As per a media report, freshers with an MBA degree continue to be some of the most employable people in the current job market. A post-graduate degree in finance, marketing or HR is not just valuable but also necessary if anyone wants to make a career with a future focus.

Here is a list of some of the most sought-after MBA careers:

• Business Analyst

 Business analysts seek answers to an organisation’s problems based on historical data, upcoming industry trends and the technology available at the time. Their key objective is to improve products or services offered by a business or services or optimise internal processes to enable sustained business growth.

The ideal analyst must have the ability to give the management an idea of future trends based on existing data and trends. This position is suited for those who have an MBA degree with a specialisation in business analytics.

• Investment Banker 

Investment bankers handle large-scale financial transactions, along with raising capital for private and government institutions. Mostly working for banking or non-banking organisations, these individuals give consultation services to the corporations as also individuals with regards to their financial security and growth. This could mean tasks such as issuing shares, managing initial public offerings (IPOs), working on mergers and acquisitions, ensuring all law-mandated compliances are met and many other financial details.

• Human Resource Manager 

An HR manager’s job entails supervising and creating policies for company personnel, building systems which ensure talent acquisition, management and development.

Managing work culture, composing organisation development interventions, improving employee satisfaction and engagement, projecting future requirements of talent in terms of quantity and quality, are some of the tasks that HR managers perform.

• Operations Manager 

Operations managers oversee the complete production process of a company’s goods and services and focus on removing redundant processes and increasing efficiency of internal teams. Their to-dos comprise of collaborating with the HR department, inspiring the internal team with excellent leadership, optimising supply chains and streamline internal work-flow management.  These specialised professionals are also involved in policy and budgetary decisions of an organisation.

• Infrastructure Project Manager 

Project managers are the single point of contact of large-scale infrastructure projects in terms of roadways, waterways, bridges etc. They need to ensure that the project is delivered within predetermined timelines and budgets. Day-to-day tasks of these individuals include generating reports on the current status of the project, engaging with contractors to ensure work gets done and negotiating deals at optimal costs.

• Management Consultant

Management consultants work alongwith the leadership of various companies to improve profits, increase efficiency and solve vital strategic issues.

Management consultants start a project by comprehensively understanding the problems being faced by a business, besides analysing the reasons behind those problems, and the possible solutions. Their scope of work includes research based on secondary data and primary data, identifying critical areas of impact and devising strategies for competitive differentiation.

The average day of a management consultant will include reviewing documents, collaborating with clientele and creating blueprints for possible solutions.

• Fund Manager 

Fund managers maintain a large pool of stocks, debentures and other securities for many clients. It is their job to identify the best investment opportunities as per the goals of their clients and to direct money accordingly. This kind of work often comes with high risks and equally high rewards. Those with a specialisation in finance certainly meet the requirements of this role.

• Corporate Trainer 

Having additional certifications and qualifications greatly enhance the profile of a corporate trainer.

Corporate trainers focus on employee training and development. They ensure the smooth transition of new technology or new employees into a company.

The job also comprises maintaining previous training records, employee performance data and policy-related modules. They often have to collaborate with HR to plan the employee development strategy of an organisation. An MBA with specialisation in human resources management is a preferred pre-requisite.   

• Corporate Strategy Head 

Strategy heads rack their brains to identify opportunities for business growth and process optimisation.

They mostly work on long-term goals in collaboration with company leadership. Day-to-day tasks include competitor research, acquiring fresh industry insights, consumer knowledge. After opportunities are identified, strategy heads set milestones for themselves and commence work on the same.

• Marketing Manager 

A marketing manager is responsible for the marketing strategy of a company’s goods and services.

They identify prospective buyers and create a plan to attract the same, often in collaboration with a creative team. This job also includes teaming up with media and advertising organisations for buying ad-inventory such as TV and newspaper ads, Facebook ads, Google ads, etc.

Obtaining an MBA degree opens doors to several employment opportunities in nearly every sector, from logistics to finance. Still, landing a job after graduation is not a foregone conclusion. Before completing their program, students should be sure to align their academic curriculum to their future career interests and take a decision accordingly.