The Employment Report for the full-time MBA Class of 2017 at IESE Business School shows Consulting continuing to be the favourite choice with 27% of the graduates but Financial Services offering more in terms of mean base salary at €88,491 per year.
While 92% of the class received at least one offer for full-time work within three months of graduation, 85% of the graduates changed at least one major aspect of their career.
The report by the Barcelona, Spain based business school of the University of Navarra said 68% of the students changed the sector, 62% their function, 36% their location and 20% made all three changes.
By region, mean base salaries were highest in the Middle East and Africa at €102,818 and lowest in Spain at €65,094.
Well-equipped for a global digital economy, they found roles in consulting and finance, in tech companies and consumer giants, throughout Europe and around the world.
Financial services saw a slight decline to 17%. Investment banking was the most favoured in this sector, and the UK emerged as the most popular single destination.
The remaining 56% of graduates accepted jobs in a range of sectors. While 16% went into tech, e-commerce and internet, consumer goods and retail drew another 14% of the graduates.
The mean base salaries were highest in financial services at €88,491 per year, especially in banking followed by consulting at €83,520 and the corporate sector at €77,056.
By region, mean base salaries were highest in the Middle East and Africa at €102,818 and lowest in Spain at €65,094.
While graduates took up jobs everywhere from the UAE to South Korea to Colombia, a substantial majority of 63% went to work in Europe.
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Despite the lower average salaries, there was an increase in the number of MBAs who decided to stay in Spain (29%), a reflection of the rise in employment opportunities that has accompanied economic recovery. The second most popular was the UK which attracted 12% of the graduates.
The IESE’s Career Services team played an active role in the job search. Some 66% of all accepted job offers were directly facilitated by Career Services. It also provided support for the 7% of entrepreneurial students who launched their own companies after graduation.
The Career Services organizes a range of activities throughout the year, from career fairs to career treks to internships, and is in partnership with leading companies to stay abreast of employment trends and facilitate recruitment.
