The job market in 2008 may seem a bit difficult for graduates. Although most of the sub-prime mortgage troubles happened in the United States, many Asian operations took a wait-and-see attitude with regard to new hires.
In spite of the challenging market, 75% of HKUST full-time MBA graduates found jobs within three months following completion of their studies, reflecting that there is still a healthy demand for HKUST MBA graduates in the face of economic uncertainty.
Industry
Of the graduates reporting employment, 56% were hired by the finance sector. The vast majority of these work in investments-related positions such as equity research, fund management, investment analysis, etc. 12.5% of the graduates were hired into consulting companies; 12.5% joined industrial manufacturing, and 12.5% joined technology companies in planning and business development roles.
Career Changes
Nearly 60% of the employed embarked on a different career path - such as from engineering to finance (12%), or engineering to general management (8%) , or consumer to finance (6%). A number of graduates transitioned from professional services such as accounting/audit to investment advisory roles in asset management firms (12%). Strong transferable skills and commitment contributed to their successful transition.
Salaries
The average salary reported to the MBA Career Office was HK$570,688, or HK$47,557 per month. For many, this represented at least a doubling of their pre- MBA salary.
Nearly 70% are employed in Hong Kong, 15% on the Mainland and 15% in other countries (Europe, US, Japan, India).
The average Hong Kong salary of HK$596, 880 (HK$49,740 per month) is slightly higher than the class average, while the average salary for those working in Mainland China is RMB 434,113 (RMB 36,176 per month). The average annual salary of those employed in different countries outside our two main job markets was (equivalent) HK$586,700.
Internship
Internship hiring started earlier in the academic year than previous years. By May, 83% of the class had secured internships. With the exception of several students who interned in non-profit organizations, the average summer internship salary offered by industry was HK$21,772 (median HK$21,000).
Click here for the full report. http://mba.ust.hk/ftmba/files/employ_stat2008.pdf