Many people think that the top jobs for MBA graduates are reserved for those who completed full-time, in-person programs, but that’s not true. Top online MBA programs also help graduates leverage their skills to land new roles, whether with their current employer or further afield.
Take IE Business School’s Global Online MBA program.
It tops the Financial Times’ list of the best online MBA programs in the world with its diverse cohort and internationally mobile alumni.
According to the FT’s data, the average salary of graduates from IE’s Online Global MBA is over US$200k. That’s the second-highest alumni salary increase of any school on the list.
Find out what your career could look like after studying on one of the world's best online MBA programs:
5 top MBA jobs you could land after a global online MBA
Here are the post-MBA degree jobs you could look forward to after studying for a global online MBA, as seen among the grads of IE Business School.
1. Banking: Head of financial planning and analysis
Tamuna Magularia worked in finance functions for over a decade before enrolling in the Global Online MBA at IE Business School. She enrolled in the program to sharpen her strategic thinking and complement her deep understanding of finance concepts.
As she hoped, the global MBA program helped her level up her finance career and she now works as head of financial planning and analysis at TBC Bank Group, which operates the largest bank in Georgia.
“Having been systematically exposed to presenting to a group of impressive peers [on the MBA] has served me well, empowering me to engage in strategy-related discussions at management and executive levels in my current role,” she says.
Of course, you don’t need a decade of finance experience to embark on a finance career path after a global online MBA.
Most top online MBA programs offer primers in finance concepts. For example, IE offers pre-program training in financial accounting and analysis and managerial economics to help students nail down the basics ahead of the first week of in-person teaching.
Students then explore these concepts in more depth in the first virtual period of the program.
2. Employee benefits: Head of digital transformation
Jobs for MBA graduates in digital transformation are increasing. Nearly three-quarters of IT leaders say their organizations are prioritizing digital transformation, overtaking cybersecurity and cloud implementation.
For Florence Williams, now-head of digital transformation at leading UK benefits provider Unum, the Global Online MBA at IE helped her meet this demand.
She especially highlights the Global Immersion Week, a face-to-face teaching experience where students can network with peers on other programs, attend masterclasses, visit companies, and meet executives, all in exciting locales such as Berlin, Dubai, and San Francisco.
Students also specifically tackle digital transformation in the second core virtual period, when they learn about the evolution of digital technologies and how to extensively redefine roles and functions to keep up with change.
3. Fintech: Head of product
Martin Von Knobloch identifies himself as a 'hybrid hacker'. An IT security consultant by trade, he was originally based out of Copenhagen, hacking public institutions to help them identify and fix flaws in their cybersecurity.
He turned to the IE Global Online MBA to supplement his technical knowledge with business skills to further progress in this area, but the MBA pushed him to explore new possibilities.
Martin is now head of product at Alviere, a fintech platform in Lisbon, Portugal. He leads a team of product managers to deliver key features to help clients deliver financial services to customers.
4. Sustainability: VP of business development
Alexander Hayman came to IE Business School from a corporate background, working in financial services, strategy, and digital transformation in Toronto.
“Coming from a more technical background professionally, I found it incredibly useful to gain some experience in accounting, finance, marketing and other areas I had not previously studied,” he says. “It has also allowed me to build a global network.”
Alexander now works in a sustainable startup focused on recycling food waste.
The entrepreneurial training on the IE Global Online MBA program no doubt helped him on his journey.
In the second core virtual period, students gain a practical understanding of how the Lean Startup methodology is used and how they can create a product-market fit. This continues into last core virtual period with entrepreneurial venturing coaching.
5. Academia: PhD student and adjunct professor
Finally, studying a global MBA can be a great springboard for further study.
Steffen Baecker came to IE from a marketing background and says the program opened his eyes to the nature of organizational behavior and how important it is to break down silos between departments.
He has now decided to further his studies as a PhD student and adjunct professor at IE Business School.
“I have reached a point in my career where I’m looking for my purpose: combining my passion for sustainability and fashion in order to disrupt the fashion industry and make it more sustainable.”
Find out MBA application tips
Clearly, you don’t need to study full-time to land one of the best MBA jobs. To find out more about applying to a Global Online MBA, read our IE Business School MBA Application Insider.
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