You’re an MBA… Now What?

You’re an MBA… Now What?

Recently, I received a note from an MBA asking about opportunities in the entertainment industry.  MBAs are everywhere!  Believe it or not, I’m an MBA with an emphasis in HR and Management.  MBAs provide great business, ‘big-picture’ perspective to any field within any industry.  So, back to the original question – where do MBA’s typically land in The Industry?

The traditional opportunities tend to be in Strategic Planning/Business Development, Finance, Marketing (in Consumer Products divisions), etc.  If you’re looking for more untraditional direction, like Development or Theatrical Marketing (think more like advertising), and you do not have experience in that area, the truth is, you will most probably start in an entry level position.

When I received my MBA, a great piece of advice I came by was to not let my MBA lead me… not let it be my calling card… but let it be a strong foundation to help build my career faster.  An MBA in HR is not a traditional degree… I started as an Assistant in HR and let my broad business acumen carry me and support me up the ladder… I did not (and never have) had the words MBA follow my name at the top of my resume.

Now… you have every right to be proud!  It’s quite an accomplishment – however, unfortunately, there is still a stereotype out there that MBA’s have unrealistic expectations (job level, salary, etc.) when it comes to the entertainment industry – especially in untraditional areas.

The sky is the limit for an MBA in entertainment, just be prepared to start at the bottom (without any experience) and don’t use your fabulous degree as a means of introduction, use it as your wildcard to set you apart from your peers.

Comments

[Travis]

Please help.

I am 2 subjects from completing my MBA at a very good university.
Problem is, I have been at my current position for 14 years and I have no other degree.
With 100's of job applications and 3 interviews I don't know what I am doing wrong.
Please any advice would be great.