Stanford 2016 MBAs Have Banner Year for Employment
Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business recently recently revealed data that cemented 2016 as a banner year for recent MBA graduates when it comes to both employment and salaries, demonstrating how in-demand the talent and flexibility of its graduates are in the marketplace.
Organizations that scooped Stanford grads were by and large located in the realms of technology, which drew 33 percent of 2016 MBAs. The article notes that the tech trend is “consistent with trends in the economy and with opportunities for job growth” but that “tech” has become a nebulous and diverse classification for “organizations that impact both new and traditional industries.”
Senior associate dean for academic affairs Yossi Feinberg says this reality is quite fitting since Stanford graduates “care deeply about a job’s potential for impact within the organization and beyond.”
Stanford reports some other exciting figures that may offer insights into international MBA hiring trends:
- Roughly 95 percent of the MBA Class of 2016 landed a job within 120 days of graduation.
- Base salaries for the MBA Class of 2016 “topped last year’s record by 5 percent” at an average of $140,553.
- About 55 percent of students received signing bonuses.
- Approximately 15 percent of graduates “started a venture upon graduation.”
- The top two industries that lured ’16 entrepreneurs were Software (17 percent) and Internet Services (12 percent).
- Around 65 percent of graduates stayed in the U.S. West, with 14 percent landing careers in consulting; 11 percent in software and 9 percent in VC.
Even graduates who did not immediately begin applying for jobs near or after graduation found their footing, like Jeff Barnes, who earned his MBA/MS in environment and resources. Speaking with the school, Barnes recalled, “I took some time to find the role I’m in now, partly out of the strength of the job market, but also because I wanted to be sure of my decision. I took time to refine what I wanted and to determine how to present myself to employers.”
Barnes graduated in March of 2016, and by September he had connected with a former Stanford GSB guest speaker, lining him up with his new role int he sustainable transportation industry.
You can read the employment report and many other success stories via the Stanford Graduate School of Business website.
About the Author
Jonathan Pfeffer
Jonathan Pfeffer joined the Clear Admit and MetroMBA teams in 2015 after spending several years as an arts/culture writer, editor, and radio producer. In addition to his role as contributing writer at MetroMBA and contributing editor at Clear Admit, he is co-founder and lead producer of the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast. He holds a BA in Film/Video, Ethnomusicology, and Media Studies from Oberlin College.
