At Menlo Coaching, we respect Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business for aiming to admit students who are intelligent, collaborative, and above all, decent human beings.
Menlo Coaching’s founding partner David White sat down with Duke Fuqua’s Associate Dean for Admissions Shari Hubert to discuss the Fuqua School of Business in detail. In this part of the interview, Shari gives insight on the latest Fuqua employment report, and sheds light on the question “Why a Fuqua MBA?” She and David discuss what students can expect to gain professionally from their Fuqua MBA.
This video includes:
You can watch more from David and Shari, with videos covering The Fuqua Decency Quotient, Your Fit with the Fuqua MBA Program, and Opportunities for International MBA Students at Duke Fuqua.
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Duke Fuqua places their MBA students in a number of industries and roles across the globe. As mentioned in the interview, Fuqua’s MBA recruiting profile may be underestimated; the b-school has much to be proud of, both in terms of job placement by industry, as well as as placing students in several regions.
There are a large number of top companies that recruit at Duke Fuqua, and the strength of the MBA employment portfolio at the university may not be praised enough. For instance, the program’s recent employment statistics reported a whopping 20% placement at the top three consulting firms, McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. In comparison, some top five MBA programs place only 13% of their graduating class at these firms.
In spite of Duke Fuqua’s strong 32% placement record in consulting, the MBA program is also well-rounded and places students across a wide range of industries. Fuqua’s focus on the technology sector has also been increasing over the past few years. Not only have they instituted the MSTeM program (Management Science and Technology Management), but also in recent years their job placement rate of 28% into the tech industry is now much larger than their 16% placement rate into the financial services sector. Duke Fuqua’s emphasis on technology is also evident from the kinds of roles graduates are choosing to go into. Even those students who go into a more traditional business industry, like marketing, do so in tech-based roles.
There may be a misconception that students must aim to find employment where they get their MBA education. This is definitely not the case for Fuqua, where MBA graduates go off to work in various locations both in the US and globally.
In terms of geographic location, 30% of Fuqua MBA graduates go on to work at companies in the West Coast. Most of this percentage is made of students who find work in the tech industry in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle. An additional 30% in recent years found work at companies in the North East and Mid Atlantic regions, and 10% of Fuqua MBA students are actually based abroad.
Fuqua believes that connection to as many communities as possible is of utmost importance in order for students to get the job they want. Being in Durham allows for the access and travel opportunity that any major city affords; not only are there direct flights from Durham to major metropolitan hubs, there is also a presence of Fuqua career officers and alumni around the world.
Students in Fuqua’s MBA program can benefit from the school’s concentrated efforts in on-campus recruiting in their job search process. Through the MBA’s Week-in-Cities program, students can explore and get acquainted with companies at the various trek locations. Regardless of the size of the company, Fuqua is keen on matching students with the job they’re seeking, even if it is connecting with a smaller firm within a niche industry.
While Fuqua’s MBA program has an excellent job placement record, the business school’s focus is not solely on ensuring that you get the best possible job right after your MBA. At Fuqua, you will be equipped with the skills to perform an informed job search at any point in your career by conducting a “networked job search”.
The benefits of a networked job search are plenty:
Shari mentions having had this benefit as well. She recalls how she discovered two career opportunities through alumni, who approached her without prompting.
The career center at Fuqua houses over 30 professionals and seven sector directors who are available to help students through their career development and job search journeys. The center provides to help students in their job search by providing tools such as interview training and creating job opportunities within their company of interest.
Career coaches are on call from 9 am to 4:30 pm. During these walk-in hours, students can find someone to answer any small or last-minute questions without making an appointment. There are also on-going benefits to being a part of Team Fuqua. Once you enroll in Fuqua’s MBA program, you will have life-long access to the center, and you can enjoy the career coaching and development opportunities even as an alumnus.
Moreover, Duke Fuqua has 70 Career Fellows who assist in the career development process. These Career Fellows are second year MBA students and alumni who work with first years to help them through their job search. You can also get support and feedback when applying to jobs through resume and cover letter checks and mock interviews.
