According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, more MBA graduates are going on to do “good” work, but just not in traditional non-profit arenas. While fewer than 5% of grads from top b-schools work in non-profit organizations straight out of school, many students are taking positions in social responsibility at Fortune 500 companies or working for companies that address environmental concerns, global poverty or energy access. So while MBA grads understand the importance of charity and social entrepreneurship, they also seek the financial security that does not necessarily come with non-profit work. According to the article, non-profit salaries can be as much as 33% below for-profit salaries. At the Yale School of Management, where 9% of its class of 2011 went into non-profit jobs, the average starting salary was $80,000 compared to $120,000 for those going into consulting. These socially-minded MBAs not only benefit financially from working at larger, multinational for-profit companies in a social responsibility role, but many feel they can make a greater impact with that broader scope.
Read the full article: MBA News: MBA Grads Take For-Profit Social Responsibility Roles