According to a recent GMAC survey that included recruiters from Fortune 500 companies, Master in Management graduates were the most in-demand of all business school graduating applicants in 2023—with 27% of employers projecting an increase in the recruitment of MiM grads in 2024. 
This is especially the case in areas like consulting and management. In leading firms such as L’Oreal, KPMG, and EY, many roles are now filled by MiM grads.
To find out more about how this generalist degree prepares students for top jobs, BusinessBecause spoke to Massimo Spagnuolo (pictured right), associate director of recruitment for pre-experience programs at Europe’s number one business school, .
Here are three ways he feels a Master in Management helps students land high paying jobs.
1. Students are encouraged to develop their business instincts
Having a ton of real-world work experience isn’t a requirement for most Master in Management programs—including the two-year degree offered by HEC Paris, which is designed for students with less than three years’ experience. Instead, the key qualities that admissions boards search for are a combination of academic excellence, strong motivation, competitive management test scores, internships, extra-curricular involvement, and cross-cultural sensitivity.
“We’re looking for students that are very ambitious, who are motivated,” Massimo Spagnuolo says.
Many Master in Management programs cover core subjects such as management, data science, company law, and organizational behavior, providing students with a solid grounding in key business concepts—regardless of past experience.
At HEC Paris, students are able to further specialize by picking electives in subject areas such as sustainability, culture and media, and entrepreneurship. In their second year, they can also choose specialist tracks like Strategic Management, International Finance, and Marketing, which enable them to develop key skills in the area of their choice.
The HEC Paris MiM is a demanding program that challenges students to push their limits. Massimo adds, “The entrepreneurial mindset is something that we cultivate a lot on campus.”
MiM students are encouraged to take part in HEC Paris’ entrepreneurship programs. In some cases, students can even receive one-on-one mentoring at Station F, the world’s largest and most renowned start-up campus, benefiting from unparalleled support from coaches, alumni, investors, and professors
While starting their own business isn’t on the cards for everyone, the independent and creative thinking developed through undertaking such projects is a valuable asset when attempting to impress top companies.
2. Students learn how to connect and collaborate
There’s a lot of truth to the saying: it’s not what you know but who you know.
In many cases, studying a Master in Management gives you access to a school’s societies, clubs, extracurriculars and networking events, all of which can set you up for future career opportunities.
For example, at HEC Paris, students can participate in over 130 different clubs and associations. These range from everything including tennis to arts to even an HEC fight club.
“One of the main things that we recommend to students is to make sure that they use all the resources that they have at hand and that includes networking with other students,” Massimo explains. “It all starts the first week on campus, when they meet other students and join associations.”
Joining an industry-focused club—such as HEC Paris’ consulting club—can be a particularly effective way to make valuable career connections, as they will often organize networking events such as industry speaker sessions and company visits.
“If they [students] can stay active in those associations, it makes it a lot easier for them to make friends and even potential future business partners,” explains Massimo.
The benefits extend even into life after leaving campus: graduates are able to join a school’s alumni network, which can broaden their career opportunities. For example, HEC Paris boasts an extensive 80,000 strong alumni network, situated across the globe and occupying positions in a wide range of industry-leading companies.
3. Students can access top career services
On top of the core skills that students develop during a MiM, they are also able to take advantage of internship programs and careers services, which greatly increase their chances of getting hired by top companies.
At HEC Paris, there are several programs in place to help students maximize their employability.
In their first year, MiM candidates can take part in a career skills passport program, which includes workshops on everything from job interviews to networking.
“This is designed to help students focus on the essentials, like rewriting an impactful resume or acing their interviews,” Massimo explains.
Beyond that, however, students are also able to avail themselves of one-to-one career coaching, which can be instrumental in helping them land internships and even jobs post-graduation.
The skillset that a Master in Management instills in students means they are particularly well-prepared to both land and excel across roles in consulting, management, and sales. Just some of the exciting positions HEC Paris MiM graduates have found themselves in include becoming a marketing manager for Facebook, consulting for BCG, and working as a strategy manager for Estee Lauder.
Pursuing a Master in Management is not only a personally enriching experience, it can also help land you top jobs across a wide range of industries.
