We know that job opportunities are the most important factor for candidates when choosing their education. It is important for us to develop and offer programmes that make our graduates relevant for future job markets. As one of Europe’s leading business schools, we have strong ties to the business community, and we base our teaching practices on relevant and up-to-date research.
“Both the private and public sectors seek candidates who are able to see the big picture, and understand issue complexity. Our master programmes educate graduates who are able to be both generalists and specialists. This makes them good problem solvers” says Inge Jan Henjesand, president of BI Norwegian Business School.
Positive trends
Considering all graduates, there is a 3.7% increase in the employment figures compared to last year. Larger increases are observed for MSc in Business graduates (5.4%), and this year’s figures are especially inspiring for our international graduates (7.5%).
“The figures from the job market survey really show the value of a diploma from BI” says Henjesand.
(Employment figures six months after graduation)
Smart to apply early, and have a part-time job while studying
As many as 73.2% of our master’s students got a job before graduation. The survey also reveals that students who apply before completing their studies, have a higher employment rate within six months (91.7%), than those who started their job search after graduation.
Of the master’s students who had a part-time job during their studies, 91.6% were employed six months after graduation. The probability of being employed for those who find part-time work, is almost 3 times higher than those who don’t.
Popular industries and sectors
The job market survey shows that master's students are attractive in many different sectors and industries. 16.7% of students find jobs in banking, finance or insurance, another 16.7% in IT, technology and telecom, and 15.2% in auditing or consulting. The figures are similar for our international graduates. Most of our master's students are working in the private sector (89,2%), but we also see a doubling of students who get employed in the public sector from last year.
What graduates are looking for in a job
The survey clearly shows that graduates consider the potential for personal and professional development as a very important factor when choosing a position. They also seek a position with interesting tasks and a good working environment. 87% of the respondents who are employed six months after graduation are satisfied with their jobs, and 95% are positive about their future career opportunities. Nearly 95% of respondents are positive about the future of their own career.
“Society and work life have changed a lot in recent years, and in today’s job market, basic knowledge and long experience are no longer enough. All employees must actively acquire new knowledge throughout their professional careers in order to meet new demands and expectations in the workplace” president Henjesand concludes.
Equal opportunity
The results from the survey also show whether our graduates have equal opportunities in the job market, considering factors such as gender and nationality. Overall, we see no significant difference in employment status when looking at these factors, nor when we look at salaries. All in all, the figures for 2019 look promising for our future graduates.
Facts about BI’s job market survey:
- 3458 students received the survey
- The response rate was 27.8%, corresponding to 961 individuals
- The survey was carried out between 11th January and 8th February 2019