Insider Tips From An Expert MBA Recruiter

As for particular sectors, consulting has seen steady growth year over year, and I don’t see any downward spiral there. Industry is picking up across the board, particularly technology; that’s a real fit with students–the Amazons and the Googles. Finance is picking up, of course not at the levels that it used to be. In general, I’m seeing an increase across sectors, and companies are hiring more MBAs and paying them more as well.

Which sectors are the hardest to break into?

If you’re a career switcher and you want to go into industry, that’s tough. Industry recruiters are looking for three to five years of previous relevant experience. Whereas, consulting and investment banking are looking for pure intellectual horsepower, so your previous experience isn’t scrutinized as much.

How can an MBA differentiate themselves from the pack?

If they can namedrop someone at the company they’re applying to in a cover letter, that’s powerful. If they have gone out and done an internship or voluntary experience in the same industry or at the company, that’s also a big positive.

What skill sets are MBAs missing from a recruiter’s perspective?

Recruiters are still saying to me that the soft skills are missing. Students look great on paper, recruiters bring them into the interview, and then they struggle to sell themselves. This is across all regions. It boils down to students still not being effective at storytelling and understanding the real pain points at the companies they’re applying to.

More specifically, digital marketing is a big buzzword in business at the moment where companies are struggling to find good talent.