What Can You Do With an MBA Degree? Career Paths and Opportunities

When it comes to choosing a graduate degree, there’s no shortage of choices. But an MBA stands out for its versatility. It teaches you the fundamentals needed in all types of roles, from finance to marketing. You’ll find MBAs working in every industry, including healthcare, tech, and manufacturing. That’s because the curriculum of an MBA program teaches students about leadership, communication, and strategic thinking.

So can an MBA get you a job? The short answer: yes. Read on to explore the many ways you can utilize an MBA degree in your professional life.

The beauty of an MBA degree is its flexibility. Graduates will find no shortage of things to do with their MBA. Here are a few of the many career paths MBA students follow after graduation.

Does running the daily operations of a business intrigue you? As an executive or manager, you’ll drive your team to accomplish the company’s goals. You’re the face of your department or the entire company, and your leadership guides your staff to complete its tasks. With an MBA, you learn effective communication and supervisory skills, which will serve you in any management role, including C-suite roles like chief operations officer or chief information officer.

Perhaps you prefer a constantly changing array of projects to work on. A career as a consultant gives you exactly that. You can act in an advisory role for businesses that need assistance in specific areas. Some consultants work for large firms, but you may also offer your services in a self-employment capacity.¹

Do you find yourself drawn to the ups and downs of the stock market? Or maybe you’re a budding cost-cutting professional who’s eager to revamp a business’s processes. A career in investment banking or corporate finance might be right up your alley. Earning your MBA can open the door to an opportunity that aligns with your interests and leads up the corporate ladder to chief financial officer.

Companies rely on their own marketing managers and sales teams to reach new customers and develop a clear-cut product strategy. In your role as a marketing professional, you can use your MBA education to launch effective offline and digital marketing campaigns. Your business acumen may help you succeed as a brand manager, project manager, sales director, or chief marketing officer.

If you're planning to start your own business, an MBA program will teach aspiring entrepreneurs like you the business fundamentals you need to start or scale your own company. You’ll learn to read financial statements, forecast expenses and market trends, and to plan effective marketing campaigns.

Your MBA career path isn’t limited to traditional business roles. These are some of the positions MBA graduates fill in specialized industries.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities rely on MBA graduates to run their operations. While you won’t be treating patients, your skills in business administration will help the facility run efficiently. You can use your MBA knowledge to optimize processes, manage staff, or act as a consultant for healthcare centers.²

Tech companies rely on their software and hardware engineers to create and maintain their products. But they trust MBA graduates to oversee their product management and deployment. Your analytical skills may also open the door to a role as an IT consultant.

Is there a cause you hold dear to your heart? Use your MBA to make a difference at a nonprofit agency or some other social enterprise. You could work in nearly any role, from financial management to human resources, to donor outreach.

Propelling your career to the next level starts with an MBA. Your program will give you the tools you need to develop your leadership skills. You’ll learn what it takes to manage a team and inspire it to do its best work. You’ll also look at real-world business problems through case studies. This experience will help solidify the strategic thinking that leadership positions require.

An MBA program will enable you to meet other business professionals and form industry connections. Your new relationships may lead to job opportunities and business partnerships. It can also expose you to fresh ideas outside your normal circle.

Since the MBA touches on finance, marketing, operations, and economics, it’s useful in any business discipline. Instead of concentrating on one subject, you gain knowledge and management skills in multiple areas.

An MBA can inspire you in different ways. You’ll gain confidence as you learn about various areas of business, which helps when it comes time to lead a team or propose new ideas.

Your degree also comes with increased earning potential. Businesses want to hire the best and brightest, and your MBA demonstrates your expertise. You may find it easier to qualify for senior positions that command a higher salary.³

In a quickly changing job market, an MBA offers career stability. Every business needs leaders, and you can easily transition to different disciplines with your educational background and the professional network you can build in your program.

MBA programs can take several years to complete, and you can finish the William & Mary Online MBA in as few as two years. If you work, plan on spending much of your off time on your courses and projects. You’ll also incur monetary expenses for tuition and study materials, although many employers offer tuition reimbursement programs as part of their benefit packages.

If you’re willing to make the commitment, your investment should pay off over the long term in the form of improved career prospects and greater flexibility. That can make a positive difference in your professional life after graduation.

There’s no limit to what an MBA degree can do for you. Its versatility fits nearly any field, from marketing to supply chain management and hospital administration to economics. You’ll gain the strategic thinking and communication skills necessary to be an effective manager, chief executive officer, or business owner.

The Online MBA program at William & Mary's Raymond A. Mason School of Business offers everything aspiring leaders need to succeed: a world-class faculty and in-depth courses. Since the classes occur online, there’s no need for frequent on-site campus visits. That’s a major plus for students who work full-time or have other responsibilities.

Learn more about William & Mary’s Online MBA program admissions and contact an admissions outreach advisor to start the exciting next phase of your career today.