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Career Exploration & Research

MBA Career Research & Exploration

 

You have made the decision to embark upon earning your MBA degree for a reason. In order to maximize this investment, it is important that you discover what is next for you in terms of your life, career, etc. Spending a few minutes learning about and thinking about future career options will help you to become more strategic in terms of career path and advancement.

The most helpful thing you can do before your initial session with a member of the Career & Leadership team is to spend some time thinking critically about your career goals.

 

First, Analyze Your Current and Past Jobs

As you’ve thought about getting your MBA you’ve probably also been considering where the degree may lead post-graduation. The universe of MBA jobs is vast and it’s a good idea to begin exploring options early in your MBA program.

  1. Start by making a list of the types of jobs and work you have enjoyed in the past.
    • What features of those jobs have been important to you?
    • What did you like best about your current and past jobs? Least?
    • If you have ever envied someone else’s job, what was that job and why?
    • What would be the worst job you could imagine? Why?
  2. Add job functions and industries you’d like to explore further.
  3. Then add all of these to your list:
    • Functional interests (finance, marketing, operations, sales, strategy, etc.)
    • Industry preference(s)
    • Geographic Preference(s)
    • Other Considerations (partner, child/ren, work-life balance, etc.)
  4. Continue through the exercises (Research MBA Careers Using Job Search Engines, Research MBA Careers Using Linked In) to dig deeper and further explore your options.
  5. Use the Career Action Plan to keep organized.

Research MBA careers and functions by reading position descriptions.

  • Conduct generic searches using job functions, titles, or even simply ‘MBA’ to review openings.
  • Pay attention to the skills desired, the key words used in the job description, and minimum requirements.
  • Identify gaps in your experience; aim to fill them through courses or other experiences in the MBA program.
  • Maintain a list of common themes, phrases, and words. Weave these into your resume, where appropriate.
  • Write questions about the function, industry, or skills to ask in future networking conversations.

Sites we recommend for this exercise include:
Indeed US Search
Search for positions using keywords (e.g. MBA), title, or company; Option to filter by geography in the
United States; Use Advanced Search to narrow results

Indeed Global Search
Search for positions using keywords (e.g. MBA), title, or company; Option to filter by geography in more
than 50 countries and 26 languages; Use Advanced Search to narrow results

Simply Hired
Search for positions using job title, skills, or company; Option to filter by geography in the United States;
Use Advanced Search to narrow results; Offers integration with LinkedIn; Sign in to LinkedIn on the
upper right hand corner of the Simply Hired search results page to see whom you know in the firm(s)
with openings.

The Muse
Click on ‘Jobs’ and filter on Level, Location, Industry Type; Unique feature offers users to “See inside the
office,” including meeting team members, virtual tours, and other insights

Twitter
Twitter is a growing tool in the MBA job search; Use the Advanced Search feature on Twitter to search
using individual or multiple keywords or hashtags, such as #MBA, #MBAjob, #job, #greenjobs, etc. See
this Mashable article for more on how to use hashtags in the job search; Also see Mashable’s 6 Ways to
Score a Job Through Twitter.

1. Conduct People Research via LinkedIn

Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search feature to find People that are engaged in the work you’re interested in doing.

  • To maximize your results, uncheck the buttons in the ‘Relationship’ section.
  • Search using any combination of keywords, job title, industry, company, etc. Doing so will generate a list of anyone on LinkedIn who meets that criteria. (This feature is free.)
  • Click on the profiles that interest you. Review the person’s career path/positions held.
    • What was their career trajectory?
    • How do they describe their roles?
    • Note any LinkedIn Groups to which they belong and consider joining them yourself.
    • Do additional research if you don’t understand the content of their jobs.
  • In the Search Results list, click on the word ‘Similar’ (in green below the person’s name) to see
    other people on LinkedIn who are similar to the individual listed. Review a selection of profiles.
  • Important Note: Do not connect with people whom you do not already know. This is an
    education exercise; an opportunity to learn more about potential MBA career paths and
    companies. Feel free, however, to write down their names for future outreach.

2. Conduct Industry Research via LinkedIn

Read as much as you can about the industries and/or function you want to join. Be aware of which firms are in the news and current trends in their markets. Being well-informed will help you ask better questions and give you an edge when networking.

3. Review MBA Job Descriptions via LinkedIn

Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Search feature to find MBA Jobs in your areas of interest.

  • To maximize your results, uncheck the buttons in the ‘Relationship’ section.
  • Search using any combination of keywords, job function, job title, industry, company, etc. Doing so will generate a list of jobs that meet your criteria. (This feature is free.) We recommend using MBA as a keyword in your searches to better filter your results.
  • Click on the jobs that interest you. Read the details of the position and essential skills, duties, and responsibilities. Note any minimum or preferred requirements.
    • Add these to the list you created in the Explore MBA Careers Using Job Search
      Engines exercise.
    • Add the company name to the list of firms to explore later.
    • Look at the list of jobs ‘People Also Viewed’ (right side of job posting page) for more options to
      investigate.
    • On the original Search Results page, click on the word ‘Similar’ (in green below the position title)
      to see other jobs on LinkedIn that are similar to the one listed. Review a selection of these
      positions.

Full Time MBA Career Area Overviews

Finance     Technology     Marketing

Consulting      Healthcare      Real Estate

 

Creative Career Options for the Job Seeker

This “menu” features resources for the traditional job search, for the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities, and for gap-fill options, like micro-internships and project-based work, that can help make you more marketable.

 

Articles

 

The So-Easy-It’s-Almost-Crazy Secret to Making Any Career Decision

 

 

The Crossroads of Should and Must

 

Books

Discovering Your Career in Business by Timothy Butler, Ph.D. and James Waldrop, Ph.D.

Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths by Timothy Butler, Ph.D.