Energy Sector a Top Option with Highly Mobile MBA Graduates

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar land, Texas)--The energy utilities sector scores as one of the most attractive options when MBA students at top European, U.S. and Asian schools consider career choices. In the eighth annual Corporation Reputation Watch from Hill & Knowlton (H&K), energy was grouped with banking and finance and IT as preferred prospects while industries such as alcohol, chemicals and tobacco deterred interest in more than 50% of the graduates (chemicals scraped in with a 48% deterrent factor).

Prospects of working in the currently booming, emerging markets of Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia are discouraging to the top talent with Western Europe (78%), North America (76%) North Asia (30%) and Australia (23%) topping the list of preferences. The reports says that while the emerging markets have their economic pitch right, in many cases they fail to communicate effectively with the very talent that can help those markets move to the next level.

The reputation of a company is important in attracting talent with 73% of the students in the study stating that corporate reputation plays a key role in considering where to work after completing the MBA. Only 4% said it was not important. The international mobility of students after graduation presents a lively picture: 76% said that they are looking to change either industries or firms after graduation; 19% said that they would return to the firm they worked for prior to their MBA; 20% wanted to move to another country after graduating; and 25% are studying outside their home countries and plan to stay there. These responses key in with the regions that are attracting talent.

Publicly traded companies are the most attractive prospect for graduates (61%) followed by venture capital or private equity funded companies (52%). Family owned companies scored 24%, but 32% lacked interest. Government companies drew 23%, but 46% were not interested. Overall the quality of management topped the list of factors driving corporate reputation and quality of products and services scored 88%. Global reach, social responsibility (58%) and use of corporate assets (40%) received the lowest ratings.

The H&K report said that factors driving MBA career choice split broadly into three tiers. The top tier (84/95%) is about the people and the position, in the second tier (73/75%) are some basic issues about performance, and the third tier (34/58%) covers the messages the company communicates about its ethics and social and environmental responsibility - its broader band and values agenda.

H&K Chairman and CEO Paul Taaffe said: "The best talent, like the most attractive real estate, will always be in scarce supply. The future winners in the corporate world will be the ones who are the quickest to recognize this and take action to enhance and protect reputation. These top MBAs see career risk on reputationally challenged companies."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading marketing information services company for the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy-related markets throughout the world. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, IIR provides accurate and timely intelligence featuring plant and project information databases, focused market databases, industry forecasting, key industry contacts, industry and territorial map products, direct marketing services and applications, and daily industry news.