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Career Options and Average Salaries after MiM degree: Management jobs for freshers

The job market may have been a depressing place in recent years, but it has handed out a new option to fresh graduates: stay on in college for an additional degree. Many fresh graduates who are unable to find full-time employment with only a bachelor’s degree are going in for the Master in Management (MiM) program.

But time and opportunity to enroll for a master’s course in business is not the only factor in play. Traditionally, graduate students aspiring for a degree in business management have flocked to MBA schools. However, since many find the admission criteria and program fees at good MBA schools difficult to manage, they are welcoming the alternative: MiM.

Not all MiM programs lead to the awarding of an “MiM” degree, although many b-schools have started using this generic abbreviation for their degrees. There is also the Master of Science in Management program (for students who have undergraduate degrees in business or economics) and the Master of Arts in Management program (for students with undergraduate degrees in disciplines other than business or economics).

The main reason for the popularity of the MiM program is that the program fee is only about 50 percent of the fee for a traditional MBA from a reputed b-school(Also read List of MiM Scholarships). Another reason is that many schools offering the MiM degree do not insist on any minimum work experience as an admission criterion, compared with the traditional MBA course, where work experience is essential.

These pluses, along with young job-candidates’ need to differentiate themselves as “knowledgeable” about business management, have made the MiM course attractive. However, the MiM degree and the MBA are two very different things. Please see our blog on “MBA or master’s in management: Which is better?”. For a quick look at the main differences between the courses, please see the accompanying table.
 
[Editor’s Note: Article updated in August 2021 to reflect the latest data]
 

Differences between MiM and MBA

Criteria MiM MBA
Average age of candidates 23 years 27 to 32 years
Professional experience Fresh graduates or graduates with 1-3 years’ experience 3 to 12 years
Course eligibility Fewer eligibility criteria. But bachelor’s degree, good academic record, and language skills essential. Some schools require GMAT/GRE. GMAT, minimum 3-year work experience mandatory.
Tuition fee About 50 percent of fee for traditional MBA program US – $100,000 to $111,000
Europe – $37,000 to $80,000
Program duration 18 months on average US – 2 years; Europe – 1 year
Curriculum Fundamentals of management, general concepts Practical applications of general management concepts, analysis and application of concepts
Program reputation Mainly accepted in Europe and India Worldwide acceptance
Career path after graduation Entry level posts such as Management Trainee Lateral management slots such as Senior Manager, General Manager, Vice President, etc.
Career path, lifetime MBAs usually preferred for top jobs MBA is the accepted degree for top management positions
Starting salary
  • US: $61,000
  • India: Rs. 800,000 to Rs. 100,000
  • Europe: $68,000 to $98,000
  • US: $100,000 (average)
  • India: Rs. 18 lakh to Rs. 33 lakh (IIM, XLRI, ISB)
  • Europe: $80,000 to $130,000

Sources: payscale.com, mim-compass.com, oneyearmba.co.in
 

Eligibility and Admission criteria

The main admission criterion is the candidate’s academic record, according to a survey resulted published by “MIM Compass” in September 2015. The next most important qualification is the GMAT score, with 600 being the minimum score that is usually the norm.

However, less than 50 percent of schools insist on an analytical test such as the GMAT. Only 6 percent actually use GMAT scores and 26 percent accept scores from either GMAT or GRE. About 65 percent of schools conduct admission interviews. Of these schools, only about 35 percent assign a weight of 50 percent to the interview score.

Barring a few statistical variations, these facts are still valid in years that followed the survey, as of 2021.

MiM in Canada admissions experience
 

Is an MiM degree worth it?

How useful is the MiM degree? What are the career options? Like an MBA, the MiM degree prepares the graduate for a leadership role in a wide range of industries. The fresh MiM graduate is usually offered the title of Management Trainee. Among titles that an MiM degree holder can hope to achieve, with experience, are Advertising Manager, Development Manager, General Operations, Human Resources Manager, Public Relations Manager, Sales Manager, and Training Manager. Skills acquired as part of the MiM course can help managers emerge to more responsible positions, and some even make the grade for elevation as President or CEO.

Many MiM programs include personality development courses, too. Case studies teach students how a manager in a decision-making role can make a difference to a business situation, and how, by using well-developed interpersonal skills, he or she can ensure effective teamwork.

An MiM degree also makes sense to those who want to work in supervisory positions and those who are already working in these positions, as fundamental principles are included as part of the program. The knowledge and skills acquired through the program teach managers how to resolve organizational conflicts, how to improve team building, and how to participate in ethical decision-making processes, for example.
 

Ranking of Top MiM programs in the world

The MiM program essentially remains more popular in Europe than in the rest of the world, including US, where the MBA is seen as more valuable. Little wonder then that the top-ten list of b-schools offering MiM are all in Europe.

According to the FT’s Master in Management Rankings 2020, the top ten schools for MiM are

  1. University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
  2. HEC Paris, France
  3. Essec Business School, France
  4. London Business School, UK
  5. Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Netherlands
  6. ESCP Europe, France, UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy
  7. Stockholm School of Economics
  8. University of Dublin Smurfit
  9. SDA Bocconi
  10. Imperial College Business School

The top US b-schools offering MiM are Kellogg, Ross, Fuqua, and Babson. The Indian Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore Udaipur and SP Jain Institute of Management and Research received FT world rankings of 20, 21, 36, and 36, respectively, for their MiM programs (PGPM).

Read MiM at ESCP Europe – Indian student’s experience
 

Career options after MiM

Consulting (35 percent) and finance (26 percent) are the two main sectors that employ MiM degree holders, according to an employment statistics study from 2020 quoted on the HEC’s website. The next big sectors are high technology (13 percent), government and non-profit (5%), retail and luxuries (4%) and the rest 17%.

Employers see MiM and MBA job-seekers as different talent pools. While companies recruit MiM graduates for a host of roles—analysts, project leaders, managers—they look for MBAs to fill specific mid-level to senior positions. MiM graduates are popular among recruiters as they are younger and therefore more “moldable,” and can embrace corporate values of specific companies faster. They also learn fast and can take risks, and are more internationally mobile. Being younger, they can also adapt to diverse cultures more quickly.
 

Average Salaries after MiM

The weighted annual starting salaries of students from the world’s top ten schools ranged between $78,000 (Imperial College Business School) and $113,000 (University of St Gallen). Between 88 and 100 percent students were in employment three months after the course. However, according to the FT list, students from the IIMs-A, B, and C and Udaipur and SPJIMR received between $91,000 to $142,000 and all students were employed three months after their courses.

According to Payscale, the salaries of MiM degree holders in the US are around $70,000 for those with less than a year’s experience, $84,000 for those with five to nine years of experience, and progressively more for senior professionals with more experience.

MiM degrees are valuable especially after a bachelor’s degree in engineering or physical science. Top companies offer internships to students. The workplace experience is invaluable as it adds practical knowledge to the theory that students learn in b-schools.
 

‘Culturally literate’

Andrea Castronovo, Vice President, BMW group and one of the first graduates of CEMS (Bocconi and HEC Paris) in 1990, recalls that the CEMS MiM offered a unique curriculum and study experience through internships. He told FT that he also gained intercultural awareness and an ability to work with people with varying backgrounds.

In his previous job as President of the BMW’s Central and Eastern European Divisions, he recruited graduates for 12 BMW units from Poland to Malta, looking for agility and adaptability in candidates. The need was for management graduates to enter totally diverse environments, learn and understand the cultures, and figure out a way for the company to do business there, the FT quoted Castronovo as saying.

The recession and the difficult job market have made MiM graduates look at entrepreneurship seriously. Andreas Pinkwart, Dean of HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, says his school asks MiM students to present business ideas to their class. One student came up with an idea for a premium online sports shop—it is now one of the best in Europe.

The job market may be a bit of a quagmire for now. However, instead of waiting for the skies to clear, many young and ambitious students are putting their time to the best use. The MiM may not be as posh as an MBA, but what’s the harm in equipping oneself to become a better job candidate?

Read these related articles:
All about the MiM degree
International B-Schools that accept CAT scores for MiM
MiM Essay Review Services – Best MiM Essay Consultants in India
Is the MiM degree worth it?
MiM vs MBA: Which is better?
Best Masters in Management (MiM) Programs
List of MiM Scholarships
MiM Essay Review Serices

 
Resources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9


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18 thoughts on “Career Options and Average Salaries after MiM degree: Management jobs for freshers”

  1. Hi sameer
    I have a doubt regarding cems mim.Is it compulsory to do cems mim from the same school,one is pursuing his masters from or we can opt for a different school for cems mim ?
    And how the cems mim can be managed at the same tym when one is enrolled in a bschool mim programme?

    Reply
  2. Hello Sameer sir, this is Urmi here I want to get in LBS for MIM. I’m doing civil engineering from Mumbai university and currently I’m in my final year. I’m looking forward to give GMAT next year in 2017 but I’ve been preparing for it since last one year so I’m expecting quite a decent score. I’ve got 7.5 CGPI in my BTech for now and my 10th score is 74% and 12th is 60%. I don’t have any work experience but I’m looking forward to work after completing my BTech for 6 months atleast. I’ve participated in my college festival in cultural and technical activities and I’ve also Won. I wanted my resume to be strong enough to get accepted but I’m very unsure that with this score and work experience I would get in. So could you please suggest me something that would make my resume more strong and convincing so that I get accepted. Please help. I’m looking forward to your reply. Thankyou 🙂

    Reply
  3. Hi Sameer,

    I have done MSc in Biotech and since then I have 12 years of experience in different industries at different levels. Currently working as a Manager. I would like to enrich my academic credentials and to choose between MMS & MBA, I am in a fix and hence I request your opinion here. Also I would like to know whether a management degree is really needed now in my case?

    Thank you

    Reply
  4. Hello Sir
    I am currently pursuing my final year in Engineering, i am confused upon choosing between a MBA and MS in management degree. Which is best choice according to placements, salary and job growth ?

    Reply
  5. hii anybody give me the answer , i have completed bachelor of mechanical engineering but i have one confusion is that master of management is suitable for me or i should choose my own field master of mechanical engineering.

    Reply
  6. Hi,

    I am IT professional working fr Ericsson and have a work ex of 3.5yrs. I have received an offer fr MiM from Macquaire (MGSM),Sydney and MBA from La-Trobe. Not sure what to go for… Please suggest.

    Reply
  7. @Mathew: If you are looking only for a knowledge upgrade, you can take up MOOCs on sites like Coursera instead of paying a hefty amount for a full-time degree.

    @Nevin and Arun: Read this earlier post: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2011/09/25/mba-vs-masters-in-management-which-is-better-for-you/

    @Kaviya: MBA pays more and has higher level (designation-wise) placements. But MS is more appropriate if you want to go for a Masters degree immedately after your Bachelors.

    @Darshan: Choose based on whether you’d want to go down the technical line or management line.

    @Prahalad: MBA would fit better based on your experience level. Ensure that the MBA program offered by the university is really good before you sign up.

    Reply
  8. Hi Sameer ji,
    Firstly I would request you to write a article on MSc programme in management,
    Also about pharmaceutical management programme in Europe.
    How is IESEG France to pursue MSc in international business?
    Thank you.

    Reply
  9. sir, (any experienced person can answer)
    I am in my final year of computer science engineering.I am planning to go for an MIM course abroad, but I am skeptical about the job opportunities because people say that jobs in management are tough to get for an Indian in a foreign country. Is this true?
    Awaiting for your reply……
    Thank you

    Reply
  10. Hi Sameer,

    I am currently working as an Analyst at Ernst & Young and would like to pursue a Masters in Management in the US. I’m fairly confident I will get into a good school, however I’m very much concerned about the job prospects.
    Given the uncertainty circling H1B visas, I have heard that getting jobs after MiM is really difficult with companies hesitating to hire international students in programs that are not STEM. This is really troubling me as I have no interest in any of the STEM courses.

    Your help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  11. Dear Sir/Madam:

    My son has got an offer of admission for MIM From Cranefield Univ and Master in Business Analysis and Consltancy from Srathclyde Univ.
    He will complete his B.Tech before joining. Can you advise:
    1.Which one of the two Universities are better to be preferred?
    2.Which one of the two courses is better for him to join ?
    3. Which of the two are better for employment wise in U.K. and India?

    Please reply on my e-mail also,
    Thanks for you time and help,

    Ali

    Reply
  12. Hello Sir
    I’m a final year law student and I want to do MIM from abroad. Can you please tell me, which stream of MIM would be beneficial for me for future job prospects?

    Reply
  13. hello sir,
    i am an agriculture graduate,and i want to change my career to Mim
    is it possible for me get admission in business school.

    thankyou.

    Reply

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