What career opportunities are there after business school?
Professional integration after a Master in Management at a management school is particularly favourable. According to the Conférence des Grandes Écoles survey, nearly 81% of graduates find a job within two months of obtaining their degree.
Thanks to the specialisations offered in the Master cycle and the many professional experiences gained during their studies, graduates quickly move into positions of responsibility, whether in large companies, consulting firms or entrepreneurship.
Which sectors recruit the most?
The specialisations offered in the Master in Management give students access to a wide range of careers. Several sectors stand out in particular for their ability to recruit young graduates:
Consulting: nearly a quarter of graduates join consulting firms or companies specialising in strategy and transformation.
Banking and finance: around 14.8% of young graduates hold positions in finance, banking or insurance.
IT and information systems: 16.1% of graduates join companies linked to technology and IT services.
Digital services: digital and technology companies are recruiting more and more young talent.
Management and accounting: around 7% of graduates work in accounting, management or legal fields.
Other sectors also recruit, notably retail, industry and audiovisual.
What careers do business school graduates pursue?
Within companies, business school graduates hold a variety of roles. Five main areas account for nearly 75% of recruitment:
Business development: business developers, sales managers and sales project managers account for a significant share of hires (17.5%).
Consulting and expertise: consulting firms regularly recruit young graduates for analysis and strategy assignments.
Corporate finance: management controllers, financial analysts and accountants are among the most sought-after roles.
Marketing and digital: companies are looking for profiles capable of leading marketing, digital and data strategies.
Human resources: careers in recruitment, talent management and HR development remain very much in demand.
In addition, data careers are growing rapidly and attracting more and more graduates.
What opportunities are there internationally?
Programmes taught in English and university partnerships allow students to gain genuine international experience.
Today, 16% of young graduates work abroad. Most of them work in Europe, notably in Germany and Luxembourg. Outside Europe, the most common destinations are the United Kingdom, Switzerland and China.
International roles often involve finance, import-export or certain specialised sectors such as luxury or construction. Salaries offered abroad are generally higher than in France.
Entrepreneurship: an increasingly popular path
Entrepreneurship is also attracting a growing number of students. Around 5.7% of business school graduates start or take over a company during their studies or on graduating.
Management schools encourage these initiatives through:
startup incubators
research chairs dedicated to innovation
specialised entrepreneurship programmes
Many startups are thus created directly by students or young graduates.
How do companies recruit graduates?
Professional experience plays an essential role in entering the workforce. This is why management schools place strong emphasis on work-study and long-term internships.
The result: more than a third of students are recruited by the company where they completed their internship or work-study placement.
Hiring conditions are particularly favourable:
85% of graduates are hired on permanent contracts (CDI)
the majority obtain managerial status
the average annual salary reaches €38,146 gross, excluding bonuses
Companies therefore favour young graduates with one to two years of professional experience gained during their studies.
Source: CGE Graduate Employment Survey 2022
Possible careers in finance after business school
Administrative and Finance Director