Still wondering if MBA is of good value to you?

Which basic characteristics of a potential new MBA a corporate recruiter looks for?

Which of employees' expectations according to employers are unrealistic?

You may still be wondering if the MBA is a good value to you. You have read articles and looked at some schools, but you would like to have insider knowledge about the value of an MBA degree. What if you could talk to some recent MBA graduates and alumni and learn what they think about the value of the degree? Are they satisfied with what they learned and with the jobs they are doing? What would they do differently if they could?

One of the ways graduating MBAs find post-MBA jobs is through companies that have a relationship with the career services office at their business schools. Those companies must choose the schools at which they wish to recruit. Corporate recruiters tell us they like to recruit at the schools that have consistently produced highly qualified MBA job applicants for them before.

Once you decide on a career path and begin to look for the right school for you, make sure that as part of your school search, you find out how successful the schools you are interested in are at placing graduates in jobs in your desired field.

Also, find out what companies recruit at the schools; if none of those companies interest you, you might want to look at other schools that have recruiting relationships with companies where you would want to work.

What Corporate Recruiters Look for in MBA Hires

Recruiters have indicated what characteristics of potential new MBA hires are most important in their hiring decisions.
The top 10 are as follows: -

cultural fit with the company

proven ability to perform

strong "soft" skills, including communication and interpersonal skills

strong "hard" skills, including quantitative knowledge and technical skills acquired in the MBA program

specific background (e.g., engineering, science, liberal arts)

MBA functional area / concentration of study

evidence of adaptability

strong management skills

prior internship / work experience related to the industry, job, or company

years of professional work experience

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* Rajendra Krishna is Head - HR Operations (Asia Pacific), Duroworld.
Article Published in The Observer of Management Education, Vol. 1 Issue 12 December 2006.