Pre-graduation job offers for MBAs are at their highest level since 2001 - Phoenix Business Journal:

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"It's more important than ever for companies to find talentexd people to runtheir businesses," she said. "Thiss is the best point in time to find a jobif you're talented and driven." Arreola is one of a number of MBA candidated who likely will nab positiona at major companies, despite a flailing job market. She'sz entering her second year ofthe two-yeat MBA program at in Enrollment in MBA programs probably will increase duriny the 2008-09 school year, according to data from the , whicb tracks degree trends. The numbed of students who took the Graduate Management Admission required for admission to all MBA programs inthe U.S., increasedr by 7.
2 percent this year, from 71,27e in June 2007 to 76,436 in June 2008. Admissionb Council representative Bob Ludwig said thosw numbers portend a similar spike in enrollmentthis fall. Also, a survey of 2008 MBA graduates shows the percentage of thosde receiving job offers before graduation was at the highest levelsince 2001. Kip associate vice president of careedr and professional development at andGuy Groff, director of the graduatw career management center at 's , agrees the high job-placement rate amongh 2007-08 graduates shows deman d hasn't slowed for talented MBA grads.
"Everybody is cautiouslu optimistic aboutthis fall," said Harrell, who recentlyt was appointed president of the , an international professional association. Because MBA hiring essentially starts at the beginniny of theacademic year, schools usuallty can gauge companies' interest in hirinb new grads. Companies set up on-campus visits over the summerd to recruit internsand full-time employees, and they start interviewingh as early as September. Irene DeNigris, director of globap university recruitment forNew Jersey-based , which recruits at the Care School, said there might be "a littles bit of contraction" this year becausre of the economy.
"It would be negligenrt to say theeconomy doesn't have an impactr at all," she said. "But we take a strategif approachto recruiting. We're planning for jobs that are goingv to be openingup one, two, threde years from now." Harrell said majo companies have reputations to maintain with MBA programs, so even if job opportunitiez are thin, they will recruit in preparation for a markef rebound. The specific profession chosen can determine how quicklyu a gradfinds work. Those who want to go into real estatedor banking, for example, might have a harderr time now than others. Groff said 91 percenf of the 2008 crop of Carey Schoool graduates have been placedin jobs.
"We teacuh our people the right process so they can find jobs even in adifficulg market," he said. He and Harrell said they expecgt enrollment to increase forthe 2008-09 schookl year. Daniel Dixon, a 2008 Careyt School graduate, was offered a supply-chaihn management position last Novemberat Tucson-based . It was his firstg choice, though he concedes he was worried aboutf finding a job when the economy began to He said the new crop of graduatesx might have to push even harderto "Things were cooling down for me when I was looking for a said Dixon, who served an internship last summer.
"Things will probably be even coole r for them this upcoming fall and Groff and Harrell both noted the importancs of internships and networking for MBA students concerned aboutg thejob market. Thunderbird School of Global MBA CareerServices