Earning an MBA remains the surest way to secure jobs at the top levels of business management. The combination of financial, analytical, leadership, and decision-making skills uniquely prepare MBA graduates to solve the complex challenges of the modern business world.
However, not all MBA graduates decide to pursue a job in private business. Because of the transferable skills acquired in a high-quality online MBA program, graduates can excel in other careers. They may work for government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporate sustainability management.
That blend of transferable skills and leadership preparation creates a solid foundation for earning an online MBA worthwhile for graduate students. Regardless of the type of MBA career they pursue, graduates from an online MBA program have the edge over their peers when competing for the best jobs.
Transferable Skills Learned in an MBA Program
What can you do with an MBA? That depends on your interest and career goals. Many MBA students follow a traditional path into C-suite or department director jobs, combining the skills and knowledge learned in an MBA program with their own experience to make them better qualified for leadership positions.
The core skills learned in this MBA program include graduate-level courses in organizational structure, human performance, marketing, accounting, financial analysis, and strategic management. Students can choose electives in managerial communications, business law, ethics, statistics, and quantitative decision-making.
These skills can lead to various careers for professionals with an MBA. Career choices within the private business world include business analytics, digital marketing, sales and product management, finance, and business strategy. An MBA can also serve as a springboard for entrepreneurs launching their start-ups.
Many of these positions exist in government, nonprofits, and jobs outside traditional business roles.
Alternative Jobs and Careers for Professionals with an MBA
Many MBA graduates apply their skills to what is considered non-traditional MBA careers.
For example, Raji Kalra combined an MBA with a master’s degree in international affairs to help her achieve her career dream of working in the social sector. She is now a chief financial officer at the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York City. She said that while MBA graduates once had to prove their value to nonprofit organizations, that is often no longer true.
Others have entered businesses outside banking, finance, and insurance, such as the organic food industry, supply chain management, and education-related companies. While nonprofits have different goals than for-profit companies, nonprofit boards recognize the value in having MBA graduates run their operations like a business, according to the Nonprofit Leadership Center.
Some students enroll in an MBA program knowing they want to work outside of traditional MBA career fields. Some discover interests they didn’t know they had while working on their MBA, leading them to take positions for nonprofit organizations or government agencies that focus on their interests.
The NMU Global MBA Program
NMU Global Campus online MBA program prepares graduates as leaders in whatever MBA career they pursue. The program focuses on teaching professionals a mix of business and leadership skills, as well as giving students insight into leveraging advanced technology to achieve goals.
Graduates of the program have expertise in ethical, creative, and collaborative skill sets. They are also prepared for success as leaders and executives in every type of organization. They hone their ability to quickly assess large amounts of information and make data-driven decisions based on facts.
Perhaps most importantly, graduates go beyond the technical skills required in an MBA career, learning to motivate and inspire others to work together toward a common, ambitious goal. Those transferable skills prepare graduates for every type of MBA career in every sector of the economy.
