An MBA (Master of Business Administration) jobs boom is forecast in 2022 say career experts, due to skills shortages and an unpredictable business landscape, making MBA grads more appealing to employers. Although MBA demand slumped at the start of the pandemic, it has been increasing ever since, with hiring and salaries having reverted to pre-coronavirus crisis levels in 2021. According to head of career and personal development at Nyenrode Business University, Willem van Donge: “Business models have changed drastically for most companies. These kinds of dynamics make demand for MBA grads stronger.”

2022’s key MBA hiring trends

The technology industry has been the standout success story of the pandemic. Tech firms have enjoyed consistent growth, bolstered by a shift to working from home. Indeed, Apple became the first company to be valued over $3 trillion recently, with Microsoft set to follow suit this year. The biggest recruiters of MBAs and the most appealing to MBA graduates are big tech firms. Hiring has risen year-on-year during the pandemic. In 2019, 80% of tech firms announced plans to recruit MBAs, whereas last year that figure rose to 96%. This trend will likely continue in 2022, according to senior director of the Graduate Career Management Center at the UCSD Rady School of Management, Mitchell Kam who forecasts e-commerce will play a crucial role in fuelling MBA jobs: “There’s an increase in demand for candidates with skills in analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI),” he said. 

Influence of technology across sectors

The impact of technology is also prevalent in other industries. Organisations in the majority of sectors have had to adapt their business models and boost their digitalisation during the pandemic, which has, in turn, increased job opportunities for MBAs with digital skills. This will continue this year, says Chris Garnett, head of postgraduate careers and employability at Alliance Manchester Business School, fuelling recruitment in areas such as technology consulting. “Where these two areas crossover in technology consulting there is a real skills gap and lots of opportunities. There’s a wider need for organisations to acquire digital knowledge and a strategic mindset, either by recruiting directly or by bringing in external consultants,” he said.