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Top 10 MBA Careers In Business Management

April 20, 2021 9:06 pm0 commentsViews: 254

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a degree that was originally developed specifically for those interested in business management. Students were traditionally right brained, number driven, and highly analytical. Today, this is still true, but the MBA comes in a number of different concentrations as well. That said, many still consider careers in business management upon completion of their degree, not in the least because of the large salary this can bring. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2020 top executives with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $107,680 per year, and the 2021 Graduate Management Admission Council survey shows MBAs earning between 75% and 100% more depending on the field.  So what are the top MBA careers in business management?

1. Marketing Manager

The marketing manager is responsible for selling the products and/or services of the company. This involves managing budgets, creating advertisements, developing pricing strategies, and so on. Marketing managers have to be very creative thinkers, while at the same time business savvy and having strong analytical skills. It is about not just being a manager, but also being a real leader.

2. Human Resource Manager

Human resources are any business’ most valuable asset. The human resource manager is responsible for ensuring benefits and compensation are properly managed, as are hiring, recruiting, and retaining of staff. It is about talent management, succession planning, training and development, disciplinary procedures, and more. MBA graduates know how to apply HR laws, policies, and procedures, while attracting and developing talent at the same time.

3. International Business Manager

Mainly through the advent of the internet and its lightning speed development, almost all businesses now operate on a global field. However, with different trading laws, currencies, foreign exchange rates, taxes, and cultures, being able to properly manage this takes highly specialized skills and experience. An MBA graduate is able to properly manage globalization of society, and using international relations as a way to improve their business.

4. Information Systems Manager

Another very important asset in the running and managing of any business is its IT infrastructure. More and more often, companies are looking for business managers for this role who have completed an MBA concentration in Information Technology or Computer Science. In many cases, information systems managers work on a consultancy basis, helping different organizations to improve their IT infrastructure.

5. Technology Manager

A lot of the work of the technology manager is similar to that of the information systems manager. The difference is that the technology manager looks not just solely at how information is processed and accessed within an organization. He or she is also responsible for the development of new software, and also of other forms of technology. This is why these business managers are often found in industrial sectors, including manufacturing.

6. General Manager or Operations Manager

The general manager or operations manager role is perhaps the role that the MBA degree was truly designed for. It is a highly generalized role that requires the skills of someone who understands every element of business. This is the most suitable role for those who have completed an MBA degree without a concentration, meaning they have the transferable skills that can be applied to any business, regardless of their sector or industry.

7. Financial Manager

A lot of the curriculum of all MBA programs focuses on finance. As such, those interested in business management often end up working in a financial field. They may be the senior manager of the finance department within their company, and some even grow to the role of Chief Financial Officer, seen as a terminal position by many, or as a step up to Chief Executive Officer by others. Either way, as a financial manager, you will be responsible for the management of all financial transactions within your organization.

8. High End Management Consultant

A lot of people who complete an MBA degree end up getting into consultancy. This is because the transferrable skills they obtain during their degree program can be applied to all sectors and industries, and they do not want to limit themselves to managing just one business. Instead, these business managers become consultants, and come into a variety of different organizations, including for profit, nonprofit, public, private, and third sector agencies. Their role is usually to manage an improvement project, after which they move on to the next organization.

9. Sales Manager

Sales are the lifeblood of any organization. Without sufficient sales, a business will soon fail. Sales managers work closely with various other departments, such as finance, marketing, and advertising, in order to find ways to improve the results of the overall sales process. Because sales managers take on a business management perspective, their role will focus strongly on strategy and analysis, projecting future market trends and having policies and procedures in place to address them.

10. Chief Executive Officer

The role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the highest position anybody could ever obtain in a corporate organization. The CEO is the head of an entire organization, applying various skills to each of the different departments. This role requires having an in-depth understanding of each of the elements that drive a business, from human resources to sales, and from marketing to information technology. The role of the CEO is mainly to oversee all of these departments, identifying the right members of staff for each specific role. At the same time, this role will embody company culture, thereby driving it to make further progress.

As seen from above, there are a lot of options available for those with an MBA degree who want to be involved in business management. At its heart, the MBA is a business management degree, and this means that there are many roles that you can take on . If you were to choose to complete a concentration within your MBA program, you would be even more equipped to take on some of these roles, although you can grow equally quickly within organizations without a concentration.

May 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market information for Top Executives, is based on national data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2021.