%) was a close second, followed by social media (36%).
Networking was revealed to be a popular search tool, with 35% of students searching via networks made through classmates and alumni and a further 35% through friends and family networks.
In total, 31% of students used job fairs—both in-person and virtual—and 29% used resources provided by their school’s career service, while 27% searched for full-time roles via connections made during internships and work projects.
By far the most successful of these methods was internships and work projects, where 58% of students were able to leverage their connections and company exposure to land jobs.
Those female students who undertook an internship or prior project showed a higher success rate than their male counterparts, with 62% securing job offers versus 54% of men. Domestic students (58%) were also more likely to see success than international students (50%).
Just 20% of students used headhunters or employment agencies, however 52% of them landed jobs, making it the second most successful route into a full-time position.
Other routes that proved successful for students were online job sites (48%), applying directly to companies of interest (47%), and networking at professional or trade association meetings (47%).
Most successful job search methods
% of students who successfully received a job offer using this search method
