Whether you want to pursue a role with more responsibility, looking for a promotion or want to start a whole new career path you wish to embark on, then you need to advance your skills and gain knowledge. This approach will help you achieve success.
Today, every business professional can effectively utilize their expertise and knowledge in various areas. It may include marketing, financial planning, management, and more. One great way to advance in these disciplines is by completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. The key characteristic of an MBA program curriculum is its direct application to the responsibilities and duties that today’s employer prize the most.
MBA graduates are in high demand and can be found leading top businesses in almost every industry in the global marketplace. The diverse nature of an MBA program provides an individual with a sound framework to achieve their career goals and an excellent opportunity to specialize in various professions.
Thus, if you are looking to change roles or thinking about which career path you should pursue after completing your MBA, here are five of the most popular and in-demand career paths you can consider:
- Human Resource Manager
You can pursue the role a human resource manager if you have completed your MBA degree with a major in HR. The degree helps in developing an understanding of critical business operations and the latest management techniques by completing your degree. You can enroll in an online program if you cannot attend a brick-and-mortar university due to a full-time job or other responsibilities. For instance, the University of Wisconsin online MBA, degree program could be a viable option to study at your pace and prepare for a leadership role.
HR managers in an organization oversee hiring, directing recruitment, and retaining employees. Typically, hiring and recruitment involve identifying and interviewing potential candidates for a job. Another role of a human resource manager is to oversee interaction among employees, look after their salary settlement, compensation, benefits, training and development, maintain employee performance, and act as a liaison between the administration and employees.
- Internal Auditor/Tax Accountant
Tax Accountants differ from other accountants as their role is to prepare a business’s tax-related documents and tax returns. Their job is to ensure a business’s tax obligations are fully paid. Being a tax accountant, you can work with businesses and individuals. However, considering the level of scrutiny business taxes are subject to, it makes working for a company more appropriate for an MBA graduate.
Alternatively, internal auditors are responsible for objectively assessing a company’s operational and financial processes while emphasizing corporate governance. It entails the procedures, rules, and practices used to control and direct the business.
While internal auditors work independently to verify that a company’s financial statements and other financial matters fully comply with all laws and regulations, whereas, tax accountants ensure that the business complies with all applicable tax laws. However, both roles are a perfect fit for an MBA graduate with specialization in finance.
- Marketing Manager
If you are already working in the marketing department of an organization and want to elevate your career, then an MBA degree with a major in marketing can help. You may become eligible for the role of a marketing manager that combines bold vision with strong budgeting skills and strategic thinking discipline. Central to the role of a marketing manager is the ability to lead and inspire others to oversee a campaign’s development that supports sales and business goals.
MBA graduates are well-suited for the post of marketing manager, as they have developed skills in budgeting, planning and development, and business leadership skills. By using the passion and creative flair for connecting people with products and vice versa, a marketing manager understands what makes potential buyers, ‘tick.’
Thus, bringing marketing plans to life through compelling campaigns via multiple user platforms is a rewarding career path for MBA graduates at the more creative end of the scale.
- Training and Development Manager
When companies improvise their operational strategy or change their policy, employees must be trained to comply with the new rules. To ensure this, training and development managers conduct the necessary training sessions. Moreover, training and development managers design various short courses or strategies that could help employees acquire relevant skills on the job. They are also responsible for different duties like managing the funds spent on training and setting clear training goals in alignment with the business objective. In short, their role involves selecting suitable training material keeping cost-effectiveness and quality in mind. Similarly, if a training program does not produce the desired results, it is the job of a training and development manager to work with their staff to improve it.
- Finance Manager
The role of a finance manager is a viable career path for an MBA graduate adept at planning, analysis, and decision-making skills. It is because a finance manager acts as a leader and backbone for a business and is responsible for running the finances of a company.
Some of the duties and responsibilities of a finance manager include leading and growing the finance function of a company, ensuring end-to-end financial control, leading and developing a direct team, liaising with clients, partnering with the business to improve processes, regulatory and statutory reporting, partnering with senior management for system and process improvement and more. Thus, MBA graduates interested in this role must have a background in bookkeeping, finance, accounting, or similar experience in finance.
As we know, the finance industry is highly regulated. It requires certain responsibilities overseen by individuals with finance and accounting qualifications. Thus, completing an MBA program helps graduates overlay their qualifications and vocational experience with strategic planning to manage a business’s finance function end-to-end.
Conclusion
Pursuing an MBA degree can lead to several rewarding and promising careers if you are interested in leadership roles. The degree will help you learn how to channel your passion for business into creative ideas. Also, it will help you boost your employers’ profitability and productivity, helping you set yourself apart from the rest.
Thus, the career paths discussed in this article are only the tip of the iceberg. In addition to the ones discussed above, investment banker, business consultant, or operation manager are some of the many roles open for MBA graduates.
Thus, if you have set your sights on entrepreneurship or taking your career to the next level, acquiring a degree in MBA is the best qualification and investment you can make in your career and yourself. Good luck!