MBA job hunting resources
On this page:
1) UK employment
2) International employment
3) Consultancy news
4) What can I do with my MBA?
5) Personal networking & keeping in touch
6) Career profiles (inc. earnings, interview questions, employer ratings)
7) Getting an MBA internship
1-UK employment
Services to job hunters are typically free of charge when using online job boards or recruitment agencies, and there are some examples below. Most reputable recruitment agencies are members of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, which sets a professional standard. You can also use this site to search for specific industry recruiters. I have listed some general resources below that you may find useful:
- The Guardian
Job site of The Guardian; search by industry, location, salary, etc. - JustLondon
for employment based in London - The Ladders for experienced senior managers
(join up for General Management, Finance, Sales, Marketing, HR, Consulting and other functions) - Reed
- TopJobs a major general UK online jobs board in a wide range of industries and specialisms
- ZCV Trumpet
Claims that posted CVs are sent to a small group of specific recruiters for published and unpublished appointments. For salaries starting at 50K.
Additional UK sites
www.efinancialcareers.com (mostly banking and consulting)
www.indeed.co.uk/MBA-jobs
www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/mba.do
http://joblift.co.uk (searches other sites, speedy and straightforward)
www.mbamatch.com
www.qs.com/topmbacareers (Global Workplace)
www.redgoldfish.co.uk/mba-jobs
www.cityjobs.com (positions across the UK’s financial centres)
If you are an international MBA student from outside the European Economic Area and you need work permit sponsorship, then you may find the supplementary blog page for International Students of help.
2-International employment
Different countries have different formats and conventions for CVs and cover letters. If you are planning to apply for employment in other countries, you might find the following sites useful for your research.
Country-specific career and employment information for over 50 countries, freely available. Although mostly aimed at graduates, this is none the less a useful resource and provides a wide range of information.
Employment and careers information resources for over 30 countries is free of charge, and fuller country profiles and information can be purchased.
International job hunting sites
www.askgrapevine.com (Executive Grapevine)
www.exec-appointments.com (global jobs board across all sectors)
www.mbacareers.com (US)
www.wetfeet.com Searchable US jobs database featuring some MBA level roles.
www.workthing.com (search UK-based jobs, by location, salary, company, category)
www.vault.com MBA Jobs Board (candidates have to register) plus US sector guides available to purchase e.g. Vault Guides to Finance Interviews, Investment Banking, Consulting.
3-Hints and Tips for getting into consultancy
Top firms for HR digital transformation – Capgemini rebrands – Cognizant strengthen’s digital marketing arm as Accenture Interactive becomes largest design agency – logistics and AI with Infosys – recruitment in Poland – new UK market survey – OC&C continued – I told you so…
Another re-branding…another load of tosh. This time the makeover victim is Capgemini. If you’d like to see a “rejuvenated brand and visual identity that fully reflects our unique character, our ambition, our passion and our strengths”, a “handcrafted… fresh hand written format” which “humanises” the name and is a “fundamental expression of Capgemini’s humanity and commitment”, then watch the video here: https://youtu.be/4lIZ0v4viI4 Don’t forget to admire the invigorating colour palette….
Cognizant has beefed up its digital marketing offering through the acquisition of Netcentric (whose CEO is called Elian Kool….). Yet another example of a consultancy riding the wave of the digital transformation market, where some 30% of all consulting hires are expected to be made over the next few years.
Logistics is an important part of the Operations service line in most consultancies. Infosys has produced a thought piece on how Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things are contributing to logistics efficiencies. Essential reading for anyone considering a consulting role in supply chain or logistics. https://www.infosys.com/insights/purposeful-ai/Pages/moving-goalposts.aspx
Thinking of an internship next year? Here’s why you shouldn’t take an unpaid one: http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/unpaid-internships-arent-good-business/reputation-matters/article/1448102#x3E4H57QAC8MmF4S.99
I hear that McKinsey and Atos are both building major consulting operations in Poland, and are currently hiring. Polish émigrés looking for opportunities in consulting should take a look at the opportunities on offer.
Source Global Research has released a new survey of the UK consulting market www.sourceglobalresearch.com That the UK’s financial services sector is the biggest buyer of consulting services should be no surprise. The fastest growing sector, however, is pharma, lifesciences and medical devices. Risk and regulation concerns generated over half a billion pounds for consultants, And the current fashion for digital transformation means that strategy and technology services are on a roll. With the UK government still apparently unprepared for negotiating a Brexit deal and preparing for a post-Brexit Britain, many consultants anticipate boom times ahead. Seemingly, the government has asked all the strategy houses for free advice…and has been rebuffed.
If you’d stayed awake during my Autumn Term 2016 presentations you’d have heard me mention the rise in requirements for Portuguese speakers in Lusophone Africa. I was pleased to hear from a Cambridge Judge MBA student who followed this up, and is now joining McKinsey’s Luanda office.
More OC&C news. Following EY’s poaching of French OC&C staff (September Newsletter), and their replacement by new hires and transfers (October newsletter), James George has been appointed Head of the firm. He has announced plans to hire around 80 new consultants into the firm’s 15 offices in the next 12 months. Students with retail and consumer goods experience should monitor developments….
Accenture has bought the technology, media and telecoms strategy house IBB, as it strengthens its Accenture Strategy brand. And Accenture Interactive is now the world’s largest design agency. And you thought Accenture only did IT….
AMR International, the original CDD/transaction support consultancy, has appointed a new Head of Digital to its New York office. Ailis McKernan comes from the UK loyalty card Nectar. Yet another sign of the growing demand for digital consulting services.
And finally, here’s a ready-made list of the top consultancies with digital HR transformation practices, as compiled by US researchers ALM Intelligence: Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, Bain, McKinsey, Capgemini Consulting, Accenture, BearingPoint, BCG, IBM and CGI.
Source: Don Leslie, Management Consultancy Career Strategist
Careers and Consultancy, www.donleslie.uk
4-What can I do with my MBA?
The demand for job candidates with an MBA is there, but what career options are available to you? As you’re exploring potential careers, keep in mind that one major perk of earning an MBA is that you can work in several different industries, so there are several career options available to you. Here, we’ll discuss a few careers available to MBA grads. Keep in mind that jobs available to you will depend on the specialization you chose as well as any professional experience you bring to the table. To explore these options further, visit https://study.com/resources/MBA-careers
The AMBA career development site is probably very familiar to you already, with a jobs board and careers resources for members. To access, visit https://www.mbaworld.com/membership/career-development-centre
Below is a guide from Zety to advise on how to work in your desired location:
How to work in your dream location
5-Personal networking & keeping in touch
Making contact with other MBA students can be an extremely useful resource in your jobhunting. Consider using the following resources for making contact, getting in touch and keeping in touch.
Below is guide produced by Zety on improving your LinkedIn profile:
How to optimize a LinkedIn profile
Join in and keep in touch with other alumni from the University of Kent and join Aluminate (the university’s online mentoring program): http://www.kent.aluminate.net/
KBS: LinkedIn
KBS Alumni: LinkedIn
6-Career Profiles & job sites
For information about specific careers, insights into what’s involved, what’s needed and how to get in can all be found here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/kbs-employability/business-insights/
Below is a guide from Zety to help with choosing a career path:
7-Getting an MBA internship
This video on the FT website has some helpful tips from MBA students about the best strategies to use to get an MBA internship.
https://www.ft.com/content/39429f75-49dd-4159-a680-3722093a06ee