What To Know About MBA Career Services

For many, an MBA is a path towards a new career.

And while applicants may focus on prestige of an MBA program when deciding, experts say evaluating an MBA program’s career services is just as vital.

When choosing business schools, MBA candidates should always ask about the scope of MBA career services. In particular, it is vital to consider the sectors and industries in which the career center specializes.

Judith Crown, a contributor for Crain’s Chicago Business, recently looked at how MBA students can make the most of career services.

CAREER EXPERTISE

Many career services have the expertise of career counselors available for MBAs throughout their job or internship search.

Experts say it’s important for MBA candidates to understand their own goals and needs.

“Some centers have dedicated consultants per industry,” Stacy Blackman, of Stacy Blackman Consulting, writes. “MBA participants at Oxford Said Business School benefit from insights and pragmatic advice of a select group of sector consultants who have experience of working for leading firms across a broad range of sectors across a range of industries including management consulting, finance, high-tech, new ventures, media and communications, and diversified industry in general.”

Crown adds that MBAs should seek out panel discussions or events targeting their specific disciplines.

LIFE-LONG SUPPORT

While getting a job immediately post-MBA is the goal for many, career services across MBA programs are now pitched as long-term career support.

“This is also because current and future professionals are likely to change jobs much more frequently than they did 20 years ago,” Blackman writes. “New professions crop up every day, requiring lifelong learning and acquiring transferable skills, as well as a vision of how to navigate your career.”

In the words of Julie Morton, associate dean at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business executive MBA program, “Career support is support for life.”

Sources: Crain’s Chicago Business, Stacy Blackman Consulting

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