Top 10 preferred industries for first-year class of 2013 MBA1s

The new class of MBA students are halfway through their first-year at b-school. By now, most of these 1st-year students have selected an industry preference, adding it to their developing MBA career profile.

The career profile process is mandatory at many of the world’s top-ranked MBA programs. MBA Focus powers the process, aggregating student profile information to help leading employers identify and attract their next business leaders. Students work with their school’s career service office to complete their profiles; taking advantage of other services including resume coaching and mock interviewing practice.

The data in these profiles offer enlightening trends on the MBA landscape and useful insight into what types of jobs the newest class of MBAs want to pursue.

This year's class of new MBAs is very similar to previous classes. In fact, the top seven (7) industries chosen by 2013 MBA1s are exactly the same as this year's graduating class of MBAs, as well as the 40,000+ alumni who graduated before them:

• 1. Financial
• 2. Consulting
• 3. Consumer Products
• 4. Tech
• 5. Energy / Utilities
• 6. Healthcare
• 7. Entertainment 

To see the 3 industries that round out the top 10 or view the complete breakdown visit our blog here.

MBA hiring is up across the board

Good news for MBAs and those currently attending a top-ranked graduate business school: MBA hiring is up across the board.

* yes, job "board" pun intended.


In general, MBA Focus saw a 65% increase in MBA jobs over the past year (2011 vs 2010). This increase is based on the number of MBA-required and MBA-preferred jobs on the graduate business school job boards powered by MBA Focus' Global Talent System. This includes schools like Columbia, Cornell's Johnson School, Harvard Business School, MIT – Sloan, Kellogg, Stanford GSB, UC Berkeley – Haas, Chicago's Booth School of Business and more.

But MBA hiring has prospered in some industries more than others, including a 440% increase in agribusiness and multiple technology industries with more than a 10% increase.

Here is the complete breakdown:

1. Agribusiness 440.00%
2. Engineering Services 172.73%
3. Manufacturing 171.43%
4. Financial - Insurance 139.53%
5. Nonprofits & Social Enterprises 107.14%

For the complete list and more please visit our blog by clicking here

How have functional job offerings changed for MBAs?

MBAs infamously become consultants, financiers, and business leaders. But the MBA degree has spread its wings into multiple other functions, including: human resources, engineering, and education. Today, MBAs get their graduate degrees in a plethora of functions. And the MBA job market is changing as well.

Here are the top 25 functions from the MBA job postings in 2011:

1. Consulting
2. Marketing - Brand / Product Management
3. Business Development
4. Strategic Planning
5. Finance - Analyst / Research
6. Sales
7. Marketing - Market Research
8. Marketing - Product Development
9. Marketing - General
10. Management  - Project Mgmt.
11. Finance - General
12. Finance - Corporate Finance
13. Management  - General
14. Marketing - Merchandising / Retail
15. Marketing - Communications / Public Relations
16. Finance - Investment Management
17. Marketing - Advertising
18. Finance - Mergers & Acquisitions
19. Tech - Ecommerce / Internet / Web Site Mgmt
20. Management  - Operations / Production
21. Marketing
22. Finance - Investment Banking
23. Tech - Business Analysis and Design
24. Finance - Risk Management
25. Management  - General Manager

To see how MBA job offerings have changed, take a look at the top 25 functional areas with their corresponding year over year (YOY) increase:

1. Tech - Integration / Implementation: 310.53%
2. Economic Analysis / Research: 261.11%
3. Research & Development: 218.18%
4. Tech - Training and Development: 206.25%
5. Tech - Systems Management: 176.00%
6. Management : 175.00%
7. Marketing: 168.57%
8. Tech: 162.50%
9. Strategic Planning: 146.39%
10. Marketing - Communications / Public Relations: 130.36%
11. Finance - Investment Banking: 127.50%
12. Finance - Mergers & Acquisitions: 120.45%
13. Business Development: 119.27%
14. Management  - International / Multinational: 117.65%
15. Tech - Business Analysis and Design: 114.29%
16. Marketing - Advertising: 112.28%
17. Human Resources: 109.09%
18. Finance - Restructure / Turnaround: 105.88%
19. Marketing - Market Research: 105.10%
20. Finance: 103.33%
21. Finance - Commercial Banking: 102.94%
22. Finance - Public Finance: 102.94%
23. Tech - General: 100.00%
24. Finance - Investment Management: 98.41%
25. Corporate Development: 97.56%

Want to more about the current MBA recruitment landscape? Contact us with any inquiries or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The team at MBA Focus has over 100 years combined experience in MBA recruiting – making us the premier thought leader and expert source for knowledge on the subject. Our expertise combined with the information in our database allows us to publish annual reports and articles on the industry. These documents offer valuable information and insight for anyone interested in the MBA recruitment process.

Source: Data is from jobs distributed to MBAs at our partner schools. 

SF Bay, NYC, and Boston: Top 25 locations for MBA jobs

MBA hiring is up across the board over the past year. We saw a 103% increase in MBA-required and MBA-preferred jobs in the U.S. alone. But it's not necessarily where you'd think.

There are still plenty of MBA jobs in and around the San Francisco Bay, New York City, Boston, Seattle, and Chicago. But MBA hiring in the Washington D.C. metro area, Virginia, Ohio, and Dallas metro area are all up over 100% compared to last year.

Here are the top locations for MBA jobs in the U.S.:

1. WEST - California - SF Bay Area
2. NORTHEAST - New York - NYC Metro
3. NORTHEAST - Massachusetts - Boston Metro
4. WEST - Washington - Seattle Metro
5. MIDWEST - Illinois - Chicago Metro
6. MIDATLANTIC - Washington DC Metro
7. WEST - California - Los Angeles Metro
8. MIDWEST - Ohio
9. NORTHEAST - New Jersey
10. SOUTHWEST - Texas - Dallas Metro
11. WEST - California - Orange County
12. SOUTH - Georgia - Atlanta Metro
13. WEST - California - Other
14. MIDWEST - Minnesota - Minneapolis Metro
15. MIDATLANTIC - Virginia
16. NORTHEAST - New York - Other
17. NORTHEAST - Massachusetts - Other
18. NORTHEAST - Connecticut
19. SOUTH - Florida - Miami Metro
20. MIDWEST - Michigan - Detroit Area
21. SOUTHWEST - Texas - Houston Metro
22. MIDATLANTIC - Pennsylvania - Other
23. WEST - California - San Diego Metro
24. MIDWEST - Nebraska
25. SOUTH - North Carolina

But here are the fastest growing locations for new MBA jobs in the U.S. (by percentage increase of jobs over last year):

1. MIDATLANTIC - Washington DC Metro: 134.67%
2. MIDATLANTIC - Virginia: 113.11%
3. MIDWEST - Ohio: 111.27%
4. SOUTHWEST - Texas - Dallas Metro: 108.45%
5. WEST - California - Other: 98.53%
6. MIDWEST - Nebraska: 98.00%
7. WEST - Alaska: 97.67%
8. SOUTH - Florida - Miami Metro: 96.36%
9. SOUTH - Kentucky: 95.74%
10. SOUTH - Tennessee: 93.88%
11. SOUTH - Alabama: 93.18%
12. MIDWEST - Missouri: 92.00%
13. SOUTH - Arkansas: 91.11%
14. WEST - Hawaii: 90.91%
15. WEST - Washington - Other: 89.80%
16. SOUTHWEST - Arizona - Other: 88.89%
17. WEST - Montana: 88.89%
18. SOUTHWEST - New Mexico: 88.64%
19. SOUTHWEST - Arizona - Phoenix Metro: 88.00%
20. NORTHEAST - Connecticut: 87.93%
21. MIDWEST - Kansas: 87.23%
22. MIDWEST - South Dakota: 87.23%
23. SOUTHWEST - Oklahoma: 86.67%
24. WEST - Wyoming: 86.67%
25. NORTHEAST - New Hampshire: 86.54%

Here are the top locations for MBA jobs outside the U.S.:

1. ASIA - China - Shanghai Metro
2. ASIA - China
3. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - CANADA - Ontario
4. ASIA - China - Beijing Metro
5. ASIA - India
6. ASIA - Singapore
7. EUROPE - United Kingdom - London Metro
8. LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN - Brazil
9. MIDDLE EAST - United Arab Emirates
10. ASIA - Thailand
11. ASIA - Hong Kong
12. ASIA - Japan - Tokyo Metro
13. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - Mexico
14. EUROPE - Belgium
15. EUROPE - Germany
16. EUROPE - United Kingdom
17. ASIA - South Korea
18. OCEANIA - Australia
19. LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN - Chile 
20. LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN - Argentina
21. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - CANADA - Quebec 
22. EUROPE - Switzerland
23. EUROPE - Russia
24. ASIA - Japan
25. LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN - Colombia

And here are the fastest growing locations for new MBA jobs outside the U.S. (by percentage increase of jobs over last year):

1. ASIA - China - Beijing Metro: 400.00%
2. ASIA - China - Shanghai Metro: 388.89%
3. EUROPE - Switzerland: 350.00%
4. MIDDLE EAST - United Arab Emirates: 300.00%
5. ASIA - Singapore: 287.50%
6. ASIA - Thailand: 225.00%
7. ASIA - Hong Kong: 212.50%
8. ASIA - India: 181.82%
9. ASIA - Other: 180.00%
10. EUROPE - United Kingdom: 175.00%
11. ASIA - South Korea: 162.50%
12. ASIA - Taiwan: 160.00%
13. ASIA - China: 150.00%
14. EUROPE - France: 133.33%
15. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - Mexico: 118.18%
16. EUROPE - United Kingdom - London Metro: 114.29%
17. EUROPE - Germany: 100.00%
18. EUROPE - Poland: 100.00%
19. ASIA - Japan - Tokyo Metro: 84.62%
20. EUROPE - France - Paris Metro: 80.00%
21. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - CANADA - Ontario: 72.73%
22. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - CANADA - Maritimes  : 66.67%
23. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - CANADA - New Brunswick  : 66.67%
24. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - CANADA - Nova Scotia   : 66.67%
25. NORTH AMERICA (Non-US States) - CANADA - Prince Edward Island  : 66.67%

Source: Data is from jobs posted to MBAs at our partner school via Global Focus and our MultiPost job posting technology.