Skills for Success Analysis of Graduate Business School Alumni

1. Skills for Success Analysis of Graduate Business School Alumni Sabeen Sheikh Manager, Survey Research Graduate Management Admission Council®

2. Table of Contents • Gap Analysis of Skills: Value vs. Satisfaction • Value of Skills for Current Job • Satisfaction With Skills Learned in B-School • Alumni Industries of Employment • Skill Assessment Rankings, by Industry • Alumni Job Level Analysis • Alumni Job Levels, by Industry • Top 5 Most Valued Skills, by Job Level • Alumni Job Classification Analysis • Top 5 Most Valued Skills, by Job Classification

3. Gap Analysis: Value vs. SatisfactionThe eight business skills that graduate management alumni rated as highly valuable to their current job performance were also the same areas in which alumni indicated the greatest levels of satisfaction with their business school education. Knowledge of general business functions Managing strategies and innovation Managing decision making processes Generative thinking Interpersonal skills Managing the task environment Knowledge of human behavior and society Foundation skills Managing administrative activities Managing human capital Knowledge of technology, design and production Managing tools & technology

4. Value of Skills for Current Job Interpersonal skills, the ability to manage the decision-making process, and generative thinking were the skills alumni ranked most valuable in the performance of their current job. (Percentage Extremely Valuable/Very Valuable)

5. Satisfaction With Skills Learned in B-School Knowledge of general business functions and managing strategies and innovation were areas where alumni indicated the greatest levels of satisfaction with their business school education. (Percentage Extremely Satisfied/Very Satisfied)

6. Alumni Industries of EmploymentThree market or industry sectors accounted for 53% of alumni employment. Slightly more than a fifth of alumni indicated they work in the finance/accounting sectors, followed by 17% in products/services, and 15% in consulting.

7. Skill Assessment Rankings, by Industry: Finance & AccountingAlumni employed in the finance and accounting industries indicated that interpersonal skills contributed the greatest value to their job performance, followed by generative thinking skills and ability to manage decision-making processes. They were most satisfied that their education prepared them to manage strategies and innovation and contributed to their knowledge of general business functions.

8. Skill Assessment Rankings, by Industry: Products & ServicesAlumni in the products and services industry rated interpersonal skills as the most valuable skill related to performance of their jobs. One-third of these alumni expressed the greatest satisfaction with the skills and knowledge they gained of general business functions through their graduate management education.

9. Skill Assessment Rankings, by Industry: ConsultingSimilar to alumni working in products and services industries, alumni working in consulting fields ranked interpersonal skills as the most valuable skill affecting job performance. Similar to the finance and accounting field, they also ranked managing decision making processes and generative thinking as extremely valuable job skills. Alumni in consulting fields were most satisfied that their graduate management education developed their skills in managing strategies and innovation and their knowledge of general business functions

10. Skill Assessment Rankings by Industry:TechnologyAlumni in various industries, including technology, rank interpersonal skills as the most valuable skill for job performance. Alumni in technology fields were extremely satisfied their education provided knowledge of general business functions. Although they also rated managing the decision-making process as a highly valuable job skill, they derived more satisfaction from other components of their graduate management education.

11. Skill Assessment Rankings by Industry: Health Care/PharmaceuticalsInterpersonal skills were the most valuable skills used on the job by alumni in the health care industry. Alumni were most satisfied that their graduate management education prepared them to manage strategies and innovation. Skills that prove most valuable to these alumni on the job, however, do not closely parallel the skills and knowledge areas in which they were most satisfied during their graduate management education.

12. Skill Assessment Rankings, by Industry: ManufacturingInterpersonal skills were rated as the most valuable on-the-job skills according to alumni employed in the manufacturing industry. These alumni indicated they were most satisfied with the knowledge of general business functions they acquired during their education, even though this business area was not among the top five skills these alumni considered most valuable to their current job.

13. Skill Assessment Rankings by Industry: Nonprofit/GovernmentInterpersonal skills were rated as the most valuable job skills according to alumni employed in the nonprofit/government sectors of the economy. These alumni indicated they were most satisfied with the knowledge of general business functions they acquired during their education. This area of general business knowledge, however, was not among the top five skills these alumni considered most valuable to their current job.

14. Skill Assessment Rankings, by Industry: Energy/UtilitiesInterpersonal skills are the most valuable job skills for many alumni in various industries, including energy/utilities. Similar to other industries, these alumni were extremely satisfied their education provided knowledge of general business functions. Managing the decision-making process was also ranked a top job skill, yet this knowledge area was not ranked among the most satisfying components of graduate management education for these alumni.

15. Alumni Job Level AnalysisThe majority of alumni worked in mid-level positions and more than a quarter held senior-level positions.

16. Alumni Job Levels by IndustryA majority of alumni reported being employed in mid-level career positions. Across all industries, about a quarter of alumni indicated being employed at a senior level.

17. Top 5 Most Valued Skills, by Job LevelFor alumni working in entry-level or mid-level jobs, interpersonal skills contributed the most value to job performance. Alumni employed in senior- and executive-level positions placed the most value on the ability to manage the decision-making process.

18. Alumni Job Classification AnalysisMost alumni classified their current positions as managerial or professional.

19. Top 5 Most Valued Skills, by Job Classification Based on alumni job classifications, the skills most valuable for current job performance varied across the board; however, managing decision-making processes ranked first or second. Interpersonal skills were the next most highly valued skill across all job classifications.