An MBA at a top business school in France could help you access some of the best MBA jobs around
Joining a business school in France will mean accessing a network of top European employers, experiencing an international environment, and learning from global professors.The added advantage of being strategically situated in the heart of the French capital, Paris, further amplifies these advantages, given its cosmopolitan climate and proximity to major business and financial hubs including London and Brussels.
Here are five of the best MBA jobs you could land after an MBA in France:
1. MBA jobs in finance
Finance jobs are popular among MBA grads due to the chance for well-paid, fast-paced careers.
One international rugby star turned HEC Paris MBA used his business school degree to land a top finance job.
French native Jacques Boussuge played professional rugby for 12 years, eventually leaving the game behind to pursue a career in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) at KPMG France.
Later down the line, he embarked upon an MBA at HEC Paris to increase his knowledge of the financial business world.
Aiming to get as much as he could from the experience, he studied, networked, and strategized his way to success—using the HEC Paris Career Center to get involved in mock interview sessions and company talks.
“I lived through many stressful situations, and from that I brought to the classroom the ability to manage when you need to deliver high standards in a group,” he says.
After graduating, he landed a full-time offer with Bank of America Merrill Lynch as an investment banking associate.
2. MBA jobs in consulting
Another attractive sector for MBA grads is consulting, with many HEC Paris MBA grads landing jobs at top consultancy firms such as Bain and BCG.
The HEC Paris MBA offers courses in communication, strategy, and economics, which are geared towards those looking to gain the fundamental skills demanded by consulting roles.
Ifelade Ayodele had a top finance job in Nigeria before joining an MBA in France at HEC Paris.
“I wanted to benchmark what I know with the rest of the world and see what happens outside of Africa, because Standard Bank had already given me that African view,” he explains.
Blending his finance background with his new-found MBA skills, Ifelade landed an MBA career at global consultancy firm Accenture.
3. MBA jobs in marketing
Many business school grads land jobs in marketing but not everyone can say they work at a globally renowned brand such as Nike.
This is precisely what HEC Paris MBA graduate Christina Poole achieved via her MBA in France.
Swapping her career in America for studies in France meant she was able to broaden her career options.
“I really wanted to go into industry rather than consulting after my MBA and HEC Paris had really good industry connections with big Fortune 500 companies,” she says.
The HEC Paris MBA program offers seven specialization tracks in topics such as entrepreneurship, strategic marketing, and advanced management.
Christina even participated in an MBA internship with L'Oréal in the luxury division, helping to enhance her brand management expertise.
Her insights led to her landing a top MBA job in the marketing division at Nike, where she’s learned about areas such as data-driven reporting and strategic marketing.
4. MBA jobs in investment
You’ll have heard about jobs in venture capital (VC) but what about MBA jobs within social impact investment?
Today, more and more business school students are looking for purposeful careers. This was exactly the case for HEC Paris MBA grads, Anna Finizio and Alejandro Ibarra.
Anna’s experience in the 16-month MBA in France introduced her to the relationship between business and sustainability. From her time leading the HEC Paris Impact Club, she broadened her network and skill set.
Since graduating, she landed a job as an investor at European Investment Fund (EIF), which involves focusing on impact venture capital funds in Europe.
Meanwhile, Alejandro used his MBA learnings from the sustainability track, and prior experience in investment banking, to launch a career at a social impact VC fund in Milan as an impact investment associate.
“The main thing I enjoy about my role is being able to bring discussions at board level that wouldn’t usually be happening in traditional investment roles,” he concludes.
5. MBA jobs in innovation
The technology sector is ever-changing, requiring talent who can keep up with ongoing changes. This is exactly what business school programs prepare grads for.
The HEC Paris MBA program, for example, offers an accelerator program for ambitious grads. The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) Paris invites students to act as consultants in real-world projects with early-stage, deep-tech companies.
Angie Wu is an HEC Paris MBA grad and joined the CDL Climate track in 2022. She was able to get involved in sustainability-driven projects that provided her with exposure to careers in innovation and tech.
“You really get to see how a company can develop rapidly within a short period of time,” says Angie, “it’s about learning how to divide and conquer and prioritize, which is important for a career in innovation.”
Thanks to the CDL and her MBA in France, Angie has launched a career as head of operations at carbon management platform, Carbonfact.
Landing a top MBA job isn't just about choosing an MBA program in France, however. Just like these HEC Paris MBA graduates, you'll need to focus on your studies, build a strong network, and improve your essential soft skills to stay competitive.
Student Reviews
Cultural experience
I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.
Internationality and diversity of opportunities
About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.
Great selection of people
While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.
Best in France for Grande ecole
A prestigious business school. Languages are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments.
The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.
Diversity and quality of fellow students
Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.
The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs
The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.
HEC Paris awaits you
HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.
A dream institute
Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions.
The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!
Good choice for a career boost
The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.
Cultural experience
I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.
Internationality and diversity of opportunities
About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.
Great selection of people
While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.
Best in France for Grande ecole
A prestigious business school. Languages are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments.
The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.
Diversity and quality of fellow students
Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.
The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs
The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.
HEC Paris awaits you
HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.
A dream institute
Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions.
The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!
Good choice for a career boost
The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.
Diverse
HEC, as an academic institution, serves as a launching pad for students to excel in their pursuits and careers. The diversity among students and professors is truly remarkable. The chance to attend seminars across five major continents is unparalleled. The exposure and relationships it fosters are invaluable.
Super diverse
It's a super diverse and fascinating environment with tons of chances, but the management is very French, and the facilities like the gym and classrooms are not great. This makes the academic side quite ineffective. Plus, we're graded on a curve, leading to a competitive and sometimes toxic atmosphere. Despite all that, the benefits definitely overshadow the drawbacks.
Surreal academic experience
What stood out to me about HEC was the direction and insight it offered on coding approaches. Prior to joining the program, I attempted self-learning, but I felt disoriented and lacked a starting point.HEC enabled me to grasp the basics of programming and provided support when I encountered obstacles. Without that guidance, I doubt I would have achieved the progress I have made to date.
Good security
HEC boasts a dedicated team of security personnel who undergo rigorous training to ensure the perpetual maintenance of tranquility and orderliness within the institution. Their unwavering efforts are directed towards fostering a sense of security among the student body, thereby enabling them to channel their energies predominantly towards their academic pursuits.
Innovative teaching method
I am thoroughly enjoying my time at HEC, from the innovative teaching methods to the welcoming campus environment, which is particularly supportive of international students. The extracurricular opportunities, such as sports and associations, are incredibly valuable. Additionally, the career services offered are exceptional. Overall, I find my experience at HEC to be truly enriching.
mim
HEC Paris has been a transformative experience for me. The caliber of the faculty, the diversity of the student body, and the global network it offers are unmatched. The curriculum is highly flexible, allowing students to tailor their learning experience to their career goals, and the focus on real-world application through case studies and consulting projects provides invaluable hands-on experience. The campus itself is beautiful, and the opportunities to engage with leading companies through internships, competitions, and networking events have been incredible. HEC truly prepares you to be a leader in today's complex business world. I couldn’t have asked for a better program to propel my career forward.
Unwavering enthusiasm
Here's the first paragraph:
I embarked on a journey to Paris, where HEC University welcomed me with open arms. As I stepped onto its prestigious campus, I was captivated by the infectious energy and innovative spirit that filled the air. The passionate faculty, industry experts, and fellow visionaries from around the globe shared their knowledge with unwavering enthusiasm."
Exceptional Experience
HEC offers an exceptional experience that I highly recommend. The small-town setting allows for a unique blend of academic rigor and community engagement. The peaceful campus and close-knit student body create a warm environment. Proactive engagement with professors yields valuable guidance. Friendships may blossom slowly, but persistence pays off. The city's beauty, scenic views, and diverse eateries near campus enrich the experience. University dining may not impress, but it's decent.
