Robin Darmon, director of UCSD’s Career Connections, says the center assists students with the career-building process and helps get them internships in the business community. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

Is There Room for an MBA in San Diego?” That question was the title of a 2002 conference attended by James Tarbox, associate director of Career Services at USD. The answer in 2005 is a qualified “yes.”

Employment trends are cyclical, and the nationwide downturn after Sept. 11 hurt the MBA job market. The situation started to improve in 2004 and is better now. The upsurge has been noted by campus representatives like Tarbox and in 2005 studies like the GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) Corporate Recruiters Survey and the MBA Benchmark from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

GMAC’s findings include a rise in recruiters’ confidence about the economy. The association polled 1,691 recruiters who represent 1,019 companies worldwide. This year, 55 percent of recruiters regarded the economy as weak. During the 2001-2002 school year, 99 percent of respondents held that view. The following year, 82 percent perceived the economy as weak.

An NACE survey of 116 employers reveals businesses plan to hire 25 percent more MBAs during the 2004-2005 school year than were hired in 2003-2004. One-fourth of respondents came from the Midwest, 25 percent were from the Northeast, 31.9 percent from the South, and 18.1 percent from the West. Of the employers who hire MBAs, 47.4 percent were manufacturers, 46.6 percent were service employers and 5.2 percent came from the government and nonprofit sectors.

Michael Reilly, chair of the College of Business at University of Phoenix’s San Diego campus, says most Phoenix graduate students are fully employed, so the campus doesn’t offer placement services. It does, however, hold seminars two to four times a year. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

While the national economic outlook may be brighter, local professionals with MBAs may need to leave town to start a career or change jobs. For others, the graduate business degree could be the key to advancing within their current jobs in San Diego County.

The upsurge hasn’t affected all professions the same.

The local employment situation is “very tight,” says Michael Reilly, chair of the College of Business at University of Phoenix’s San Diego campus. Last summer, some MBA students told Reilly they received multiple job offers from all over the United States.

Reilly says that most Phoenix graduate students are fully employed, so the university doesn’t offer placement services. However, the university holds seminars called colloquies two to four times annually. A colloquy may feature a panel discussion or mock interview sessions. For the latter, employers critique student interviews and resumes. Sometimes the mock session leads to an actual job offer, says Reilly.

USD’s career services include Connections, a spring program that brings some 93 employers, from banks to the federal government, onto campus. The CIA is interested in people whose master’s degrees have an international emphasis, says Tarbox. The FBI and Forest Service also recruit actively.

Locally, certain graduate business degrees are in demand.

MBA students at Point Loma Nazarene University tend to be employed and want to move laterally or through promotions, says Dan Croy, a professor in the Fermian School of Business. The graduate degree, he says, adds more value. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

At USD, Tarbox says the supply chain management program is doing well in terms of employability and that the school’s career services department is receiving calls from employers seeking students enrolled in its graduate real estate program. The university launched the program last fall. (USD career services is at (619) 260-4654.)

For the newly minted MBA who attended school full-time, the job market has improved, says Tarbox. Generally, these people are embarking on their first careers, are single and realize they may need to leave the area. “Now they’re willing to look in the Midwest,” says Tarbox.

For some working professionals, a job change comes two years after earning a graduate business degree. These people may be married and have children. If the new job is out of town, Reilly says the person has to take family into account when evaluating a job offer.

MBA students at Point Loma Nazarene tend to be employed and want to move laterally or through promotions, says Dan Croy, a professor in the Fermian School of Business. The graduate degree “adds more value,” Croy says. The person brings to the workplace the attitude: ‘I’m not the person you think I am; I have an MBA.’”

Demian Willis returned to school to enhance his position with his employer. He works in technical sales and thought a graduate degree would help him on the job. He had a business degree but always loved accounting. So he set out to earn an undergraduate degree in accounting and now is halfway through SDSU’s graduate accountancy program.

Demian Willis, 35, went back to school to improve his worth to his employer. He is halfway through San Diego State University’s graduate accountancy program. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

“I see a lot of job growth,” says Willis, at 35 the oldest student in classes. Rather than feeling awkward, Willis says he shares “real-world” experiences with his younger colleagues.

For students seeking work, SDSU’s Career Services offers referrals, internships and counseling. More than 12,000 of State’s 33,000-plus students are signed up with the center, says Preston Chipps, interim associate director. Onsite interviews are held at the center, along with workshops on topics like business etiquette and how to work a job fair where as many as 135 employers are waiting.

One SDSU workshop focuses exclusively on MBA students, says Jane Sawyer, a counselor and liaison to the College of Business. Sawyer meets with students and works with the department chair, Graduate Business Association and alumni on job prospects.

Saywer and Chipps are proud of the Career Services Web site that’s used by students, alumni and employers. Résumés and listings can be accessed by key words. “Some employers ask for résumé books. (These are grouped referrals like) a listing of MBA students with finance specialties,” says Sawyer. (Employers with job openings can contact Chipps at (619) 594-5379.)

UCSD’s MBA Career Connections works in partnership with the Rady School of Management. The first full-time MBA class starts on Sept. 9, and the inaugural FlexMBA cohort for working professionals is about halfway through the two-year program. The center focuses on helping students with the career-building process and connecting them with internships in the business community, says director Robin Darmon. She can be contacted at (858) 822-0921. Career resources include an online self-assessment tool targeted at MBA candidates and workshops on topics like interviewing and negotiating.

JoAnne Starr, assistant dean for UCSD MBA programs, says many companies have expressed interest in internships and projects for students.

National University has a career assessment center. However, one of the greatest resources for business professionals is the part-time faculty, says Tom Green, dean of the School of Business and Management. Instructors work in the field they teach. They can share their expertise and tell students who’s hiring. “It’s a wonderful approach, especially for business classes,” says Green.

Students and employers gave National’s faculty high marks in a survey conducted by Educational Benchmark Inc. The survey evaluated how education transferred to work. Employers valued traits such as effective communication, teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving.

At Chapman University, human resource program manager Mimi Murray e-mails job announcements to students. Locally, Chapman offers graduate degrees in HR and organizational leadership. The university has a career management course and instructors schedule professional field trips.

Faculty members include Mary Ann Marcuzzi, HR manager at Beckman Coulter. She shares her career experience with students and information about networking through professional organizations like the North County Personnel Association and the San Diego Recruiting Roundtable.

Mary Ann Marcuzzi, human resources manager at Beckman Coulter and a faculty member at Chapman University, shares her career experience with students. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

For those considering a career change, Marcuzzi says HR is a growing field. The profession involves much more than taking pictures for employee badges and other duties once associated with personnel. “We make concrete decisions,” says Marcuzzi, who has worked on multimillion-dollar contracts and played a role in decisions such as product development, manufacturing and sales.

At Alliant International University, 86 percent of MBA students are from other countries, says Ali Abu-Rahma, associate dean of the of the Business and Management Division of the California School of Business and Organizational Studies. The majority of international students return home. However, some don’t leave immediately after graduation. “Some elect to stay one year,” he says. “They want to have American experience on their résumés. The majority of American students are working (when enrolled).”

Alliant provides career counseling, services like résumé workshops and an annual recruiting fair.

At CSU San Marcos, about 95 percent of MBA students work full time and many receive tuition assistance from their employers, says Keith Butler, director of operations for the College of Business Administration. San Marcos doesn’t have a formal placement program. “We do have an active process for sharing job leads that come into our office,” says Butler. “We’re helped by engagement with the community.”

Many students attend Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University to move to the next level in their current jobs, says Thomas Horstmann, San Diego center dean. Keller’s career service department is located at the Irvine center. The center serves Southern California, and representatives come to local campuses and work one-on-one with students, says Horstmann.

University of Redlands also serves working students. “By and large, they’re not necessarily seeking (other employment). They need to move up through a promotion or pay increase,” says Keith Roberts, assistant business school dean.

Employers regard National Graduate School’s graduate program as an incentive to retain employees, says Gerald Suarez, chief academic officer. Employers across the nation provide the degree program for their staffs. Locally, NGS’s master’s in quality systems management program is offered at the U.S. Coast Guard Station. The educational incentive shows commitment to employees and is attractive to potential candidates, says Suarez.