Foster MBA students have access to state-of-the-art career coaching and a wide array of resources to help them achieve their future goals. Through an individualized approach to career development, MBA Career Management can help you develop and skillfully execute career strategies that will optimize your success. Are you an employer looking to hire MBAs? Go to the MBA Career Management site for information on how our corporate recruiting team can help!
Employment Quick Stats (MBA 2023)
Graduate Salary Breakout (MBA 2023)
| Function | Percentage | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 30% | $169,442 |
| Finance / Accounting | 22% | $133,603 |
| General Management | 10% | $146,559 |
| Marketing / Sales | 23% | $157,117 |
| Operations / Logistics | 12% | $130,900 |
| Other* | 3% | $150,700 |
*Includes Human Resources and Information Technology
Salary information in the table above based on offers accepted at 3 months.
| Function | Percentage | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 29% | $171,210 |
| Consumer Packaged Goods | 5% | $135,000 |
| Energy | 4% | $111,667 |
| Financial Services | 5% | $147,500 |
| Manufacturing | 4% | $138,583 |
| Technology | 39% | $152,106 |
| Other* | 14% | $130,962 |
*Includes Healthcare, Media/Entertainment, Non-Profit, and Retail
Salary information in the table above based on offers accepted at 3 months.
Select each header below for the list of recent MBA graduate employers.
Accenture
Anthesis
Bain
BCG
Cascade Designs
Deloitte
Environmental Resources Management
Fiber, Field, & Fork
Gartner
Grant Thorton
Infosys Consulting
KPMG
McKinsey & Company
PK
PwC
Sia Partners
Tata Consultancy Services Limited
The Boston Consulting Group
West Monroe Partners
ZS Associates
Anheuser-Busch InBev
Chewy
DaVita
EVO
GSK
MHW Ltd
Nike
Saks Off 5th
Starbucks
Target
Walmart
Whirlpool Corporation
Affirm
Avalara
Blue Point Capital
BMO
Columbia Pacific Advisors
Equal Ventures
Goldman Sachs
Liberty Mutual Insurance
NextPath Advisors
Northwest Farm Credit
Zillow
Abbott Laboratories
Accolade
Amgen
Amino Healthcare/HighSpot
Centene Corp
CVS Health
Ecolab
Kestra Medical Technologies
McKesson
Medtronic
Pfizer
Philips
Providence
Stryker
Dell Technologies
Fluke Corporation
Fortive Corporation
Hewlett-Packard
Korry Electronics
NIO
Tektronix
Seattle Kraken
Spurs Sports & Entertaiment
PATH
SoundCommerce
Algocyte
Amazon
Apple
Apptio
BigBox VR
Cisco
Citrix
Concentrix
Contentful
Criteo
Docugami
eBay
Electronic Arts
Expedia
Fauna
Fortive
Generation Esports
Hewlett-Packard
Modern Electron
NetApp
Salesforce
SAP
ServicenNow
Sezzle
Snowflake
T-Mobile
Tableau
TripAction
TwinStrand Bio Science
Tyler Technologies
Varsity Tutors
Veritas Technologies, LLC
Verizon Wireless
VMWare
wish.com
Wyze
Kernel Labs
KROM Aduanal
ProService
Republic Services
TerraClear
MBA Career Management Office
Achieving your career goals requires initiative, effort, and focus. Foster MBA Career Management is here to help you reach those goals.
A Dedicated Team of Career Strategists
At Foster, you will find coaches who take a genuine, focused interest in your career and who know you by name. Our team members are seasoned professionals with corporate experience, career development expertise, and advanced degrees, including MBAs. They have worked across industries—from non-profit to financial services to consulting—with iconic Seattle companies like Amazon, Expedia, Microsoft, Nordstrom, and REI. They have strong relationships with key employers in the thriving Seattle business community and beyond, and access to a worldwide alumni network that’s over 57,000 strong. Along the way, they will be your sounding board and support network.
Resources and Services
Mentor Program
The Foster School’s MBA Mentor Program was one of the first, and it’s still one of the best. Watch MBAs and their mentors discuss the power of this unique program.
The MBA Mentor Program offers students the opportunity to learn about the way business is practiced today, under the guidance of top executives. Through participation in the Mentor Program, you explore career paths, obtain an inside view of industries, learn how executives meet difficult challenges, and gain insight into corporate strategy. Your experience with the Mentor Program helps you make better career choices and a smooth transition back to the business world upon graduation. Read the online brochure for more details.
From résumé and cover letter advice to mock interviews, career coaches help you evaluate your interests and experience, clarify your career goals and develop a personalized strategy for success. They can help you connect with alumni and develop critical job search skills for researching opportunities, networking, communicating, and interviewing.
You will have opportunities to connect with leading employers through a variety of small events, as well as Career Forums. Whether you just want to find out more about the culture of a company, or you’re looking to make a great face-to-face connection, there’s an event to help you along the way.
The Career office, together with our Clubs sponsor regional treks to visit companies both inside and outside the Seattle area. Past treks have gone to Austin, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon.
Employer advisory boards that include executives from the Seattle, Portland, San Francisco Bay areas, and in Asia provide insight and resources to our Career team and students. They enhance the partnership between the MBA program and employers, and include leaders from iconic companies like Amazon, Deloitte,Google, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks, and more.
As a Foster MBA you will have industry leading MBA resources at your fingertips to help you take your career to the next level. Check out just three of our many partners and customized platforms including: Casequestions, Gradleaders, and the LinkedIn Guys.
Career Paths
If you are undecided about which area of business you’d like to work in, this section offers many resources for you to explore. With descriptions of specific roles, industry outlooks, competitive environments and more, you will be able to get a good picture of what it’s like to prepare for and work in a selected field.
Management Consulting
Management consultants are architects of change. They tackle strategic and core operational issues and provide practical and innovative solutions that increase revenue, reduce costs, boost productivity, and streamline processes. They are experts in their field.
There are many types of consultants and consulting firms. Niche or boutique firms focus on a particular industry, such as financial services or health care, or specialize in recommending solutions for a specific area, such as consumer marketing or information technology. Larger firms provide a full range of management consulting services. Independent consultants specialize in a particular area.
Foster is abundant with opportunities that will help you decide if consulting is the right career path for you and, if it is, how best to prepare.
Since the consulting field is vast and covers nearly every type of industry and function, you need to take a look at your interests, strengths and skills. Understanding where you would be the happiest and most successful starts with understanding yourself.
Typically, consulting firms value individuals with experience in project management and in developing and delivering client-facing presentations. Being able to research and solve problems using analysis as well as creative thinking are important skills to illustrate in interviews. Interpersonal and relationship building skills are equally as important as analytical problem-solving skills. Some specialized consulting firms look for experience in a particular industry (such as healthcare). The willingness and ability to travel frequently is often a requirement, especially for larger firms.
As you research the industry, look for the types of consulting and firms that would match best with your experience and interests. Start a list of firms that interest you and then research them further. Engage in informational interviews to get the inside scoop on what it is really like to work at that company. As you discover more, you will narrow down your list to your top firms – those that attract you most because of their types of customers, kinds of projects, company size, corporate culture, and any other qualities that are important to you.
Check out the online resources below to learn more about the field of consulting.
In order to really understand an industry and speak their language, regularly read their latest publications and join their professional associations. Find out about current challenges and future trends. You can then speak intelligently, asking insightful questions and offering your own opinions, when you meet for informational and job interviews.
Industry Publications and Blogs
- Accenture’s Outlook magazine
- Booz Hamilton’s Strategy+Business magazine
- BCG Perspectives
- Consulting Magazine
- Management Consulted blog
- McKinsey Quarterly
Professional Associations
These lists are helpful in getting started with your target company list.
Although these firms have been categorized into their primary industry specialties, many of them cross into other areas of consulting. For instance, Deloitte engages in a variety of management consulting areas in addition to their specialties of finance and tax. Do your due diligence in researching appropriate companies for you.
Energy/Environmental Consulting
Financial/Tax Consulting
Business Consulting
- Accenture
- Alvarez and Marsal
- Bridge Partners Consulting
- Camber Collective
- Grand Thorton
- Hitachi Consulting
- Infosys
- Loft9
- McKinsey & Company
- Point B
- Revel Consulting
- Slalom Consulting
Nonprofit/Government/Social Enterprise Consulting
Healthcare Consulting
Marketing Consulting
Organizational Development Consulting
Technology Consulting
MBA Career Management (Dempsey Hall 212L) offers a variety of opportunities to prepare for a consulting career. Among them:
- Case and behavioral interviewing workshops
- Panel discussions with consultants
- Meet-the-Firm and Fireside Chats with representatives from companies with consulting positions and internships
- Career Fairs: Fall and Winter Forums on campus, the February MBA Career Conference in Portland, and other fall career fairs such as NBMBAA, MBA Veterans Conference, Reaching Out Conference, NSHMBA, and NAWMBA all provide opportunities to connect with consulting firms
- On-campus recruitment for full-time jobs and internships
- Individual career coaching
Connect with MBA Career Management, or current students can check FosterJobs, to view dates and registration information.
The Foster Business Library provides a multitude of materials and personnel to assist your research on companies and industries. For example, you can access the Puget Sound Business Journal’s List of Lists, free of charge, as well as many other excellent references.
The Foster Consulting Society provides regular case interview practice as well as resources for preparing for case interviews and a consulting career.
The Strategy Club offers members the opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills through case competitions.
Student Affairs (Dempsey Hall 334) can advise you on how to customize your academic load for the career you want. Build as many of the proficiencies as you can in the classroom. Add more practical experience and skills by including special projects and independent studies.
Additional Activities add breadth to your experience and depth to your resume. Increase your value to potential employers by participating in extra projects such as these:
- Applied Strategy projects
- Field Study projects
- Business Case competitions
- Independent studies
“As a consultant, I’m challenged with solving complex business problems for clients who look to me for thought leadership in improving their companies. At Revel, I’m part of an accomplished and experienced team where we push each other daily to think in new and innovative ways. Our culture is one we’re constantly collaborating and learning in, and also have a lot of fun doing it along the way. I can say I have more than colleagues at Revel – I have lifelong friends here.”
Brad Wang
Senior Associate, Revel Consulting
UW MBA, Class of 2004
“Effectiveness as a consultant required developing meaningful professional relationships with the client at whatever level I was at…and as project opportunities arose I tried to visualize myself in the key client decision maker’s role and bring the best ideas and people that the firm offers…even if the best person for the task at hand wasn’t me, my role was to make sure the project was successful from the client’s perspective. Success in such a role required a combination of relationship, consensus building, communication and technical skills.”
Ken Dixon
Former Partner and Consultant
Deloitte
Business Analysis and Data Science
All MBA careers require the ability to use data effectively. However some roles are dedicated to scrutinizing data-based information to provide recommendations that assist senior leadership in making decisions. These positions are found in nearly all functions and industries. Some of the MBA titles you’ll come across are business analysts, digital marketing analysts, financial analysts, operations analysts and market research analysts.
Traditionally data analysts have been concerned with structured data from a single database source; however the use of unstructured data from multiple sources – “Big Data” – has given new depth and complexity to data analysis. Companies that have the technical capabilities to harness the multitudes of unstructured data need individuals who can ask the right business questions, analyze the resulting data effectively, and understand the appropriate statistical techniques.
Whether a business analyst or a big data analytics expert, these roles require business acumen, database and analysis skills, communications and presentation skills, and often some coding abilities such as SQL, or statistics software experience such as R or SPSS. Data scientists typically have Ph.D.s in Statistics or Computer Science.
Industry knowledge in a particular field is a plus, and may be required by some employers. Business and data analysts are found in all industries, from non-profits, government and education, to high-tech, finance, and consumer products.
Check out these on-line resources to learn more about the field of business analysis and data science.
If you enjoy working data in different ways, exploring the stories that data may reveal, and even experimenting with visualization techniques, you may enjoy a role in data science. Data analysis is necessary in almost every field and industry and analysts with MBAs are expected to play a role in guiding strategic decisions. They are in a unique position to assist leaders in determining the right questions to ask as well as in interpreting the answers that data provides to help determine the organization’s most effective courses of action.
Discover more about different types of business analysts by exploring the resources listed below.
Bridging the Gap blog (changing careers to business analyst)
Bureau of Labor Statistics Financial and Market Research Analysts
Bureau of Labor Statistics Operations Research Analysts
Video: What Does a Data Scientist Do?
These Are the Skills You Need to Be a Data Scientist at Facebook
In order to really understand an industry and speak their language, regularly read their latest publications and join their professional associations. Find out about current challenges and future trends. You can then speak intelligently, asking insightful questions and offering your own opinions, when you meet for informational and job interviews.
Industry Publications and Blogs
- All Analytics blog
- Analytics Magazine
- Big Data Hub
- Business Analyst Times
- Data Science Central
- Journal of Data Science
- Kaggle
- Modern Analyst
- Occam’s Razor blog
- YouTube: Data and Analytics Week in Review
Professional Associations
- AIIM International (Information Management Association) – Northwest Chapter
- Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
- International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) – Seattle Chapter
Education Resources
Business analyst positions are found in nearly every organization. Understand what type and size of company, industry, and corporate culture you would thrive in, and build your target company list with that knowledge.
Some recent Foster student employers with analyst positions have been:
MBA Career Management (Dempsey Hall 212L) offers a variety of opportunities to prepare for a business analyst career. Among them:
- Case and behavioral interviewing workshops
- Meet-the-Firm and Fireside Chats with representatives from companies with consulting positions and internships
- Career Fairs: Fall and Winter Forums on campus, the February MBA Career Conference in Portland, and other fall career fairs such as NBMBAA, MBA Veterans Conference, Reaching Out Conference, NSHMBA, and NAWMBA all provide opportunities to connect with consulting firms
- On-campus recruitment for full-time jobs and internships
- Individual career coaching
Check on Foster MBA Jobs or with MBA Career Management for dates and registration information.
The Foster BizComm Club focuses on providing training and tools in communication, networking and collaboration, as well as technical skills of data analysis, reports and presentations.
The Foster Business Library provides a multitude of materials and personnel to assist your research on companies and industries. For example, you can access the Puget Sound Business Journal’s List of Lists, free of charge, as well as many other excellent references.
The Strategy Club offers members the opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills through case competitions.
Student Affairs (Dempsey Hall 334) can advise you on how to customize your academic load for the career you want. Build as many of the proficiencies as you can in the classroom. Add more practical experience and skills by including special projects and independent studies.
Extra Projects add breadth to your experience and depth to your resume. Increase your value to potential employers by participating in extra projects such as these:
- Applied Strategy projects
- Field Study projects
- Case competitions
“There’s a lot of buzz around big data technology, but what’s really exciting to me is how all aspects of business can now greatly benefit if they rethink the way they interact with data. The real business successes, I believe, will come from those folks who embrace data, not as a static asset such as a report or dashboard, but rather as an enabler of an exploratory journey into the information unknown.”
Nick Choat
former Vice President, Big Data Analytics and Digital Advertising Technology
Walt Disney Company
“The most enjoyable part of my role as a Business Analyst is the investment analysis piece. It’s a lot of detailed calculations and report building but it allows me to tell the story behind the data.”
Rebecca Harris
Business Analyst
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Foster MBA, Class of 2012
” ‘90% of all the world’s data has been produced in the past two years.’ Isn’t this crazy? It sounds like we barely scratch the surface of what we can do with data.
I work in a digital marketing agency as a Manager in Data Science. For me, it is fascinating to work on some of the coolest projects, using the latest technology stack. It would be interesting to see more and more business invest in Data Analytics / Data Science capability as a strategic initiative and hire data-centric MBAs to accelerate the journey as we move forward. Foster MBA helps me connect the dots faster from quantitative and qualitative dimensions along with the latest technology stacks. It is crucial to have both the data and the context to tell a wonderful story. With a holistic strategy, I was able to help our clients enrich their strategic data-driven marketing insights, deploy advanced analytics, and optimize their Ad/Marketing tech portfolio.”
Owen Ho
Manager, Data Analytics
Foster MBA, Class of 2015
SapientRazorfish
Entrepreneurship & Venture Capitalists
Risk-takers, idea-mongers, passion-followers. Entrepreneurs dedicate themselves to creating viable businesses from their ideas or inventions. They are highly creative individuals who can imagine innovative solutions and profitably execute them. Involved in all aspects of the organization at any level, these energetic leaders know how to set vision and inspire teams. They are adept at creating opportunities for profit or reward and if successful, are catalysts for economic development.
If this sounds like you, you may be interested in starting your own business.
However there are other ways to be involved in entrepreneurship than starting your own enterprise. You may want to work in someone else’s startup, contributing to the development of an idea and growth of a business from the ground up. Or, you may be interested in more of an advisory or research role by working with a venture capital firm.
Check out these online resources to learn more about entrepreneurship.
Discover more about different types of entrepreneurs by exploring the resources listed below.
Career and Industry Overview
Industry Publications, Blogs, and Resources
- Business Owner’s Toolkit
- CNN Money Small Business
- Cayenne Consulting Entrepreneur’s Library
- Entrepreneurship.org
- Entrepreneur Magazine
- Forbes
- Foundation for Enterprise Development
- Geekwire
- Neal Dempsey: The DNA of a Phenomenal Entrepreneur
- On Startups blog
- Small Business Publications from the US Government
- Startup Nation
- US Small Business Administration
- Wall Street Journal Small Business News
- Techstars
- Tom Post on Forbes.com
Professional Associations
There are a number of organizations in the Puget Sound area that are dedicated to providing resources and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and those interested in finding out more about starting and running a business.
If you are not ready or interested in starting your own company, you may want to investigate working in someone else’s startup. See additional venture capital organizations under “Create a Target Company List”.
Startups in Seattle
National Startups
Or, you may be interested in working for an organization that helps new companies find capital or other resources. A few are listed below.
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- Alliance of Angels
- AngelMD
- Element 8 Angels
- Geekwire Startup List
- Ignition Partners
- Innovate Washington
- Intellectual Ventures
- Kereitsu Forum
- Madrona Venture Group
- Montlake Capital
- Puget Sound Venture Club
- Seattle’s Startup Leaderboard
- Social Venture Partners
- The Seraph Group
- US Small Business Administration
- UW CoMotion
- Vulcan Capital
- WINGS: The Washington Medical Technology Angel Network
-
MBA Career Management (Dempsey Hall 212L) offers a variety of opportunities to prepare for a career as an entrepreneur.
-
-
- Meet-the-Firm and Fireside Chats with representatives from companies that are startups as well as those that work with startups
- Career Fairs: Fall and Winter Forums on campus, the February MBA Career Conference in Portland, and other fall career fairs such as NBMBAA, MBA Veterans Conference, Reaching Out Conference, NSHMBA, and NAWMBA all provide opportunities to connect with startups and entrepreneurs
- On-campus recruitment for full-time jobs and internships with organizations that work with startups
- Case and behavioral interviewing practice
- Individual coaching
-
Check on Foster MBA Jobs or with MBA Career Management for dates and registration information.
The Foster Business Library provides a multitude of materials and personnel to assist your research on companies and industries. For example, you can access the Puget Sound Business Journal’s List of Lists, free of charge, as well as many other excellent references.
Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club connects students to resources in the Seattle startup and Venture Capitalist communities.
BizzComm provides training and tools to help students develop the soft skills of communication, networking and collaboration, as well as technical skills of data analysis, reports and presentations.
The Arthur W. Buerk Center for Innovation provides resources, competitions, and speakers for students interested in entrepreneurship. Check out the Foster Unplugged blog for more about entrepreneurship at the Foster School
Center for Commercialization provides commercialization support to UW entrepreneurial researchers.
Student Affairs (Dempsey Hall 334) can advise you on how to customize your academic load for the career you want. Build as many of the proficiencies as you can in the classroom. Add more practical experience and skills by including special projects and independent studies.
Extra Projects add breadth to your experience and depth to your resume. Increase your value to potential employers by participating in extra projects such as these:
-
-
- Applied Strategy projects
- Field Study projects
- Case competitions
- Independent Studies
-
“I love that I am responsible for our successes and our failures! This ownership fuels my motivation and drives my strong work ethic.”
Adam Kobren
President
bobbysue’s nuts!
Foster MBA, Class of 2011
“Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. Then again, neither is the corporate life. Entrepreneurs are by nature inquisitive – curious about trends in the market, problems they’d like to solve, and about what makes their solution interesting to customers. The best entrepreneurs are not blind risk takers. They are instead studious in their assessment and validation of an opportunity and then willing to go all in when they find the right fit of product, market, and team.”
Daniel Rossi
Chief Business Officer
Geekwire
Foster MBA, Class of 2010
“The most enjoyable aspects of entrepreneurship are the constant challenge and the opportunity to participate in all the aspects of a business. There aren’t many other jobs that require you to consider so many perspectives and allow you to have your hands on so many levers.”
Kyle Polanski
CEO
Blue Dog Bakery
Foster MBA, Class of 2008
Finance
If you work in finance or accounting, the bottom line stops with you. Your business advice can be crucial for the livelihood of an organization or an individual. You may be drawn to a career that centers on an organization’s financial workings or perhaps you enjoy the world of investments and stock valuations.
Corporate finance positions include finance manager, CFO, controller, and financial analyst. If you are more interested in working in investing, money management, or banking, there are a variety of analyst and advisory positions that differ depending on the area of expertise and the clientele served.
Check out the online sources listed below for more information about a career in finance.
Explore the different areas of finance to find out where your strengths would be the best fit.
Career and Industry Overview
Bureau of Labor Statistics Financial Analyst
Bureau of Labor Statistics Financial Managers
Corporate Finance Jobs Hierarchy
Investment Banking
Private Equity
Wealth Management
Wikipedia: Corporate Finance
In order to really understand an industry and speak their language, regularly read their latest publications and join their professional associations. Find out about current challenges and future trends. You can then speak intelligently, asking insightful questions and offering your own opinions, when you meet for informational and job interviews.
Industry Publications and Blogs
Commercial Banking:
Investment Banking/Private Equity/Venture Capital:
Corporate Finance:
Asset Management/Financial Services:
Professional Associations
Commercial Banking:
Investment Banking/Private Equity/Venture Capital:
Corporate Finance:
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- Association for Financial Professionals
- Financial Executives Networking Group – Seattle Chapter
- American Society of Women Accountants
- Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business
- Healthcare Financial Management Association WA Chapter
- International Federation of Accountants
- National Association of Credit Management
- Northwest Association for Financial Professionals
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Asset Management/Financial Services:
Finance and accounting positions are found in nearly every organization. Understand what type and size of company, industry, and corporate culture you would thrive in, and build your target company list with that knowledge. Note the companies that have a special emphasis on finance.
Some Recent Employers of Foster Students for Finance and Accounting Positions:
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- Amazon.com
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Boeing
- Deutsche Bank
- Fluke
- East West Bank
- Goldman Sachs
- HTC
- Intel
- Intellectual Ventures
- Meridian Capital
- Microsoft
- Nordstrom
- PACCAR
- Philips Healthcare
- Prime Advisors
- Russell Investments
- Starbucks Coffee Company
- Symetra Financial
- T-Mobile
- UBS Wealth Management
- Washington Capital Management
- Wells Fargo
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Also see the list of venture capital firms in the Entrepreneurship section.
MBA Career Management (Dempsey Hall 212L) offers a variety of opportunities to prepare for a finance career. Among them are:
-
-
- Case and behavioral interviewing workshops
- Meet-the-Firm and Fireside Chats with representatives from companies with finance positions and internships
- Career Fairs: Fall and Winter Forums on campus, the February MBA Career Conference in Portland, and other fall career fairs such as NBMBAA, MBA Veterans Conference, Reaching Out Conference, NSHMBA, and NAWMBA all provide opportunities to connect with companies with a finance focus
- On-campus recruitment for full-time jobs and internships
- Individual career coaching
-
Check on Foster MBA Jobs or with MBA Career Management for dates and registration information.
The Foster Business Library provides a multitude of materials and personnel to assist your research on companies and industries. For example, you can access the Puget Sound Business Journal’s List of Lists, free of charge, as well as many other excellent references.
The Foster Finance Society offers students a chance to dive deeper into the world of finance through access to speakers and opportunities for networking.
Student Affairs (Dempsey Hall 334) can advise you on how to customize your academic load for the career you want. Build as many of the proficiencies as you can in the classroom. Add more practical experience and skills by including special projects and independent studies.
Extra Projects add breadth to your experience and depth to your resume. Increase your value to potential employers by participating in extra projects such as these:
-
-
- Applied Strategy projects
- Field Study projects
- Case competitions
- Independent studies
-
“I don’t think I could be luckier. Being an investment manager and financial planner permits me to help my clients and do research in an area that I really enjoy. I get to use the skills I learned as a mathematician, accountant, and financial analyst. I can credit the University of Washington’s MBA program for providing a foundation that has served me well over the years.”|
George S. Middleton
CFA, CPA
Limoges Investment Management PC
Foster MBA, Class of 1977
“I love my job as Controller at Seattle Opera. I am not beholden to one department but a part of every department. The decisions that I make have real impacts, good or bad, on the organization. Specifically for Seattle Opera, I go to work every day knowing that my contribution helps advance the great art that I know and love, Opera.”
Jeremiah Marks
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Opera Philadelphia
Formerly Controller, Seattle Opera
Foster MBA, Class of 2013
If you enjoy growing a brand, product, or idea, a career in marketing may be for you. Marketing careers are diverse – there is something for just about everyone. If you enjoy working with numbers, designing graphics, planning strategy, managing projects, or crafting communications, you can find a role in marketing. Here are a few of the most common marketing positions:
Brand Manager: Typically a title found in companies that market consumer packaged goods, brand managers ensure consistent and optimal messaging, promotions, pricing, and advertising for a particular product or line of products under one brand name.
Marketing or MarCom (Marketing Communications) Manager: Managers in this role oversee and execute the communication/marketing strategy, which includes advertising and promotions plans.
Marketing Researcher/ Marketing Research Analyst: Marketing researchers collect and analyze data on consumer patterns, competitors, product features and other areas that inform marketing business decisions. Also see the Data Analytics career path.
Digital/Internet/Social Media Marketing Manager: In this role, understanding how to optimize internet, mobile, and social media channels for marketing purposes combines traditional marketing skills with knowledge of cutting-edge virtual marketing practices.
Product or Product Marketing Manager: Typically titles found in technical companies, a product marketing manager works with teams from product development to rollout and tends to be more customer-facing and communications-focused than product managers, who will primarily work internally to manage a product’s lifecycle from concept to launch. There will be some variation in this definition from company to company so do your research. To learn more about being a Product Manager in a tech company, read the section “What the Pros Say”.
Check out the online sources listed below for more information about marketing.
As there are so many types of marketing roles – and some that are key to specific industries – you’ll need to take a good look at your interests, strengths and skills. Understanding where you would be the happiest and most successful starts with understanding yourself.
As you research the field of marketing, look for the types of roles and organizations that would match best with your experience and interests. Start a list of companies that interest you and then research them further. Engage in informational interviews to get the inside scoop on what it is really like to work in that role, at that company. As you discover more, you will narrow down your list to your top organizations and ideal positions. The companies will attract you because of their types of customers, kinds of projects, company size, corporate culture, and any other qualities that are important to you. The marketing position will be ideal for you because it will utilize your strengths and keep you engaged.
Explore the different areas of marketing to find out where your strengths would fit best.
In order to really understand an industry and speak their language, regularly read their latest publications and join their professional associations. Find out about current challenges and future trends. You can then speak intelligently, asking insightful questions and offering your own opinions, when you meet for informational and job interviews.
Industry Publications and Blogs
Marketing Management:
- Chief Marketer
- Marketing Dive
- BtoB
- Product Manager HQ: Day in the Life of a Product Manager
- Sales and Marketing Management
Brand Management:
Marketing Research/Analysis:
Digital/Internet/Social Media Marketing
Product Management and Product Marketing:
Professional Associations
Marketing:
Marketing Research/Analysis:
Digital/Internet/Social Media Marketing Management:
Product Management and Product Marketing
Marketing positions are found in nearly every organization. Understand what type and size of company, industry, and corporate culture you would thrive in, and build your target company list with that knowledge. Note the companies that have a special emphasis on marketing.
For a list of Seattle-area advertising, public relations, and design firms, visit Bridgeway
Some Recent Employers of Foster Students for Marketing Positions:
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- Amazon.com
- Collective
- Costco
- Drugstore.com
- Eddie Bauer
- Ericsson
- Expedia
- Lenati
- Microsoft
- Mike’s Hard Lemonade
- Nestle Purina Petcare Company
- Nordstrom
- Oberto Sausage Company
- PACCAR
- Philips Healthcare
- PopCap Games
- Procter & Gamble
- Starbucks Coffee Company
- Talentwise
- Target
- The Hartman Group
- T-Mobile
- Wunderman
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MBA Career Management (Dempsey Hall 212L) offers a variety of opportunities to prepare for a marketing career. Among them are:
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- Case and behavioral interviewing workshops
- Panel discussions with marketers
- Meet-the-Firm and Fireside Chats with representatives from companies with marketing positions and internships
- Career Fairs: Fall and Winter Forums on campus, the February MBA Career Conference in Portland, and other fall career fairs such as NBMBAA, MBA Veterans Conference, Reaching Out Conference, NSHMBA, and NAWMBA all provide opportunities to connect with companies with a marketing focus
- On-campus recruitment for full-time jobs and internships
- Individual career coaching
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Check on Foster MBA Jobs or with MBA Career Management for dates and registration information.
The Foster Business Library provides a multitude of materials and personnel to assist your research on companies and industries. For example, you can access the Puget Sound Business Journal’s List of Lists, free of charge, as well as many other excellent references.
The Foster Marketing Association offers students a chance to dive deeper into the world of marketing through access to speakers and company visits.
Check on The Consulting Society can enrich students’ capabilities in marketing case studies, preparing them for case interview questions that focus on marketing.
Check on The Foster BizComm Club focuses on providing training and tools in communication, networking and collaboration, as well as technical skills of data analysis, reports and presentations.
Student Affairs (Dempsey Hall 334) can advise you on how to customize your academic load for the career you want. Build as many of the proficiencies as you can in the classroom. Add more practical experience and skills by including special projects and independent studies.
Extra Projects add breadth to your experience and depth to your resume. Increase your value to potential employers by participating in extra projects such as these:
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- Applied Strategy projects
- Field Study projects
- Case competitoions
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- Independent studies
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“I work on the Business Development team at Microsoft focused on growing our Dynamics 365 portfolio. Our team handles everything from small-scale IP acquisitions to large-scale M&A. It’s an ever-changing role that requires the ability to quickly assess the potential of new opportunities and then drive to a successful outcome.”
Bryan Tomlinson
Senior Business Development Manager
Formerly Senior Product Marketing Manager
Microsoft
Foster MBA, Class of 2009
“A lot of what we read in school is great, but it’s very focused on the theory of product management and product planning in particular. These books are more about the day-to-day, specifically for software/internet product management: This is about a particular software development method (Agile). It gives you a good vocabulary and understanding of how to organize an engineering team.”
Stephen Simburg
Marketing Manager, Ritani
Formerly Product Manager, eBay
Foster MBA, Class of 2012
“As a product manager for Business Intelligence, I own and manage a portfolio of products that deal with data and analytics for CDK Digital Advertisement business. The core of product management is building products that meets organizational goals and delivers maximum value to customers. This requires making critical decisions on priority and optimization in a fast changing environment under uncertain conditions. As a product manager, my day to day activities involve understanding customer pain points, managing the product road map and bringing products to market by working with marketing, sales, finance, and operation teams. I find product management an intense, intellectually challenging and highly rewarding career. I’m able to draw upon the skills I learned in my MBA from Finance and Accounting to Presentation and Negotiation.
In addition to learnings from MBA, I find the following books highly useful for product management:
1. The Lean Startup (by Eric Ries) – a must read for anyone interested in product management and entrepreneurship.
2. Inspired: How to Create Products Customers Love (by Marty Cagan)
3. Innovator’s Dilemma (by Clayton M. Christensen)
4. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (by Patrick Lencioni)
5. The Product Manager’s Desk Reference (by Steven Hainees)
6. The Phoenix Project (by Gene Kim & Kevin Behr)”
Elav Arivalagan
Sr. Product Manager, Business Intelligence
CDK Global
Operations Management
Operations management is the heart of an organization. It involves developing and managing the essential steps of any combination of the following: producing goods, quality control, quality management, managing the supply chain, facilities management, product formulation and design, ordering of goods, warehousing of goods, contacting vendors, and purchasing of external products.
Check out the online sources listed below for more information about operations.
Since operations roles are so varied, you need to take a look at your interests, strengths and skills to understand where you would be the happiest and most successful.
As you research the field, look for the types of roles that would match best with your experience and interests. Engage in informational interviews to get the inside scoop on what it is really like to work in operations at a particular company.
Check out the online resources below and explore the different areas of operations to find out where your strengths would be the best fit.
In order to really understand an industry and speak the language, regularly read their latest publications and join the professional associations. Find out about current challenges and future trends. You can then speak intelligently, asking insightful questions and offering your own opinions, when you meet for informational and job interviews.
Industry Publications and Blogs
Professional Associations
Operations positions are found in nearly every organization. Understand what type and size of company, industry, and corporate culture you would thrive in, and build your target company list with that knowledge. Note the companies that have a special emphasis on operations management.
Some Recent Employers of Foster Students for Operations Positions:
MBA Career Management (Dempsey Hall 212L) offers a variety of opportunities to prepare for a operations management career. Among them are:
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- Case and behavioral interviewing workshops
- Panel discussions with marketers
- Meet-the-Firm and Fireside Chats with representatives from companies with operations positions and internships
- Career Fairs: Fall and Winter Forums on campus, the February MBA Career Conference in Portland, and other fall career fairs such as NBMBAA, MBA Veterans Conference, Reaching Out Conference, NSHMBA, and NAWMBA all provide opportunities to connect with companies with an operations focus
- On-campus recruitment for full-time jobs and internships
- Individual career coaching
-
Check on Foster MBA Jobs or with MBA Career Management for dates and registration information.
The Foster Business Library provides a multitude of materials and personnel to assist your research on companies and industries. For example, you can access the Puget Sound Business Journal’s List of Lists, free of charge, as well as many other excellent references.
Check on The Foster Operations Management Club offers students a chance to dive deeper into the world of operations management through access to speakers and company visits.
Check out the Foster Master of Supply Chain program and sample job titles.
Student Affairs (Dempsey Hall 334) can advise you on how to customize your academic load for the career you want. Build as many of the proficiencies as you can in the classroom. Add more practical experience and skills by including special projects and independent studies.
Extra Projects add breadth to your experience and depth to your resume. Increase your value to potential employers by participating in extra projects such as these:
-
-
- Applied Strategy projects
- Field Study projects
- Case competitions
- Independent studies
-
“In my normal every day life, I can see where efficiencies can be improved and love to look at things through that analytical lens combined with human behavior so that is one of the reasons I have enjoyed operations and supply chain.
In my current role as a Compliance Manager, I cover product safety, quality control, and social audits of factories but that allows me to work with vendors, clients, and all of our internal teams like sales, procurement, accounting, and senior management.
Foster’s MBA program set me up for success to work with all those stakeholders by understanding all facets of business in addition to being prepared to lead pretty quickly after a career change.”
Jessica Cameron
Compliance Manager
Sunrise Identity
Foster MBA Class of 2014
“The best thing about Operations is the wide variety of issues that arise. You never know what you will encounter from one day to the next so good judgment and quick thinking is always needed to ensure things go smoothly and the team is successful. I enjoy the constant challenges and continual learning.”
Mark Roberts
Finance Operations Business Readiness Manager
Microsoft
Foster MBA, Class of 2013
Listen to Conversations on Careers
Conversations on Careers and Professional Life is a podcast hosted and produced by Gregory Heller, Senior Associate Director of MBA Career Management at the Foster School of Business. In each episode, Gregory speaks with guests about topics related to job searches, professional development, public speaking, resilience, and mindfulness. Guests include current MBA candidates and past students, faculty and staff, and outside experts.
Can you tell us about yourself and how you started working in the Career Management Office and with the Evening MBA Program? I love gardening, going to the beach, and traveling. My favorite place is Paris, where I can…
March 21, 2022