It’s no surprise that business students, both graduate and undergraduate, have begun to look for jobs outside the field of finance as a result of the global financial crisis. In a recent article, the New York Times profiled business students who have begun considering careers that they previously would not have explored. The decline in the number of finance jobs posted by on-campus recruiters has prompted some business students to expand their job search. For instance, the undergraduate students profiled have considered some atypical paths—teacher, working for a wine importer and opening a jazz club.
Undoubtedly, MBA students have likewise broadened their job searches. Hopefully, the financial crisis will be seen by MBA candidates as an opportunity to think more creatively about their careers and to fully explore their interests and options. For those who continue to pursue finance jobs, we second the sentiments of Patricia Rose, Director of Career Services at the University of Pennsylvania. To those students who have become discouraged and have suspended their job search, she says, “By not applying, you are rejecting yourself….You are attending one of the world’s finest universities. So hang in there, and most importantly, believe in yourself.”