What Can You Do With An MBA?

An MBA is, frequently, a career tool; an opportunity for professionals to launch, pivot, or advance their careers. Employment opportunities—especially for the top programs—are many, and return on investment is clear. But what industries are actually popular with MBAs, and recruit graduates frequently? That is to say—what can you actually do with an MBA?

What Skills Do You Gain from an MBA?

When considering which career an MBA might prepare you for, skills are a great place to start. Joy Jones, CEO of the GMAC, explains that a “skills economy” is growing and employers “are increasingly focused on the specific capabilities of their future employees.” 

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top skills that can be gained from an MBA. These are:

1. Communication
2. Strategic thinking and planning abilities
3. Project management and time management
4. Interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence
5. Problem solving and decision making
6. The ability to understand global issues in the business world
7. Leadership and management
8. Entrepreneurial and innovation
9. Data analysis
10. Financial management and financial analysis skills

You’ll notice that some of these might be considered soft skills; these have been named as particularly important in the workplace by MBA graduates. 

What Skills Do Employers Look for?

Joy Jones, in her opening statement on the GMAC’s Corporate Recruiters Survey, 2024, expands on her earlier remark on the skills-based economy. She says of MBAs that “GME programs continue to be trusted for their ability to develop graduates with increasingly relevant problem-solving and strategy skills,” and that the “in-demand” and “versatile” skills gained from an MBA put candidates “at the top of the list in many industries.” 

The same survey reveals that, according to employers, the three most important skills gained by MBA graduates are: 

• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Strategic thinking

These can be broken down further by industry. Tech employers, for example, tend to be more concerned with statistical analysis and data visualization skills, whereas consultancy employers are looking for graduates with outstanding verbal communication, presentation skills, active listening, and problem solving. 

The GMAC predicts that, over the next five years, the following skills will continue to be/become more prominent. 

• Strategic thinking
• Problem-solving 
• Technology
• The ability to leverage AI, innovation, and global business

What Career Options Do You Have With an MBA?

The industries into which MBAs funnel are wide-ranging and diverse, but there are some key contenders. To give you an overview of what these are, take a look at the following employment report overview from Northwestern Kellogg, Harvard Business School, and Wharton. 

It’s quickly evident which three industries dominate MBA graduate employment. The consulting, finance, and technology sectors are the only ones with double-digit employment rates above the board. In this particular cohort, finance is especially strong, snapping up 18.52% of graduates at Kellogg, 39% at HBS, and 36.3% at Wharton. 

These three industries, though popular, are by no means the only things you do with an MBA. Below, we’ll explore—as well as the top three—what else is out there, and how exactly your degree can prepare you.

The Big Three: Most Common Industries for MBA Graduates

Consulting 

Year after year, consulting ranks as one of the top—if not the top—industries for post-MBA careers. In GMAC’s 2024 prospective students survey, it was ranked as the most popular post Graduate Management Education (GME) choice in both Gen Zs and millennials. 

Why is consulting such a no-brainer after an MBA? Simple—it comes down to the skills that MBAs gain. MBA grads have gathered a huge range of business insights and knowledge, getting to grips with everything from finance to marketing, strategy to operations. On top of that, MBA grads come equipped with excellent communication skills and knowledge of how businesses work from the “top down”—a vital skill in consulting. 

Technology 

For millennial prospective MBAs, the technology industry takes a solid second place behind consultancy. It’s a fairly recent addition to the “Big Three” employment industries for MBAs, but a fast growing one; these days, 47% of prospective MBAs are shooting for a tech-based career.

GMAC found in its survey that “handling technological disruptions has become the most in-demand skill for managers in the post-pandemic world”. With this in mind, the blend of strategic thinking, communicative ability, and technological understanding that MBAs bring to the table leave little to the imagination as to why the industry matches the degree. At the top of big tech firms, MBA-holding CEOs are common: take Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, for example, or Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. 

Finance

For incoming Gen Z MBAs, finance is the second-most popular industry, with 43% of Gen Z MBAs planning on securing a finance job after graduating (compared to 32% for millennials). 

The salaries on offer in the finance industry are likely to influence this—according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an MBA graduate fresh out of business school can expect to receive $125,000. There’s more than money at play here, though; finance is a fast-growing and much-evolving industry, and is rife with exciting challenges and management opportunities. The finance industry demands “strong leadership and analytical skills,” both core tenets of the MBA degree. 

Interestingly, GMAC reports that careers in both tech and finance are more popular amongst male MBAs. 

Other Industries and Career Paths

Healthcare

The healthcare industry is a growing one. The rapid change and evolution of the sector means that it requires strong leadership, effective management, and strategic oversight; it makes sense, then, that opportunities for MBAs in “hospital administration, pharmaceutical management and health services consulting” are booming. 

Rising to meet the demand, many business schools are rolling out healthcare electives, concentrations and specializations. 

Sustainability

The sustainability industry broadly operates in two categories: first, the design and implementation of initiatives, projects, and organizations that are wholly focused on this topic; second, the incorporation of sustainability initiatives and projects into existing organizations and companies.

In either category, the analytical, financial, strategical, and communicative ability of MBA graduates perfectly positions them to lead the charge in this undeniably vital sector. Consultancy, project management, and corporate leadership are just some of the roles available to MBAs in this sector. 

Government Sector or Non-profit Organizations

You may not instinctively group MBAs and non-profit organizations together; and yet, MBA grads can bring fundamental and extensive understandings of business operations to the non-profit and governmental sectors. Forbes explains this neatly, stating that a strong grasp on “the fundamentals of leadership, finance, accounting, strategy, economics, and marketing” is vital for any organization, not just a for-profit one. 

With an MBA grad at the helm, organizations can benefit from their strategic expertise to more effectively drive positive social impact. It makes sense, then, that government agencies and non-profits do indeed recruit MBAs, and incentives exist such as the MBA fellowship (offered by the U.S. Department of State).

Interestingly, according to GMAC’s 2024 prospective students survey, women expressed more interest than men in the nonprofit sectors (the same applies for consumer products and media and communication). 

CPG

The Consumer Packaged Goods, or CPG, industry frequently seeks top MBA talent to fill management roles. Employment reports from top MBA programs in 2023, for example, revealed CPG employers to include Unilever, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Estée Lauder, Nike—and many more. MBA graduates often secure product management roles, since these positions require an in-depth understanding of business operations. 

Some business schools have strong pre-existing CPG recruiting relationships, offering concentrations for students to specialize or employing faculty with established CPG expertise. Northwestern Kellogg, for example, offers a “Strategic Brand Management” course, while Pennsylvania Wharton’s “Strategic Marketing Simulation” offers students real-world experience. 

Energy 

It’s hard to deny the importance and relevance of the energy sector, making it a popular choice amongst MBA grads hoping to make an impact. 

Opportunities abound for graduates to put their creative problem solving and strategic thinking to the test: the energy industry is changing quickly, is constantly under scrutiny, and is rife with complex challenges. Its growth is rapid and its transformation imminent, making it a relentlessly exciting business environment for MBAs to join. 

Hiring for MBAs in the energy sector is projected to increase in the near future, especially within leadership and finance positions. 

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is listed separately from graduates seeking employment in the reports from top MBA programs; nevertheless, it’s a popular post-MBA path. One in five prospective MBA students have entrepreneurial dreams, according to Forbes.

The MBA-entrepreneurial link checks out. To start a business, after all, you’ll need to understand how to operate one, and to have a firm grasp on strategic decision making and problem solving. MBAs have evolved over the years to better meet the educational needs of those hoping to launch their own businesses—a change that is in no small part due to the changes in the technology sector.

Want to dive deeper into possible careers after an MBA? Take a look at Clear Admit’s Top MBA Career Placement Outcomes Series.