Here's Why MBA Grads Have Greatest Job Growth Potential in APAC Region

India produces so many MBA graduates every year, but do all of them get hired? In a competitive job market, students have a really hard time in landing jobs in international countries. Recruiters prefer to hire a person without an MBA degree gives them a business education? With companies lowering down hiring, business graduates really need to ramp up their game.

Echoing similar thoughts, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said in a recent interview with The Economic Times, “The culture here (India) is one of success based upon academic excellence, studying, learning, practicing and having a good job and a great life. That’s a lot like Singapore study, study, work hard and you get an MBA, you will have a Mercedes but where is the creativity? The creativity gets left out when your behaviour is too predictable and structured, everyone is similar.” Wozniak’s statements demeaned the Indian education system.

Demand for MBA’s in The APAC Market:

However, MBA graduates from APAC (Asia Pacific) don’t have to worry about their future.  A recent Corporate Recruiters Survey by The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), owner of the GMAT exam revealed that overall, hiring demand for recent business school graduates is strong. It also emphasizes that demand for MBA talent is strongest in the Asia Pacific, where 90 per cent of employers plan to make MBA hires in 2018. That’s the same share as last year, and a figure that puts the region as the most popular destination globally for MBA hires.

The report further shared that more than 4 in 5 responding employers (81 per cent) report plans to hire recent MBA graduates in 2018, despite slight declines in projected hiring among US and European employers compared to last year. 85 per cent of US and 64 per cent of European respondents said they plan to hire recent MBA graduates in 2018.

Going by the industry figures, the hiring demand is strongest among healthcare (93 per cent), technology (89per cent), and energy/utility companies (85per cent). Also, generalist and strategic roles are the most popular destinations for MBA hires in the APAC region. The 56 per cent and 57 per cent of companies respectively shared that’s where they would most likely place incoming graduates.

Internships on the Rise:

The role of Internship in any graduate’s life has arguably always been important. It continues to be an avenue to jobs for many business school graduates. The study stated that MBA internships are offered by most employers in Asia Pacific and the United States, while business master’s internships are offered by most employers in Europe.

The survey carried out in partnership with European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and the MBA Career Services and Employer Alliance (MBA CSEA), was conducted in February and March 2018 in association with career services offices at 96 participating graduate business schools worldwide. The analysis is based on responses from 1,066 employers in 42 countries.