What career path should I pursue for my MBA?

Next week’s problem

I am starting my MBA full-time programme, but I am confused about what career I should pursue. I have worked as an attorney in law firms, a legal specialist in the IT industry and a contract manager in the construction industry.

I know tech is booming at the moment, but I don’t know if consultancy in this field will be beneficial for me in the future. What pathway should I adopt for my MBA? Female, 39

Jonathan’s answer

Welcome to the intense world of a full-time MBA, where you will be studying new subjects, working with a wide range of fellow students, and can attend numerous employer events. While some students do enter an MBA programme with a definite career path in mind, it is understandable that you are open to thinking about a number of destination careers.

One of the first questions that Rhoda Yap, global director of the Career Development Centre at top business school Insead, asks students is, “Why are you doing an MBA?” Yap says that this “profound introspective question” is a “non-negotiable” first step in career planning.

Perhaps you have the same motivators as the majority of respondents to the GMAC survey on applicants for graduate management education: 79 per cent cited “Enrich life and develop potential”. The second most popular option was “increasing pay”, selected by 64 per cent of respondents.

Before choosing which sector, ask yourself what role inspires you. Your experience to date points to a hands-on position of responsibility, dealing with contracts and the law in a range of industries.

Your activities probably made a tangible difference; as a consultant, you would forgo that role and be advising others what to do. Your status in the organisation would change: it may be insightful for you to talk to people in those roles now to understand whether it would suit you.

As well as answering why you want to take an MBA, your existing skills and experience could also influence your choices. While you have extensive practical, legal and contracting experience, Yap cautions that switching careers may bring an uncomfortable adjustment. “Will she be able to fit into the work environment for certain consulting firms where most of her peers will be in their 20s, and those in their late 30s to early 40s will be partners?” she asks.

You mention that “tech is booming,” but it is a mixed environment. While some tech companies, especially in AI, may be growing, others that boomed in the pandemic period are now retrenching. It would be useful to apply your desk research skills to this topic to identify subsectors and specific organisations that are growing, interest you, and would use your skills.

Your MBA and legal qualification, and contract experience, would suggest your preferred role could be as a general counsel or chief operating officer. On paper, your business strategy, operations, and organisation development, plus compliance skills, would be valued by many industries. To get a clear idea about how to make the most of them, refine your story and explore such roles with industries that you meet during your MBA.

Readers’ advice

What do you think will give you fulfilment? You have tried several different paths and you will be among the more mature of your peers in your graduating cohort from a full-time MBA. Rather than focus on applying into a sector which is “hot” in your mind, and about which you may know little, you need to think about how you can leverage your past experience, your existing networks and the learnings of the course. George Horsington

What is your passion? Passion is the key driver that will drive your forever in the area that you like best. AA Cheng

Try fintech; once a company transitions from start-up to scale-up, there is need for legal / accounting / HR skill sets, preferably combined with ability and willingness to do anything required to make various unrelated things happen. Probandi

Jonathan Black is director of the Careers Service at the University of Oxford. Every fortnight he answers your questions on personal and career development and working life. Do you have a question for him? Email: dear.jonathan@ft.com

The next question will be published on Wednesday November 1.