Business school students reveal their most desired careers
Nearly half (44%) of business school students aspire to work in a consulting role after graduation, reveals a new study by Highered, the online careers platform for EFMD.
This is four times as many as those wanting to work in manufacturing (12.2%), real estate/construction (10.2%) or transportation.
Carried out amongst 3,816 business school students globally, Highered asked students which sectors they most wanted to work in and the roles they wanted to pursue.
Whilst consulting and financial services came out top, international trade & development (25.6%) and government/non-profit careers (20.9%) also figured highly, perhaps reflecting a trend towards more purpose-led careers. Least desirable were tourism, agriculture, architecture, design/art, aviation and fashion.
Nearly half (44%) of business school students stated that they wanted to work in operations, followed by sales and marketing (37.7%). Interestingly, research and development (37.2%) came in third place – far outperforming areas such as IT (19.3%) and production (18.9%) and perhaps reflecting a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship at business schools.
“While the top career choices are perhaps unsurprising, it’s interesting to see a leaning towards more fulfilling and purpose-led careers,” said Amber Wigmore Alvarez, Chief Talent Officer at Highered.
“Many business schools now focus on areas such as the Sustainable Development Goals and encourage students to think about their impact on major global problems – and clearly this is filtering down into their career choices.”
The research also revealed the top 5 most desirable employers for business school students.
They were:
- Amazon
- Deloitte
- EY
- PWC
“My advice to business school students wanting to pursue a particular career is to do your research early, understand the skills sets and in-demand digital skills involved, take extra courses if needed and pursue work experience and internships.
Take advantage of business school career services and networking opportunities such as online career fairs where there is a wealth of advice on things like how to optimise your CV or handle different types of interviews.”
Highered and EFMD is running its Global Careers Fair for business school students between 18-20th October 2022, enabling thousands of students and alumni from 100+ business schools to meet prospective employers, see live job openings, and hear from recruitment experts and recent graduates.
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