Experts Predict Fast-Growing Jobs for B-School Grads

So you’re ready to go to business school? If so, you might already have a pretty good sense of what you want to do with your MBA—but here’s a way to help you predict your future based on info about top-growing careers in your desired industry

Predictions for MBAs from the experts

We’ve made it our business to help you size up the jobs with the biggest growth potential in your future industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted the most in-demand careers for business school graduates, based on hiring growth and salaries:

• Information Security Analyst
• HR specialist (MBA strongly encouraged)
• Financial Analyst
• Management analyst
• IT manager
• Operations research analyst

When it comes to prerequisites, top schools, and advice on certain business careers from top graduate school officials. While each specialty requires a unique set of skills and ways of getting your foot in the door, one piece of advice applies to all MBA grads: Networking is key!

Academic success and clout is a great way in, but it doesn’t always guarantee you a handshake or future prospects. Business school is a people-oriented profession, so treat every interaction with those in your field like an interview.

Making smart decisions—from business school on

Integral to every business job is the ability to make sound decisions—especially when it comes to choosing a business specialty in the first place.

Deb Lindenmen, Deputy Director of Career Development at the Yale School of Management, shared some common mistakes MBAs make when choosing a specialty after business school:

• Placing too much emphasis on ROI rather than passion/aptitude
• Not having a backup plan or closing themselves off to unconsidered paths
• Not networking enough and relying too much on academic creds
• Choosing a career to fit in, rather than going after the one that’s the best fit—the “herd effect”
• Expecting to land a dream job right away

Above all, Lindenmen encourages business students to value their own instincts rather than the opinions of others or how things look on paper. “It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing or what you think you should be doing, but if you commit yourself to exploring opportunities that are aligned with your values and goals in pursuing an MBA, there is a high likelihood that you will have a fulfilling career.”

In order to have a truly successful career after business school, you must love what you do. Anything less is simply bad for business. So tell everyone else to mind their own.

By BeatTheGMAT