Unemployed after an MBA from Top 30 US University

[Pauloz]

Hello,

Which specialization is in more demand or gets u more money - International business or Marketing???

My profile in brief:-
B.E. Electrical
Around 4.5 years of full time techno-commercial marketing experience (Domestic & International both).

So for me, both the above mentioned specializations are fine. Hence, kindly guide me which specialization should I choose???

Regards,
Rahul

Rahiul

Definitely, international business. Marketing makes money mainly at the top. However- In your area, business with marketing is definitely a big plus, because you know the merchandising and the rest of the process. You have the advantage of speaking the language of marketing, which many of the business managers don't. It also makes that experience pay for itself, so it remains highly relevant on your CV.

As long as you have the business side as well, you can get into business and marketing management, which is where both the money and the better jobs are. You can get in at middle management level, with that experience and business qualifications.

Demand: This is highly variable, and sometimes territorial. Some companies are better than others for promotion and office politics, and you're advised to research employers beforehand.

[rahulsharma1982]

Hello,

If possible, kindly let me know about the post-graduation work permit scene in France.

Are international students given work-permits there, after MBA?

Which country is better for doing MBA & post-MBA job?
Canada or UK or France?

[Pauloz]

Hello,

If possible, kindly let me know about the post-graduation work permit scene in France.

Are international students given work-permits there, after MBA?

Which country is better for doing MBA & post-MBA job?
Canada or UK or France?

Rahul

Don't know of anywhere that does give a work permit after a qualification. Obviously it's easier to apply, but it's not a criteria, without a sponsor, employer, etc. Of the three, Canada, definitely.

[mathew]

hello , I request for advices/ directions from one of you. I am ex army officer, 35 years of age, from India who has a commissioned service experience of 13 years. My experience are in fields of human resource, disaster management, administration and machinery/ equipment management. I am trying for an executive MBA from any of the canadian universities. I am trying for an executive MBA as i could be in company of an elite crowd who would be in some position in corporate world, and also would like to work during the program. I request your advice in the following,
1. will my leadership experience help in obtaining a senior management job post EMBA?
2. will my experience suit the requirements of an operations management post ?
3. Is the EMBA of canadian universities, like haskayane school of business, toronto university, york etc a platform for success in management/ corporate jobs and worth the money?
thanks, mathew

[Pauloz]

hello , I request for advices/ directions from one of you. I am ex army officer, 35 years of age, from India who has a commissioned service experience of 13 years. My experience are in fields of human resource, disaster management, administration and machinery/ equipment management. I am trying for an executive MBA from any of the canadian universities. I am trying for an executive MBA as i could be in company of an elite crowd who would be in some position in corporate world, and also would like to work during the program. I request your advice in the following,
1. will my leadership experience help in obtaining a senior management job post EMBA?
2. will my experience suit the requirements of an operations management post ?
3. Is the EMBA of canadian universities, like haskayane school of business, toronto university, york etc a platform for success in management/ corporate jobs and worth the money?
thanks, mathew

mathew

1. There are actually two definitions here. Your military experience as an officer translates as "management" for the purposes of the degree. MBAs do require management experience. It also incorporates leadership, which is often part of essential management criteria.

2. Yes. "Operations" does mean operational management.

3. Canadian universities are well regarded internationally, on a par with any other English or French speaking nation. The MBA is perhaps the high level international standard business degree. It does work as a platform for success, and is also often a requirement for progression in business management.

"Worth the money": Yes, unless there's any real question of overcommitment. It can also be an own goal to be in the position of having the degree, but not getting the rewards from it. If you've got a clear path and definite use for your MBA, fine. Otherwise, check the numbers for viability.

[zagcollins]

Hi,

I am looking at starting my MBA in NZ next year. However, I am a tad discouraged owing to the fact that my research entails that getting a job as a manager in NZ post MBA is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Kiwis, apparently, give importance to 'NZ experience' (which frankly sounds ridiculous). Could you shed some more light on that??

[Pauloz]

Hi,

I am looking at starting my MBA in NZ next year. However, I am a tad discouraged owing to the fact that my research entails that getting a job as a manager in NZ post MBA is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Kiwis, apparently, give importance to 'NZ experience' (which frankly sounds ridiculous). Could you shed some more light on that??

zagcollins

Well, they're not entirely wrong. We've been living next door to the Kiwis for 200 years, and we can truthfully say there's nothing like them on Earth, or anywhere else, that we've noticed. They're a bit houseproud in the Land of the Long White Vowel.

Your research is pretty right in one respect but needs some qualifiers: Small job market, highly competitive, and local knowledge matters. "NZ experience" can refer to local networks. They're not backward, just inarticulate, on this subject. That is a practical consideration, in many industries.

Your best shot by far, under these circumstances, is to look for a job with a multinational, even an Australian company would do. Exporters in particular would be a definite possibility, like those related to the US, where the purely "Kiwi" element isn't the defining issue.

Note: When arriving in New Zealand, the mountains carrying footballs are known as All Blacks. The ones with snow and tourists on them are just mountains, and do less tackling.

[ingndave]

I hate these, I can't find a job posts and here is why:

People time and time again complain about OHH, I couldn't get a job, and I was looking for 2 , 3 , 5 or 10 months only to have no success....

Problem is with a situation like this, they NEVER tell you the WHOLE story. Such as :

1) Entitlement - Ohh I'm educated and have an MBA. Therefore, i deserve 150k or 250k - BULLSHIT - education entitles you to education NOT MONEY! At least not initially.

2) This guy is a FOREIGNER - who is here to obtain an education, and well ask all foreigners about H1 Visa and applying for jobs. It's insanely difficult to find a company to sponsor you. Because it means they have to fork out a large amount of money just to offer you the job and there is a bunch of red-tape involved.

3) Personality - You can be smart and educated and have a reasonable salary requirement but if your as personable as a ROCK then nobody will hire you! Lots of company's who hire MBA's look for a person they like and who brings some flare to the position not just knowledge.

So next time you see a post about someone complaining about not finding employment look between the lines as its likely NOT education or the school or GPA ITS THEM!

[am9]

I read your case and am very sympathetic to your situation and hope you are out of it or get out of it soon.

Personally I was looking to understand if people are getting placed in the US after spending so much time and money in getting a degree there. Your posting is a great learning as it makes me realize my thoughts are not unfounded.

To answer your question, it is always a good idea to be honest and truthful and if you come across a potential employer who appreciates such qualities will possibly work to your advantage, though keep in mind you tend to lose all bargaining power and the job you might land might continue to be a cause of frustration. In light of this, be realistic. We all struggle to achieve goals which may not see fruition now but can come around later. You must understand that. So take a positive look at your accomplishments and highlight those1) You were a star performer in your previous job 2) Got promoted at least sometimes and were due for another one(not a good idea to complain about a previous boss to a potential new boss) 3) Had to consistently put in long hours

You should highlight that what motivated you to persue further education in the US were to improve your skills to take on bigger responsibilities. (Think of a bigger role you could play in your next employers company). Post completion it only made sense to try and get a faster return on your investment and gain experience in the markets there. So you needed the 9 months to prepare for getting into the colleges and doing your research. It takes time.

Everyone knows the situation is grim there so that will not be held against you. You should make it a point to let your potential employer know that successful people have been laid off too. Explain to them that you are looking and putting efforts to find the right fit and it has taken some time. This should explain the gap after course completion. There is nothing wrong in telling a potential Indian employer that earlier (prior to your reaching out to indian companies) you were looking for a job in the US as it is logical and the experience would only add to your candidature.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

I am keen to know more about the career centers role in your university. Did they not help at all? What were the reasons companies would not hire international candidates? Were there other candidates who too returned to their home countries out of no choice of their own? (answers to these questions may also help you in your interview processes and will definitely help me in my decision to study in the US at this point)
regards
am9

Hi,

I am from India and I want to give some background to my case.

I completed a Bachelors and then a Masters degree in India in Business and worked for 3 and half years at a leading private sector bank. Neither my job nor the team I was working with was satisfying (to say the least!) and my boss who was extremely jealous of my progress deliberately withheld my name for a second promotion which was due. I was a star performer and within 6 months of joining I was promoted to Assistant Manager from Senior Officer. This incident amongst others led me to a lot of introspection and I decided to finally fulfill my long time dream of studying for a professional masters degree in US from a top University.

So I left my job in Sept. 2005. It was a hard decision - applying for graduate courses in US is extremely expensive and I was on a tight budget. My job at the bank required extremely long working hours - I was working for 6-7 days a week for 16-18 hours a day (no I am not kidding when you work in a country like India in a retail bank things can be pretty out of control!!!). I used this time from Sept 2005 until May 2006 (when I came to US) and worked hard on finding universities, preparing for GMAT, taking exam, interviews etc and then finally making the trip to the US!

I joined a top school here and worked very hard. I worked as an intern in my university for a year without pay while studying a full time demanding MBA course and kept looking for a job. My problem - the US and world economy tanked just as I graduated in May 2008. Plus I was on a student visa looking for a company that would sponsor my work permit.

It is now April, 2009 and almost a complete 1 year since graduation. I am returning to my home country jobless.

My biggest concern now is that I have been unemployed for about 9 months prior to MBA + almost 12 months after my MBA i.e. a total of 21 months and counting!

I want to be honest when I am interviewing with the companies and yet I am struggling with how to explain this to them without coming across as a loser.

I have worked so hard, given up 2 years of salary paying job to do an MBA, paid so much in tuition, living expenses, traveling for job interviews across the US and yet to find a grain of success.

I am losing hope, and have had terrible thoughts about my future or a lack of it!

Please advise on how to explain these gaps on my resume which I did not want and worked hard to avoid them but still ended up having them.

Thanks and may god bless you!