Technology companies whose businesses grew during the pandemic – such as Amazon. com Inc. and Zoom Video Communications Inc. – attract more of the MBA talents entering the labor market, helping to offset the withdrawals by industries more affected by the Covid-19 economy.
Openings for technology jobs have risen to 57 percent of full-time master’s programs in business administration last fall, according to a survey of nearly 100 schools by the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance. Overall, however, it was a poor recruitment season for business schools, the survey found, with nearly half reporting a general decline in opportunities for students.
Sectors most affected by the pandemic, such as retail and energy, have withdrawn their MBA recruitment, according to the report. This is especially the case for companies in the hotel industry, which 61% of business schools said have reduced employment opportunities.
Nearly half of schools have also reported a decline in recruitment from consulting firms – traditionally some of the largest employers of MBA graduates each year. Several of these companies, including PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Bain & Co., said last year that they plan to hire fewer second-year MBA candidates than those who have been admitted to the summer.
Some of the largest recruiters were technology companies whose businesses grew during the coronavirus crisis, including Amazon, Zoom and Netflix Inc., said Megan Hendricks, executive director of the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance. Amazon plans to recruit more than 1,000 MBA students for full-time jobs and internships this year, a company spokeswoman said, while Zoom said it plans to hire more MBA graduates as part of a new global emerging talent program. Netflix has no comments yet.