Friday, December 28, 2012

Top 10 biggest challenges for MBA CSOs in 2013


MBA Focus recruiting and career services tips for 2013

Business schools, employers, and analysts are all predicting an uptick in MBA recruiting in 2013 -- and the class of 2013 MBA students are hoping they're right. But the career service offices at the world's top graduate business schools still face some major challenges next year -- even when the MBA job market picks up.

Despite technological innovations and creative new recruitment techniques, many MBA career service offices still lack simple solutions to the following issues:
  1. Expanding the employer network to startups, nonprofits, and other companies that don't traditionally recruit on campus.
  2. Gathering employment data from students in a timely fashion for employment reporting.
  3. Helping candidates compare offers among peers with relative data.
  4. Managing multiple OCR...

Ten obstacles for MBA recruiters in 2013


MBA Focus recruiting and career services tips for 2013

Every recruiter deals with the challenges of the current economic state -- not enough time, money, or resources -- but beyond those basic pains MBA recruiters must also deal with these more complicated issues.

Despite predicted improvements to the MBA recruitment landscape in 2013, many employers will still lack simple solutions to the following problems:
  1. Finding leadership talent that matches your company's culture.
  2. Keeping your company's brand top-of-mind when candidates start seeking.
  3. Finding up-to-date resumes and job-seeker profiles.
  4. Making a personal connection...
To continue reading please visit our blog at mbafocus.com

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanking all the Thanksgiving-related candidates in our database




In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we'd like to thank all of our corporate clients and school partners for your ongoing business and support. And this year, we’d like to give thanks to all of the wonderful job-seeking MBA candidates participating in our database—we enjoy having the opportunity to work with you and we commend you for your academic and professional accomplishments.

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. But did you know that several other places around the world observe similar celebrations? It’s true. Below is a list of countries which celebrate Thanksgiving and the number of candidates in our database who are authorized to work in each of those countries:

  • United States: 52,364 candidates
  • Canada: 1,703
  • Germany: 511
  • Grenada: ...

To continue reading please visit our blog at mbafocus.com

Monday, November 12, 2012

Veterans make great business leaders


Veterans make great business leaders. Employers know it. As a result, veteran recruiting goals have grown exponentially over the past few years. And as more and more military veterans return home after serving our country abroad, they are heading to graduate business schools to earn their MBA.

Today, 15% of the MBA students currently at the world's top business schools have military experience. Of the 21,295 resumes currently in our database:
  • 1,046 mention the word "Military"
  • 709 Army
  • 439 Navy
  • 288...

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Top industries for the graduating class of 2013 MBA2s


We've already broken down the job functions for this year's graduating class of MBA2s. But what about the job industry experiences and preferences?

Similar to the functional areas, most MBAs are interested and experienced in jobs in Finance. Roughly 2 out of 5 graduating MBA students have experience in the Finance industry. And almost half of them are interested in working in Finance post-graduation. This is no different from previous years. But there are some changes to the next nine industries on the list.

The top 10 industry experiences for this year's graduating class of 2013 MBA2s are:
  • 1. Finance: 38.1% 
  • 2. Consulting: 30.8%
  • 3. High Tech: 24.9%
  • 4. Not-for-Profit...


Top functions for the graduating class of 2013 MBA2s


The class of 2013 MBA students have just recently arrived back on campus to start their second year of business school, but they're already well on their way to their new career next summer. And despite the current economic landscape and upcoming political events, not much has changed when it comes the functional experiences and preferences of the world's top MBAs.

Whether they're career accelerators or career changers, most of them have already updated their resumes, completed their job-seeker profiles, and by now they've even started interviewing for jobs.

So what are these current MBA students interested in? Our job-seeker profiles -- used by more than 70 of the world's top graduate business schools -- offer some insight into their job function preferences and experiences.

Not surprisingly, this year's graduating class of 2013 MBA students is most experienced in Finance and these six other functional areas:
  1. Finance: 42.8% of candidates selected a Finance-related functional experience
  2. Marketing: 35.7%
  3. Management: 35.4%
  4. Consulting...


Top 10 social networks to reconnect with the "New Class" of MBAs

Are you looking for a way to reconnect with MBAs your career service office has lost touch with? Social networks are the best source to find those graduates and rebuild meaningful relationships with them. Try interacting with them via:

1. FacebookWith over 1 billion active users and more than 42 million pages with 10 or more likes, Facebook is the perfect place to connect with MBAs. Your school/program should have its own Facebook page that candidates can “like” and get daily updates on relevant news and events. By creating an official Facebook page for your school, you can easily reach people who are specifically interested in what you have to say.

2. TwitterTwitter is a proven marketing tool and an effective outreach device. Many schools have a presence on Twitter. And some even have multiple accounts, including an entire recruiter-oriented presence (i.e. @HBSRecruitMBA). Your candidates are already using Twitter to communicate, research, promote and personally brand themselves – you should be doing the same for your school’s/program’s brand. Take a moment each day to tweet about something relevant or interesting.

3. LinkedInWhere Facebook is considered a more personal space, LinkedIn has been defined as the “professional” social network. Use LinkedIn to connect with students and alumni from your school. You should not only create a LinkedIn group for your program, but also create subgroups for each class year, to better connect (and stay connected) with your program’s job-seeking candidates.

4. Google+Google+ is the ...


The annual MBA recruitment cycle

Every year, a new class of MBA students arrives at graduate business schools around the world. And every year, a new class of business leaders graduate from those schools. And though every year, the students' demographics change and the schools' curriculums are updated, one thing remains the same -- the MBA recruitment cycle.

Here is how those involved in that annual MBA recruitment cycle spend each academic year:

June:
Preparing for upcoming recruiting season.

July:
Scheduling for on-campus recruiting events.

August:
Sourcing ...

To continue reading please visit our blog at mbafocus.com

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Twice as many MBA job postings



Job-seeking MBAs at our partner schools can find more than twice as many MBA job postings than candidates at the business schools outside our network; because being part of our school network also means you're part of our MultiPost job distribution network.

MultiPost delivers hundreds of new and diverse MBA-required jobs each month. How? MultiPost receives jobs from multiple sources (including other top schools in our network) and distributes those jobs to our partner school's job boards. Our GTS partner schools receive all the MultiPost jobs as part of their school’s primary job board; but even if you're career service office is not powered by GTS, candidates can access the MBA Focus job board as a secondary resource.

With MultiPost, all jobs are approved before being posted to assure candidates are seeing only the best opportunities. And now, with our revolutionary new JobMatch technology, when candidates register and/or log into the system, candidates will be notified of jobs that match their career profile.

Here's a sample of the MBA-required/preferred jobs that were posted to our exclusive network of top MBA talent last recruiting season via MultiPost:


Job Postings by Function:
Accounting - 76
Administration - 59
Business Development - 221
Buyer / Merchandising - 36
Consulting - 375
Corporate Development - 87
Economic Analysis / Research - 67
Education (Administrator/ Faculty) - 37
Engineering...

To continue reading please visit our blog at mbafocus.com

Thursday, September 6, 2012

MBA Focus: 20+ Years in MBA Recruitment Technology


In partnership with the world’s top-ranked graduate business schools, MBA Focus has created the most comprehensive recruiting network available. For more than two decades, these school partners—and the companies that employ their students and alumni—look to us for advanced recruiting technology solutions, best practices, and innovation.

Here is a quick history of MBA Focus:
  • 1987 – Company founded to create Computerized Career Services Offices
  • 1991 – Pioneering partnership with Harvared Business School to distribute the first searchable MBA CV database
  • 1992 – Partnerships with majority of top North American MBA programs and several top European Programs
  • 1996 – Created MBA Quick Search recruiter product with all CV’s in one searchable resume database
  • 2004 – Launched new Career Management Solution (CMS) with Kellogg School of Management
  • 2006 – Hosted first annual Connections Conference
  • 2007 – Started to serve all MBA candidate populations including alumni
  • 2007 – Publishes white paper on "New Directions in MBA Recruiting"
  • 2008 – Hosted first MBACSC Europe Conference
  • 2008 – Launched new Global Talent System (GTS) product for MBA career service offices
  • 2008 – Publishes white paper on "A Single Path to Hire MBA Talent"
  • 2008 – Saved over 75 trees per year by no longer offering printed resume books
  • 2009 – Introduced new MultiPost network to distribute jobs to 60+ schools at once
  • 2010 – Grew to service over 50,000 job-seeking candidates
  • 2011 – Partnered with InterviewStream to integrate virtual interviewing into MBA recruitment process at top b-schools
  • 2011 – Launched new www.MBAFocus.com website for employers, schools, and candidates
  • 2011 – Expanded focus to high-potential undergraduate talent with Global Focus "U"
  • 2012 – Created first Mobile App for candidates to manage MBA recruitment process on-the-go
  • 2012 – Hosted first National Energy Forum MBA recruitment event at Houston's Bauer College of Business
  • 2012 – Launched the all-new Global Focus 3.0 MBA recruitment product
  • 2012 – Announced innovative new JobMatch technology to automatically match job postings with job-seeking candidates

MBA Focus Mobile App Version 2.0


Are you a job-seeking MBA from one of our top-ranked partner schools? If so, then you belong to the most exclusive MBA recruitment network available. Get the most out of your school’s career management offerings with the MBA Focus app. Just create a mobile account within your school’s career service candidate registration system. Then log in to manage all your career service and on-campus recruitment processes on-the-go.

MBA Focus is an exclusive network used to connect leading employers with the world's top-ranked graduate business schools. Our partnerships with the world’s leading graduate business schools, together with our industry-leading recruitment management technology products, make us the #1 choice of companies seeking top MBA talent.

This mobile app allows MBAs to connect with thousands of recruiters from the world’s leading MBA employers.



Once you've created your career profile and uploaded your resume, use MBA Focus v2.0 to
» Check "Announcements"
» View "My Calendar"
» Search the "Company / Contact" file
» Search for "Jobs"
» View "Hot-Lists" with full functionality
» View "Company Details" and all "Contacts" for specified companies

*Functionality varies by school. Contact your school's career service office for details.

IMPORTANT: You must first create a mobile account within your school’s Career Service candidate registration system. After that, make sure your profile is always up-to-date and available to companies searching for their next generation of business leaders.

Interested? Here's the Step-by-Step Guide for Job-Seeking Candidates and the links to the apps:

Apple AppStore    |    Google Play / Android    |    Blackberry App World


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Average MBA salaries post-graduation

If you have an MBA from one the world's top business schools chances are you make over $100,000 per year.
In fact, more than 70% of the MBAs who graduated from our top-ranked partner schools make at least 6-figures. And 1 in 5 make more than $200,000 annually. Here is the current data:
  • Under $100K: 27% of MBAs
  • $100k - $150k: 31%
  • $150k - $200k: 20%
  • Over $200K...

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

An all-new way to recruit top MBA talent



We're excited to announce the release of the all-new Global Focus® 3.0. Based on feedback from the world's leading MBA employers, this newly redesigned version makes it easier than ever for recruiters to search, evaluate, and connect with top business leadership.

Featuring a Search-Connect-Report format, Global Focus 3.0 provides recruiters with a more streamlined, intuitive experience. Here are just a few of the new navigation, design, and feature enhancements:
  • Virtual Interviewing: Conduct live or pre-recorded interviews powered by InterviewStream®
  • OCR Integration: Manage school logins and events with direct and convenient access now at over 20 of our GTS partner schools
  • JobMatch: Automatically match your job postings to job-seeking candidates in the database.
  • Global Proximity Search: Enhanced proximity searches are now available for candidates currently residing outside the United States
  • Email "On Behalf Of": Email candidates and forward resumes to colleagues from a specified email address
  • Enhanced Keyword Search: Keyword search now allows for the use of “&” symbols. And the addition of “Optional” and “Must Match” filters improve keyword search results
  • Candidate Profile Updates: Resume previews are now 2x larger
  • Search Agent Emails: Links within search agent emails now deliver only the new matching candidates in your search results
  • Notes Management: Track candidate notes for a complete history of note activity by an individual or all company Global Focus users
  • New Schools: 15 new partner schools including HEC Paris, IE, IESE, Texas A&M, Yale
To see a complete breakdown of what's new and different in Global Focus 3.0 check out the SlideRocket presentation: Your Guide to Global Focus 3.0


Interested in getting a closer look at these new features? A member of the MBA Focus team would be happy to set up a personal one-on-one demo. In addition to live group trainings and expanded online help, we've recorded an on-demand training video to help recruiters get up to speed quickly.

Here is a sneak speak of the new features and improvements:



We're excited to give this new, state-of-the-art Global Focus 3.0 to our innovative network of recruiters! If you're interested in joining that network or would like to schedule a demo of the product, please contact us.

Monday, July 16, 2012

An integrated OCR system for MBA recruiters



Are you recruiting at five or more campuses? If so, you probably struggle to manage all your on-campus recruiting (OCR) calendars and events. But now there's a simple way to manage all your OCR activities with Global Focus.

Global Focus® is the only recruitment management system that gives you direct access to the world’s best MBA talent. Our exclusive partnerships with 24 of the world’s 25 top-ranked MBA programs and a total of 70+ graduate business schools makes us the go-to resource for MBA recruitment and leadership talent acquisition.


Now you can manage all of your individual school logins and specific events with direct, convenient access to our GTS partner schools’ OCR systems.

With OCR Integration you can
  • Access GTS network school logins directly from within Global Focus
  • View all of your upcoming events directly from your Global Focus dashboard
  • Connect your targeted schools to your recruitment management system
  • Eliminate the need for multiple logins when accessing on-campus recruiting systems
  • Track non-GTS school events in a single location
  • View each daily event for the entire academic year with new master calendars
For more information, contact MBA Focus or schedule a one-on-one demo.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

15 new business schools to recruit at this year

13 new MBA Focus partner schools

The MBA Focus recruitment network continues to expand -- helping recruiters reach beyond their core schools to find high-quality matches to fill their talent pipeline, while simultaneously bringing schools more diverse opportunities for their job-seeking candidates -- and this year we’ve added 15 new top-ranked graduate business schools that weren’t available to our recruiters in June 2011.

The 2012-13 recruiting season additions will offer employers access to students and alumni* resume books from the following new MBA programs:
*alumni resume books are currently only available for Georgia State, Florida State, and Toronto
Click here to view a full list of our partner schools and visit our website.

MBA resume book release dates for upcoming MBA recruiting season

MBA resume book release dates

The new class of 2013 & 2014 MBA resume books, containing CVs and career profiles for thousands of graduating and first-year MBA students at the world's top graduate business schools, are now available to recruiters for pre-ordering! Pre-ordering ensures you get access to the students the moment the resume books release to employers. Here are the projected release dates for the following schools (in chronological order):
Did you know you can search a comprehensive database of all 70+ schools? Learn how you can save time and find top talent faster.

Top 10 insights from the thought leaders at Connections 2012

MBA Focus missing piece of recruitment model

Representatives from 24 top business schools and 26 leading MBA employers attended Connections 2012 "The MBA Community: Positive Leadership, Changing Times” hosted by MBA Focus in Columbus, Ohio.

We are very proud that this conference continues to be the premiere event for thought leadership in MBA recruitment. We truly appreciate the ideas, comments, and willingness to share year after year. This kind of rich and open dialogue makes it possible for all of us to succeed.

Below is a list of the top 10 key thoughts, discussion points, and takeaways from the presentations, moderated panels, and keynotes at Connections 2012. Please keep these in mind as you prepare for the upcoming season. Feel free to call or email us with additional thoughts. You can also post your comments below.
  • 1. Video interviewing is perfect for companies seeking international candidates; and for candidates seeking international opportunities
  • 2. Currently 10%-20% of MBAs are placed internationally, but the demand for international candidates/opportunities is increasing.
  • 3. MBA students are already very interested in being global; the next step is helping them with going global.
  • 4. Recruiters say building global brand is difficult; every year there's a new group of MBA students who don't know your brand.
  • 5. MBAs must have a Global Mindset® to compete in today's globalized world where he or she must think globally & act globally. For more information on the Global Mindset® Institute and the Global Mindset® Assessment please visit http://www.thunderbird.edu/about_thunderbird/inside_tbird/truly_global/global_mindset.htm
  • 6. Many MBA recruiters continue to find it challenging to find and hire qualified diversity candidates, particularly women.
  • 7. Many recruiters and schools believe the MBA program will soon become a hybrid of brick & mortar classrooms vs. online courses.
  • 8. Gamification would entice candidates to be more engaged with career services and the on-campus recruitment processes.
  • 9. Schools and recruiters need to prepare for the near future, when many MBAs will not want to go work for a "big" company. MBAs not only interested in entrepreneurship but also intrepreneurship.
  • 10. Recruiters want MBAs to be able to be truly critical, have humility, be self-aware, and be able to grow from their failures.
Our goal at MBA Focus is to help MBAs find dream jobs and to help employers find talent they need. Together, through our partnerships with schools and corporate clients, we can achieve this vehicle for effective matching.



If you’re interested in becoming a part of this process and attending Connections 2013, please contact us.

New report to inform your MBA recruitment strategy

MBA Analytics Report

MBA Focus is pleased to present you with the 2011-2012 MBA Student and Alumni Analytics Report. As the exclusive partner to 70+ of the leading graduate business schools, we are able to deliver the most comprehensive profile of graduating and intern MBA students available.

This year’s report contains summary and detail information on nearly 78,000 candidates—including more than 28,000 students and nearly 50,000 alumni.


We are happy to report that our list of top-ranked partner schools has also grown since last year, including new programs outside the United States. This year MBA Focus proudly welcomed twelve additional schools to our network. This makes for a truly rich global recruiting resource.

At the beginning of the report you will find summaries and charts of 5-year trends in the candidate profile data for each of the following categories:
  • Job Function Experience
  • Job Function Preference
  • Industry Experience
  • Industry Preference
  • Geographic Preference
  • Work Authorization
Following the summary section are detailed reports for each of the above categories. You will also find additional detail reports on club affiliations, language abilities, licenses and certifications, and more.

Please take some time to review this report. We are certain that you will find the analytical information enlightening—and we are hopeful that it serves as a valuable reference in your current MBA recruiting initiatives.

To request your copy (or view a sample), please visit: https://www.mbafocus.com/analytics.aspx

Questions? Contact us.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Four new MBA Focus partner schools from outside the US

MBA Focus Global School Partners

Recruiters around the world are widening their search and casting their nets into a growing pool of international talent. At the same time, demand for business leadership talent with experience outside the United States has increased exponentially. And as the demand for global talent increases, the world's #1 choice for virtual MBA recruitment technology continues to expand its global network.

"The competition for global MBA talent has never been so intense," says Tony Somers, Director, MBA Career Management Center, HEC School of Management. "Our new partnership with MBA Focus will give employers access to the elite management talent at HEC Paris and give our students access to an exclusive network of multinational corporations."

For more than two decades, top-ranked MBA programs -- and the companies that employ their students and alumni -- look to MBA Focus for advanced recruiting technology solutions, best practices, thought leadership, and innovation.

Today, leading MBA employers can search an aggregated database including students and alumni from 74 top-ranked business schools, including 20 MBA programs located outside the United States. Four new international schools have joined the network this year...

(to continue reading please visit www.mbafocus.com)

New b-schools, new MBA students, new class of 2013 & 2014 MBA resume books for employers!


The new resume books for the upcoming academic year are now available for pre-order! Pre-ordering ensures you get access to the students the moment they become available to employers. Just go to the Resume Books page or click on a school link below to get started:
* indicates a new school partnerships for 2012-13 academic year and MBA recruiting season


Did you know you can search a comprehensive database of all 70+ schools? Learn how you can save time and find top talent faster.

Friday, May 11, 2012

How to integrate video interviewing into your hiring process

Video interviewing will never replace the in-person, one-on-one, final interviews needed to ensure a potential employee is the right fit for your company's culture. But it can be an extremely valuable tool to find top talent faster and improve the overall quality of hires.

Video Interviewing - MBA Focus

In an upcoming webinar hosted by MBA Focus, in partnership with InterviewStream, employers will learn that even though video interviewing will never replace the handshake, it should be an integral part of every company's recruitment process. The goal of the webinar is to introduce the five questions every employer should ask before implementing a video interviewing strategy; how to use pre-recorded video interviews for screening candidates; how to build a positive, branded candidate experience using video interviewing; and time saving tips and techniques for on-campus recruitment.

According to Marie Larsen, writer for Recruiter.com, "the reason video interviewing is going to hit it big is that it provides the most basic, simple, important fix imaginable: it saves money."

But video interviewing isn't just beneficial to employers, it's also convenient for candidates. In a recent SoloCup survey of students who were interviewed using InterviewStream’s pre-recorded video interviewing, 97% of students found the interview platform convenient to complete.

Video interviewing has already been widely adopted by: universities, to assist in their campus recruiting efforts; executive recruiting firms, to sort through candidates from around the world; and large corporations, to screen candidates in remote locations.

"For recruiters, video interviewing is the vehicle that finally delivers the package that hiring managers have long wanted: a more comprehensive profile of the candidate with less upfront investment from the hiring manager through a process that is both efficient and collaborative," states Talent HQ’s creator, editor, and Recruiting & Diversity Leader, Jason Buss.

But it wasn't always so prevalent. Despite existing for nearly a decade -- software like Skype, released in 2003, and companies like InterviewStream, founded in 2003 -- video interviewing wasn't truly adopted until the 2008-2009 recession. During that time, 52% of companies expected to decrease hiring, travel budgets were slashed, and companies and career service offices were forced to do more with less.

Today, the benefits of video interviewing include: increasing recruiting productivity, improving quality of hire, eliminating or significantly reducing travel costs, reducing CO2 emissions, building stronger relationships earlier in the interview process, and removing time barriers associated with international recruitment.

For more information on best practices in video interviewing, join two of the leaders in video interviewing and recruitment technology -- Dave Hoy, founder of MBA Focus, and Randy Bitting, CEO of InterviewStream -- for a webinar on Tuesday May 15 at 12:00 noon EST to discuss how to integrate video interviewing into your current recruitment processes. Registrations are open until midnight EST on May 14. Sign up now at https://www.mbafocus.com/Webinar.aspx.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Recruit Virtually. Save the Earth.

Go Green!
Did you know that virtual MBA recruitment technology can help save the planet?

In 2008, MBA Focus and its partner schools decided to no longer offer printed resume books to recruiters in an effort to conserve paper and save trees. Based on the number of resume books ordered each year, we estimated that we would save at least 75 trees per year.

Today, in partnership with InterviewStream, we aim to reduce carbon emissions one virtual interview at a time! And with our Green Calculator you can easily track total resources and emissions saved in comparison to traditional interviewing. Integrated with Google Maps, our system is able to detect where interviews are being conducted as well as where they are being reviewed by your team. With only one click of the mouse you can calculate CO2 emissions, travel mileage, round trip travel time, and approximate travel costs saved by interviewing online.

Green Calculator
So let us help you source, recruit, interview, and hire top business leaders virtually and together we can help save the planet!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Find top talent faster. Improve quality of hire.



Global Focus® is the fastest, most efficient connection to top talent, proven to help high-volume MBA recruiters
  • Eliminate the time and cost of unqualified talent.
  • Identify best-fit candidates faster and with pinpoint accuracy.
  • Improve on- and off-campus recruiting effectiveness.
  • Gain one-click access to resumes, career profiles, job postings, critical campus deadlines, and school contact information.
  • Connect seamlessly using integrated email and virtual interviewing tools.
Our exclusive closed network means you search only the best in MBA talent. Want to know more? Take our 10-minute recruitment assessment.

Don't confuse sourcing with recruiting!

SOURCING IS ONLY THE 3RD STEP IN THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
And MBA resume books are the best source of elite business talent

There is no better place to find top MBA talent than individual business school resume books powered by MBA Focus. Once you have defined your need, just enter the criteria into the advanced search tool, and the system will analyze the database for you. Once you have your list of highly-qualified candidates, you can view profiles, print resumes, and connect with candidates via email directly through the system.

Online resume books are the quickest and easiest sourcing solution on the market!

Start sourcing today!

Don't confuse sourcing with recruiting!
Contact us today if you need a complete recruitment solution -- Global Focus®.

An easy way to build your executive leadership pipeline



If you are seeking a senior-level business leader to fill an executive position at your company, alumni resume books from the world's top-ranked business schools are the best place to start.

Filter these Online Resume Books and pinpoint the perfect candidate for your search! Just click on a school link below to get started.
Remember, our searchable online resume databases are perfect for your Just In Time hiring needs. 

If you hire more than five MBAs per year, we can help you become faster and more efficient.

Chances are, you're already recruiting with us


We’re MBA Focus—an exclusive network of 70 top tier graduate business schools. For over twenty years, we have powered the recruitment process for the world’s leading MBA programs.

Now let us show you how to improve your recruiting speed and efficiency with Global Focus®. Gain direct access to 75,000 MBA students and alumni, and quickly identify and connect with your best fit candidates using our advanced search technology.

Have questions about your MBA recruitment efforts? We can help. Contact us for research, best practices, or to find out more about our new virtual interviewing technology.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Finc, Mgmt, Mrkt: Top 10 function preferences for the MBA class of 2013


Our last look at this year's MBA profiles focuses on the functional job preferences of first-year students. Interestingly, the class of 2013 interests are right in line with previous MBA classes.

In fact, the top 10 preferences for this year's MBA1s appear to be the same top 10 functions in which all MBAs are interested. Take a look:
  1. Finance
  2. Management 
  3. Marketing
  4. Consulting
  5. Business Development
  6. Strategic Planning
  7. Tech
  8. Entrepreneurship
  9. Corporate Development
  10. Real Estate
Only one difference exists in the MBA1 vs. MBA2 comparison with this year's graduating MBA2s being slightly more interested in Accounting (2.33% of all MBA2s) than in Real Estate (2.25%). It's also worth noting that experienced MBA (EMBA) graduates are much more interested in Sales (top 12 with 1.45%) than current MBA students (top 19 with 0.61% of MBA1s and top 18 with 0.82% of MBA2s).

** click here for the complete function preference breakdown for this year's MBA1s **

Monday, February 20, 2012

5% of US Presidents Attended B-School


Okay. So only two people have actually gone from b-school to the President of the United States: George W. Bush got his MBA from Harvard Business School and John F. Kennedy attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business. But that's still 5% of all Presidents. And many of them studied business and economics as undergrads, including Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.

Law school is a much more common road -- 12 Presidents took that path including our current Commander-in-chief Barack Obama. And one President even attended med school -- William Henry Harrison.

Surprisingly, 10 former Presidents never even graduated college -- a list that includes 2 dropouts and 8 never-wents, including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Overall, most US Presidents have had a college education, including five of the first seven.

In total, the 44 Presidents have attended 31 different colleges. Here is the breakdown by school -- which includes 8 of our partners (26%) -- both grad schools and undergrad:

**please visit our blog for the complete list of Presidents by school**

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

You’ll “love” our exclusive network!

Since today is February 14th, I decided to take a more lighthearted look at our exclusive network of employers and talent to see just how much "love" we really have for you. The findings were particularly rosy and sweet.

The MBA Focus network currently includes:
  • 29 MBAs with the last name "Love"
  • 106 MBAs with "love" in their name
  • 51 MBA-required job postings that mention "love"
  • 3 recruiters with the last name "Love"
  • 360 MBAs with "rose" in their name
  • ... to view the full list visit our blog
And if you really do love our exclusive network, tell us why by visiting https://www.mbafocus.com/Testimonials.aspx.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Financial, Consulting and the top 10 industry preferences for the MBA class of 2013


The new class of MBA students are halfway through their first-year at b-school. By now, most of these 1st-year students have selected an industry preference, adding it to their developing MBA career profile.

The career profile process is mandatory at many of the world’s top-ranked MBA programs. MBA Focus powers the process, aggregating student profile information to help leading employers identify and attract their next business leaders. Students work with their school’s career service office to complete their profiles; taking advantage of other services including resume coaching and mock interviewing practice.

The data in these profiles offer enlightening trends on the MBA landscape and useful insight into what types of jobs the newest class of MBAs want to pursue.

This year's class of new MBAs is very similar to previous classes. In fact, the top seven (7) industries chosen by 2013 MBA1s are exactly the same as this year's graduating class of MBAs, as well as the 40,000+ alumni who graduated before them:
  • 1. Financial
  • 2. Consulting
  • 3. Consumer Products
  • 4. Tech
  • 5. Energy / Utilities
  • 6. Healthcare
  • 7. Entertainment 
To see the 3 industries that round out the top 10 or view the complete breakdown visit our blog here.

Where did MBA students live and work?

Generally, MBA students currently attending top-ranked business schools are located on, near, and around those campuses. And after graduation, they spread across the globe.

The MBAs in our database are no different. They are currently attending full-time programs located on three different continents, including 24 of the top 25 b-schools in the US; 6 of the top 10 international programs; and a total of 69 schools globally. And when they graduate this summer or next, they will join the global workforce just like the alumni before them.

Ever wonder where these MBA students lived and work before attending b-school? Our data suggests pre-MBA life experiences extending well beyond their current geographical locations. The current first- and second-year MBA students in our database have worked around the world, including:
  • 1. India 6.52%
  • 2. China 6.51%
  • 3. United Kingdom 4.41%
  • 4. Mexico 3.29%
  • 5. Germany 3.21%
<click here to read the full article>

Do MBA internships affect career paths?

Half-way through the graduate business schooling process most MBA students participate in an internship. By this time, many MBAs know what they want to do and where they want to work, but the MBA internship is the final confirmation -- for most! For some MBAs, the summer internship can be an enlightening experience that ultimately changes their career path.

Take the current 2nd-year class of MBA students preparing to graduate this summer for example. The majority of them spent last summer in an internship in the investment banking / brokerage industry:
  1. Investment Banking / Brokerage 6.26%
  2. Strategy 5.24%
  3. Investment Management 4.89%
  4. Internet Services / E-Commerce 4.86%
  5. Private Equity 4.48%
  6. Software 2.83%
  7. Beverages / Food 2.71%
  8. Management 2.51%
  9. Hedge Funds 2.49%
  10. Retail 2.44%
After completing their summer internships, however, the same class of 2012 MBA students now prefers a career in...

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MBA hiring is up across the board

Good news for MBAs and those currently attending a top-ranked graduate business school: MBA hiring is up across the board.

* yes, job "board" pun intended.


In general, MBA Focus saw a 65% increase in MBA jobs over the past year (2011 vs 2010). This increase is based on the number of MBA-required and MBA-preferred jobs on the graduate business school job boards powered by MBA Focus' Global Talent System. This includes schools like Columbia, Cornell's Johnson School, Harvard Business School, MIT – Sloan, Kellogg, Stanford GSB, UC Berkeley – Haas, Chicago's Booth School of Business and more.

But MBA hiring has prospered in some industries more than others, including a 440% increase in agribusiness and multiple technology industries with more than a 10% increase.

Here is the complete breakdown:
  1. Agribusiness 440.00%
  2. Engineering Services 172.73%
  3. Manufacturing 171.43%
  4. Financial - Insurance 139.53%
  5. Nonprofits & Social Enterprises 107.14%