What Does the Future Hold for MBA Candidates? ESSEC Q&A

After a difficult year, the MBA job market is finally bouncing back.

But what does the future hold for MBA candidates and business schools?

TopMBA caught up with Patti Brown, Director of the Global MBA at ESSEC Business School, to find out.

How has the job market changed this year from last year?

MBAs need to really bring their A-game and not miss out on any opportunity. We have been working hand in hand with our vast alumni network to make sure they get a foot in the door and shine in an interview. They need to be polished and poised at all times. 

What is the recruitment process like at ESSEC? Would you say it’s difficult to earn a place on the MBA program?

We have a small boutique cohort, so we look for people with not only potential but also a story. We want all of our participants to be in awe of the person sitting next to them. The first network opportunity on the MBA is the person sitting next to them.

What do you look for in ESSEC candidates?

Drive, empathy, a high EQ and cultural awareness.

How successful are ESSEC MBA graduates at landing a job after graduation? What is the success rate? And what are some of the notable companies?

When they look in the right places, they score! We switched the focus this year to Luxembourg and Holland – two countries that have a fairly easy visa process and where companies are hiring. Our young grads are going to Amazon in Luxembourg, working in cyber security in Amsterdam, one will be Country Director for a new poke bowl chain in France, and much more. The sky is the limit. The industries they are going into are as vast and varied as the nations they come from. We could not be prouder. 

Why should students choose to study an MBA at ESSEC?

Because everything we do is tailor-made, from the speakers we choose to talk to our students to the companies we visit on the field trip and the people we invite for our famous networking dinners. We spend a lot of time with each of our participants to find out what they are looking for and, if possible, make it happen. ESSEC is excellence in the student experience.

Recent GMAC figures show that MBA recruitment and salaries might boost again in 2021. How confident are you in the value of the MBA in the current job market? Do you expect to see more positive trends in the upcoming months, particularly regarding salaries and hiring?

It will bounce back. Some sectors will take longer but they will bounce back. I would advise young grads to look at markets that never fully slowed down, such as Luxembourg and Holland.