The MBA’s Reputation Is Untarnished In GMAC’s Annual Survey

CONSULTING STILL KING, BUT TECH IS GAINING

Among candidates in the United States, where “the Great Resignation” has shaken up the job market, 42 percent identify themselves as “career switchers” — whose goal is to either change industries or job functions by pursuing a business degree — significantly higher than global levels at 32%. As it was pre-pandemic, consulting continues to be the top industry and job function both men and women candidates aspire to.

But there is growing interest in the technology industry, especially among the career switchers (50%) and non-business undergraduate majors (49%). Furthermore, between 2019 and 2021, interest in tech also increased with women (29% to 34%).

“As people perceive work differently after the pandemic, many become more open-minded to the variety of possible career paths they could pursue. It is encouraging to see that more women are pursuing a business degree as a way to build careers in the tech industry,” says Joy Jones, chief product officer and general manager of assessments at GMAC. “Graduate business education continues to be in high demand because it opens the door to a wide array of industries and job functions, including areas that are less thought about or not previously considered by traditional candidates seeking to enter business schools.”

DON’T MISS AS COVID WORRIES DECLINE, INTEREST IN GETTING AN MBA HEATS UP and GMAC DATA SHOWS COMPLICATED PATH FOR WOMEN’S B-SCHOOL ENROLLMENT