Professor Sujata Madan, McGill University
Career Change – How can an MBA help?
There are generally two types of career change sought out by MBAs—a complete switch of role and industry, or a move within the same field.
For those who want to change their field, an MBA equips them with the skills and opportunities needed to make the switch. At Desautels, our MBA students must participate in an experiential component such as in the form of an internship. Internships are a great opportunity to test out a new career in a setting that has lower risk than in a permanent job. For example, after doing an internship at an investment management firm, one of our recent graduates switched from a pre-MBA career as a video game producer to a full-time financial analyst.
In-program learning
The second type of career transition is a more subtle shift—geographic, market or level—within their current field, such as moving from corporate finance to investment banking or consulting. An MBA enables this change through the in-program learning, case studies and competitions, guest lectures, networking, mentorship opportunities, and professional career services.
With any type of career changes, there is also a need to establish credibility. An MBA is a signal to employers of a certain skillset and level of professionalism.
Professor Sujata Madan, Academic Director, MBA Program at the Desautels Faculty of Management (McGill University) in Montréal, Canada, joined the Faculty in 2004. Prior to this, she has worked with the Boston Consulting Group and Citibank. Sujata has been serving as the Academic Director of the MBA program since 2011. She has taught Corporate Finance I and II, Applied Corporate Finance, International Finance, Derivatives, Investment and Portfolio Management, Global Investments, Microeconomics, and International Business to Undergraduate, MBA, and MBA Japan participants.
She was awarded the Principal’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching for 2011 and was awarded the Desautels Faculty of Management Distinguished Teaching Award at the graduate level in 2012 as well as in 2008. Sujata has also taught in Denmark, Germany, Russia and India.