Some of the most successful people in the world wouldn’t be where they are today if it weren’t for the education they got while studying business and earning their MBAs. The MBA is one of the most prestigious graduate awards in the world, and those who have attained it want to put their hard work into action and start achieving corporate success.

MBA graduates have a wide variety of options regarding which areas they went to go into while starting their professional career. Here are five of the best:

Investments

Since an MBA student will gain experience in ways to make money and how to make others money, many students opt to pursue careers in investments.

One of the most prestigious jobs among those with an MBA is that of an investment banker. These positions enable a person to rise to power, so long as their investment advice is sound. In a way, investment bankers employ all the basic realms that a person learns in earning their MBA: money, business, and management.

A venture capitalist is another fast-paced career choice that MBA graduates can pursue. This profession basically tells people whether buying a business will succeed, and to many investors, a venture capitalist’s word is gold.

Financial Planning

Financial planning is often a career path that a number of MBA graduates take. It involvesmanaging a person’s money, making educated guesses on whether or not they’re prepared for the future, and how to get there.

Analyst

One of the traits that make a person pursue an MBA in the first place is the desire to identify and solve problems. Analysts are very detail-oriented, as they research market trends and try to predict the future or figure out why a solution isn’t working now.

A financial analyst will review a portfolio and the trends that made a particular stock either jump or fall, and they’ll attempt to predict future trends based on past knowledge.

A management analyst will come into a business, investigate its corporate structure, perhaps interview employees and give their tips on departments that need downsizing or areas that could improve profit.

A marketing analyst can be a fun job as they review target demographics and the success of previous advertisements in a way to create new advertising for the future.

Consulting

MBA graduates typically enjoy giving their opinions, and for them, consulting jobs are ideal. In consulting, a business or private individual comes to a consultant and asks, “What do you think?” Consulting jobs are very prestigious, as the supervisors or CEOs of major industries will come to a managing consultant to ask for ways to boost their bottom line. Serving as a guru or wizard of sorts, consultants are usually paid very well.

Entrepreneur

Some people start an MBA course study in the hopes of never having to work for a boss for the rest of their lives. Almost a quarter of MBA graduates own their own businesses in consulting, analyzing, advertising, or some other related business, finance, or management field. One problem that MBA graduates face is getting the start-up cash or the customers to immediately go on their own, so five to 10 years in the industry are often required. The experience never hurts, and the network connections a person makes are only positive… and why not live on the company dime and insurance benefits for a while? What makes it so easy for MBA graduates to become entrepreneurs is the fact that the main overhead is a person’s brain and expertise.

Some MBA graduates will face a hard time getting a job right out of graduate school because many of the industries are so competitive. Companies often say that a graduate is over qualified but they must remember to persevere because more often than not the right opportunity will come along.