Top 5 MBA, Can't Get A Job

I think it is possible to paint yourself into a corner with a high profile MBA. Lots of folks won't want to hire you if they sense (correctly or incorrectly) that you are "overqualified" and therefore will leave as soon as you are (inevitably) offered a job which is more inline with your credentials. That's a legit concern.

A suggestion: consider putting your "active search" on hold and really figure out what you might like to do. In my experience, it's really hard to find something if you don't know what you're looking for. Once you've found a direction (or two) then you can be more precise, focused, efficient and effective in your efforts. If you know what you are looking for then you can prepare for the specific requirements of that particular job. You'll know exactly what the employer needs and is looking for. Also, you can focus you networking in that line of work instead of all over the map.

Think of the hiring process through the employer's eyes, not your own. I think that's a good trick. I would want someone who can come in and be productive right away. There aren't that many companies that have elaborate training programs anymore. As an employer, I don't give a s#it what your interests are and what your passions are. I want to know (1) can you do this job?, (2) will you do this job well?, (3) do i like you and do i want to spend all day with you for 46+ weeks a year for many years to come?

By the way, it's hard as hell figuring out what you want to do and then marrying that idea with the reality of the real life rat race of the working world.

Unfortunately for you, you followed the outdated strategy of getting credentials. Go to top liberal arts undergrad, major in whatever you want. Teach for America because you can't get a job. Go to a top grad school and then wait for the high salary offers to come to you. Why wouldn't employers want such a well credentialed candidate? You needed focus, direction and more technical skills. A wise man once said: the world needs ditch diggers too.

What kind of consulting did you do pre-MBA?

bigtool05 wrote:

What kind of consulting did you do pre-MBA?

Government consulting. Even with a cover letter explaining my interest, I think it's hard for companies to make the connection between my skills and their areas of focus.

trend recognizor wrote:

Unfortunately for you, you followed the outdated strategy of getting credentials. Go to top liberal arts undergrad, major in whatever you want. Teach for America because you can't get a job. Go to a top grad school and then wait for the high salary offers to come to you. Why wouldn't employers want such a well credentialed candidate? You needed focus, direction and more technical skills. A wise man once said: the world needs ditch diggers too.

Yup, agreed.

Focus and some hard skills/experience

Problems are pretty self evident here.

1) you are asking for MBA / job advice from the letsrun message board

2) two words - English major

3) you have no real work experience. Honestly can't believe you even got into a top MBA program without it

MBA Fail wrote:

bigtool05 wrote:

What kind of consulting did you do pre-MBA?

Government consulting.

Your lack of clarity is an epic fail. Consulting means jack-sh!t for someone with little working experience. Might as well say, "I was a worker bee."

Consulting in what? Paperwork? Janitorial services? As DC intern?

Get a job wrote:

Problems are pretty self evident here.

1) you are asking for MBA / job advice from the letsrun message board

2) two words - English major

3) you have no real work experience. Honestly can't believe you even got into a top MBA program without it

1) If you've read thorough this thread, I've gotten advice from career services and my alumni network. There have been gems of wisdom from this thread. With or without trolls like you, I don't regret posting.

2 and 3) I've said this before: I'm getting interviews, including final rounds. If my skills are completely unmarketable and I wasn't good enough to be admitted to business school, then it's strange that this is happening.

Folks here are overly harsh.

You'll be fine. Take advantage of the benefits of not having a stressful grind at the moment. You've got decades and decades of grind in front of you.

I'd advise my kids to be very careful about entering a highly stressful and demanding field. If there is any way to minimize the rat race factor I would take that path if I were starting over.

Why does getting a MBA qualify you for a $90k+ salary job?

I did the MS Accounting program at my school and took lots of classes with MBA students. They were mostly Accounting dropouts or the type of people who said they wanted to go "into business" without the slightest idea of what area or even what job they could get.

What makes you think you qualify for a lawyer's starting salary?

Ask yourself: Why would anyone want to hire a skillless English major with an MBA?

john utah wrote:

Folks here are overly harsh.

You'll be fine. Take advantage of the benefits of not having a stressful grind at the moment. You've got decades and decades of grind in front of you.

I'd advise my kids to be very careful about entering a highly stressful and demanding field. If there is any way to minimize the rat race factor I would take that path if I were starting over.

Honestly, I would rather grind it out during the beginning of my career when I'm young than decide to play catch-up later on. The reality is that the former investment bankers had a huge advantage in recruiting no matter what career they were going into.

MBA Fail wrote:

I just graduated from a top 5 MBA program and I can't get a job! I've been job hunting for the entire year, been getting first and second round interviews, and nothing has worked out. I've done mock interviews with career services, and they've told me my interview skills are fine and my resume is fine.

What are some MBA jobs that are easy to get but have a decent career path?

My background: English major from a top 5 school, Teach for America, a couple years consulting for a no-name company, then business school. I interned at a CPG company over the summer and hated it (no return offer).

Chances are, you can find a job, but you can't find the job which you believe is befitting of your "graduated from a top 5 MBA program". MBAs in general don't carry the weight they once did, unless your MBA says Wharton or Harvard, you will probably start out working along side of bachelor degree state school graduates. The biggest problem with MBAs in the fact that there are a lot of them and most companies have found that 2 years of solid work experience is as valuable as 2 years of MBA study. The object is to get in the door, gain some experience and your next job will be the one you expect to get right now.

not even useless wrote:

Ask yourself: Why would anyone want to hire a skillless English major with an MBA?

An English major for undergrad means the employer has to invest more in the employee. It will take them longer to get up to speed. It is questionable whether they have an aptitude for business details such as math and problem solving.

Sabre wrote:

Why does getting a MBA qualify you for a $90k+ salary job?

I did the MS Accounting program at my school and took lots of classes with MBA students. They were mostly Accounting dropouts or the type of people who said they wanted to go "into business" without the slightest idea of what area or even what job they could get.

What makes you think you qualify for a lawyer's starting salary?

I never said anything about being qualified or not being qualified for a $90k+ salary job. Some of you seem wildly incapable of reading.

If everything about my MBA pursuit was so far off the mark, why did I intern at a place that pays $110k full time? I was making $75k per year before business school in a low cost of living city. The median increase in salary is ~40%. If my experience is typical, a 40% increase would put me above $90k:

What Major wrote:

not even useless wrote:

Ask yourself: Why would anyone want to hire a skillless English major with an MBA?

An English major for undergrad means the employer has to invest more in the employee. It will take them longer to get up to speed. It is questionable whether they have an aptitude for business details such as math and problem solving.

Again, reading comprehension: I didn't go to business school straight out of undergrad. Employers have been more than happy to train former bankers from my school to become marketers or project managers. Most people come to business school to switch careers in some way or another.

Hi there OP

I have a senior job at the type of company you'd like to be hired by, so I've seen many applicants / new hires. Here is my take:

If I assume these points

*You have a decent undergrad degree (do you?)

*You had a decent career before the MBA (did you?)

*You went to a top 5 program

*You did reasonably well in your program

And yet you have been striking out 100% of interviews over a year. I can only conclude then the problem is almost certainly something about you personally. This could be your personality, hygiene, or something else similar. Are you coming off as arrogant? Do you look unkempt, dirty? Etc, etc. It is hard to say without knowing you personally, though.

So, I would suggest engaging some sort of consultant for job-seekers. They should conduct a mock interview with you to see where you are making mistakes. It could be enlightening.

I've interviewed and hired ~50 people over the past 10 years in a Fortune 100 company.

I can't tell you how many MBA hires have totally failed in positions where seemingly very less qualified people succeeded.

Wharton, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, I can see, but I've seen some very untalented and not-so-bright individuals with MBAs from top 10 schools.

It's just not the sought-after degree it once was. Our best marketing folks are those that we've promoted from field sales positions. Many of them were earning a fortune in sales but got tired of the quota-carrying and moved into marketing.

Why not jump into a sales gig?

Good luck.

MBA Fail wrote:

u r what ur record sez u r wrote:

They could probably tell you hated it. From your post you seem like a complainer.

No one really probes about it or even asks if I got a return offer. When I walk interviewers through my resume, I Ieave it at "I enjoyed my summer, but the pace was slower than I wanted/I realized marketing isn't for me/it wasn't where I wanted to contribute my business skill set/etc etc

And yet life would be better if you were still employed there. Don't be too picky with your entry level position.