Unique Post-MBA Careers

DSC_9140It is almost a rule of thumb for vast majority of MBA candidates to pursue a career in “Consulting” and/or “Investment Banking” after the MBA.  These careers are amazing, hands down! However given the competitive nature of these industries and the number of jobs available out there, it may not be the ideal to limit your future career to these industries. The MBA is pursued by more and more diverse group of individuals and the diverse experience being brought to the table makes the post-MBA job market quite interesting.

I am sure 5 years ago, if I asked a candidate to consider a career in sales, they would think I was joking. However today, there are amazing career paths within global organizations for those who pursue a career in business development and sales. Some of the companies that recruit for sales roles at Rotman are Salesforce, GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft, Procter and Gamble and Infosys. When you look at the industries these companies represent, it is obvious that “sales” is a hot career in every industry.

As a candidate you might be wondering how you can assess your skills and decide if you are a good fit to pursue a career in business development and sales.    

Let’s start with these quick questions:

  • Do you have a strong internal drive and enjoy high levels of autonomy?
  • Are you results oriented?
  • Do you have a proven track record?
  • Do you enjoy taking ownership of projects and tasks?
  • Do you consider yourself a good conflict manager who finds solutions to complex problems or cross-functional team conflicts?
  • Do you have excellent people skills?
  • Can you show empathy? Are you able to put yourself in others’ shoes?
  • Do you have a positive attitude?
  • Do you work well under pressure?
  • Are you confident enough to prepare and pitch strategic business ideas?Do you have strong presentation skills? Can you influence others?
  • Are you motivated by exceeding expectations?
  • Do you have a sales mind?Are you good at business development?
  • Are you social media savvy?

If  you have answered most of these questions YES, then you might have a very good career in business development and sales-according to our career coaches. 🙂 As you can see from this mini questionnaire, a career in sales requires great soft skills, and these soft skills become more crucial as you climb up the leadership leader. You can start out as an inside/outside sales professional and make yourself up to the CEO level.

How can we help those who are interested in a career in business development and sales? At Rotman we have many resources at your disposal. Soft skills while crucial in any role; when it comes to sales, you have to go above and beyond and have top notch people skills. Our Self-Development Lab (SDL) is probably one of the best resources to develop/hone soft skills along with the SDL, electives in marketing such as Sales Management and Marketing will help you improve your technical skills. The Capstone Project at the end of the first year will allow you to practice a wide range of soft and technical skills including your pitching skills to a suite of top level executives at well-known organizations.

Another amazing resource our students take advantage of is our incredible alumni in the field. They are always happy to share their insight and help out.

Last but not least, if you are interested in a career in business development and sales, I’d highly recommend Daniel Pink’s “To Sell is Human”, great book to explore further the world of a sales.

As always, please let us know if we can assist you with anything, looking forward to meeting you at a future event!

One thought on “Unique Post-MBA Careers

  1. nice write up, actually enjoyed the mini questionnaire. am preparing to write the GMAT test against the 2016 fall Admission. I will apply to ROTMAN.

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