MBA Job Prospects Improve Again

The job market for this year’s MBA gradates is continuing to improve, according to a new study by the MBA Career Services Council. The group found that 70% of schools reported an increase in on-campus activity for full-time positions compared with last fall, while 46% reported an increase in job postings for MBA internships.

The Council, an association of business school career management offices and companies that hire MBA students, released the findings of its Fall 2011 Recruiting Trends Survey today (Feb. 28). The study shows that both on-campus recruiting opportunities and full-time job postings have increased for most schools worldwide. These results reflect increasing optimism in the expectations of career services professionals, the majority of whom predict continued growth in total job opportunities throughout the year.

Nicole Hall, president of the council and executive director of alumni and career services at Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, said in a statement:, “The survey results indicate a positive trend we have continued to observe in the past few years. We’re seeing an increase in almost all industries and in most company types. Schools are continuing to find creative ways to assist students and companies with the job search process, and their efforts are paying off.”

The survey findings show, at a summary level, that 70% of respondents report an increase in on-campus recruiting for full-time jobs. At the same time last fall, 76% of schools reported an increase. Similarly, the findings also show that 68% of respondents report an increase in full-time job postings, compared with 86% from last fall.

Source: MBA Career Services Council

Increases in recruiting activity are occurring across most sectors, the council said. Over 40% of respondents reported increases in consulting, consumer products, energy, pharma/biotech/healthcare products, and technology. Real estate and government continue to be the weakest industries. In contrast, financial services showed a decrease compared with an increase last fall (see chart below).