My Career Interests

Since i started thinking of doing MBA , i have been looking for various opportunity's that MBA provide. Surprisingly , MBA opens door to wide variety of opportunities requiring various functional skills.It has been very touch exercise to match my preference to the various careers available to MBA grads. Here is the list of careers i am interested in.

1. Marketing(Product Managers) :
   

All businesses need a plan and a process for marketing their products or services, and all but the smallest companies have professionals dedicated solely to this function. Marketing, along with sales, production, and finance, is a core functional area in most companies. Indeed, many businesses -- including some of the largest in the world -- rely on marketing strategy to drive company profits.

Marketing executives have a prominent place among the senior managers of any business. In fact, in many "marketing-driven" firms -- such as large consumer-products companies -- the most senior general managers typically advance to their positions from the marketing function.

Marketing professionals interface extensively with a company's other major business functions. For example: Marketing strategy affects the company's business development strategy (and vice-versa) and the allocation of advertising resources. Marketing works closely with the company's production or service delivery departments to ensure that product or service specifications will meet consumers' demands.

Marketing professionals must understand the company's finances and the costs and profits associated with a particular product or service. Marketers have to get involved in the company's long-term strategic planning, including assessing market changes and the potential that new business alliances may bring. Given the scope of business concerns that marketing professionals interact with, it's not surprising that marketing is often thought of as a "microcosm" of the entire business enterprise. Marketing managers must have strong skills in business analysis and a broad-based appreciation for business as a whole. Therefore, many people see experience in this discipline as ideal training for general management.

2. Private Equity

Jobs in private equity funds are typically divided into distinct areas, including: number crunching; appraising and executing deals; originating deals; and support roles such as marketing and finance.


Once the number crunchers have worked out how much a company is worth, a new set of people appraise whether the company is worth investing in at the asking price, and whether the fund is likely to be able to sell its investment in the company at a profit in the future. If price is right and a future profit looks likely, they will then help 'execute' the deal, doing everything required to ensure it takes place. This can involve anything from arranging the right legal documentation to negotiating the right price. The people who are involved in execution and appraisal are more senior than the number crunchers, and are known as 'principals'. Originators are at the top of the private equity tree. They are usually the fund's partners, who stand to make the most money if one of the fund's investments is sold at a profit. Originators oversee the deal while it is being done. They are also responsible for originating deals, or finding new companies for the fund to invest in. In pursuit of deals, they build strong relationships with company senior managers and advisors, and often spend a lot of time traveling.

The business of private equity doesn't come to an end once a deal has been done. The principals and partners in private equity funds also play a role in nurturing the company they have invested in. This can involve taking a position on the company board and steering a strategy that will lead to higher profitability, and increase the value of the fund's stake. When a fund sells its stake, it typically keeps 20% of any profits made above an agreed baseline. The remainder is returned to investors.

3: Venture Capital

venture capital firms ("VCs") are dedicated to investing their own capital in new companies in return for a hefty share of stock and future profits. These venture capitalists are more than financiers; they provide guidance, services and support to the fledgling business, and expect to be treated as partners. While not all VC activities are centered on new companies, and investors can be found seeking relationships with established firms, the majority of the industry concentrates on bringing new ideas to market.