Step-by-Step Guide to Landing Your Dream Job in Business

There are so many job opportunities for business school graduates, but not everyone finds their dream job straight out of university. To do that, you need to prepare early.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll guide you through exactly what needs to happen before, during, and after your business school degree for you to land your dream job, from researching job types to connecting with business schools.

We'll also cover key tools that can help launch your career, including the Graduate Management Admission Council's (GMAC) GradSelect service, which allows you to explore business programs at over 500 top-ranked schools, receive direct information about scholarships and financial aid, and see which schools are tailored to your career interests.

Here are seven steps to landing your dream job in business.

Seven Steps to Landing Your Dream Job in Business

Step One: Explore the types of careers that might suit you

If you want to start a business career or switch industries, start by researching possible career pathways and coming up with a list of potential sectors you're interested in.
There are many different sectors within business, each requiring different knowledge and skills. Some of the most popular include:

• Management
• Consulting
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Marketing
• Sales
• Product
• IT
• Strategy
• Technology

If you’re still unsure which of these areas you’d most like to work in, think about what you’re naturally good at.

Have you always been good with numbers? Then you might make a great finance manager, data analyst, or accountant. Do you like talking to people and solving problems? HR could be a good fit. If you like to see the big picture and plan ahead, then a general management or strategy role might suit you.

Salary is undoubtedly a concern for business students, especially if you’re considering studying a more expensive degree like the MBA program – the average cost of a top global MBA program is $189,000, according to the 2022 BusinessBecause Cost of MBA Report. So, you might look at the highest-paying business jobs, which include consulting, technology, and finance.

Step Two: Consider upskilling

Studying for an MBA program or Business Master’s degree allows you to upskill, learning new hard and soft skills that will easily prepare you for your dream job.

Hard skills are the technical capabilities that will help you perform in your future role. The hard skills you gain in your business degree will depend upon your chosen study focus, such as a Master of Finance or Master in Management.

An MBA program is known for giving students a more comprehensive range of hard skills, from sales to management to marketing and more.

Soft skills are naturally a part of every graduate business degree. These are personal skills that aren’t related to one job in particular but apply to every role in business. Soft skills include:

• Communication
• Leadership
• Giving presentations
• Problem-solving
• Decision-making
• Teamwork
• Emotional intelligence
• Negotiation

Soft skills are the key to landing your dream job after university, as they are all highly sought-after by employers.

Step Three: Research your best-fit program

There are many different types of graduate business programs. Part of landing your dream business job is choosing the right program based on your current skills, the knowledge you wish to acquire, and other preferences like budget and location.

According to the most recent data from GMAC’s Prospective Students Survey 2023, the most popular business degree for prospective business students is the one-year MBA program; 22% of students say they wish to study this program type. However, the two-year MBA program has long been a favorite, with 20% of students saying they wish to study this traditional degree.

The MBA typically attracts students with more work experience who want to transition to a different area of business or a different seniority level. A Master’s program is often a better option for students in the early stages of their careers who want a specialized program that matches their industry goals.

However, you should choose a program based on your specific needs and experience – not what other people have studied. GMAC’s GradSelect service can help with this by connecting you with global business schools that match your interests and goals.

As you research the best program for you, take note of the MBA admission process as there are several different steps of MBA application. Different programs – and different countries – will have different requirements.

In general, during MBA admissions you’ll be expected to submit:

• A completed MBA application form
• An MBA application essay or cover letter
• Undergraduate transcripts
• CV
• Recommendation letter(s)
• Application fee

Most top-ranked business schools will also ask for a GMAT score or equivalent test result. The GMAT exam is a globally-recognized entrance exam that tests critical thinking and reasoning, giving b-schools a better indication of your readiness for graduate business study.

If you’re applying to a highly-competitive top MBA or business program, the GMAT is your chance to gain an edge over other applicants and prove that you should be offered a place on the program.

For more information about the GMAT exam and applying to business school, download the BusinessBecause MBA Application Guide 2022-23.

Step Four: Register for GradSelect

GradSelect can help relieve some of the stress of applying to business school by matching you with the best-fit business schools according to your background and interests.

More than 500 international business schools, including top-ranked institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and London Business School, have access to the GradSelect database. By signing up and answering a few simple questions, you can put yourself on their radar.

However, the service can also help you explore b-school options outside the typical rankings, if you have a specific program, location, or business school in mind. GradSelect can match you to programs and schools based on your background, increasing the chances of finding a school that is perfect for you.

Step Five: Ace your b-school application

Now you’ve found the perfect fit business school, it’s time to complete your business school or MBA application.

We’ve already outlined the key documents you’ll need for this step. Remember, no document is more important than any other – from your GMAT score to your essay answers, they all paint a picture of who you are as a candidate.

To ace your Master's or MBA application, you need to start early and take your time. Research the minimum GMAT score you’ll need to get in, take your time studying for your exam, and learn about what your chosen business school values in candidates.

When it comes to your resume, focus on the impact of your achievements, using metrics to quantify your impact.

Finally, in your personal essay, try to show who you are as a person and a business school candidate. Demonstrate what you’ll personally bring to the classroom and how you’ll enrich the cohort. 

Step Six: Make the most of b-school opportunities

Preparing for your future career starts on the first day of business school. With this in mind, take advantage of all available opportunities, including networking events and student clubs.
Many business programs also include practical learning opportunities where you can apply your skills to real-life business problems. These experiential learning projects may take place on campus, in the local area, or internationally.

Regardless, they’re all an opportunity for you to learn more widely, develop your team working skills, and learn about what might be required of you in a real business role. So, make the most of them.

Step Seven: Graduate and land your dream career

So, you’ve graduated from your first-choice program, broadened your network, learned new skills, and found ways to practice your skills first-hand. With all that work, you’ve put yourself in a great position to land your dream job straight out of business school – or even before.

Last year, 86% of graduate business students had already landed a job before graduating, more than the previous year. As a business school grad, you’ll also likely experience a huge salary boost after graduating.

Salary uplifts are likely to be more with an MBA program than a Master’s degree because of the required work experience for the program. In this case, some graduates can see up to 200% salary uplifts after graduating. The average salary uplift at Yale School of Management in the US is 139%, while at CEIBS in China, it’s 153%.

Within Master’s of Management programs, students are also likely to see gains. At Warwick Business School, students typically see a 95% increase after graduating; at HEC Paris, it’s 77%.

So, there you have it – seven steps you can take towards your dream business job. Remember, if you want the best chance at finding the perfect business school and program, sign up to GradSelect for free and start discovering the best options for you.