Career Support
EMBA - Career Paths
Career Paths
From individual advising to career programming, we have the resources to help you accelerate your career. Learn how we support different career paths.
Chart Your Path. Reach Your Goals.
While each student's journey is unique, our executive format students' career aspirations typically fall into three broad categories - Climber, Switcher, Entrepreneur.
At Darden, we work with you to develop a plan that is unique to your story and your goals. This support begins prior to the first day of class and continues well after graduation. In fact, all Darden alumni have access to free career services for life through the Armstrong Center for Alumni Career Services.
Which pathway best aligns with your goals?
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Climber
Many executive format students enjoy their current career path, and seek to leverage their MBA to rise up to the next level of leadership. Examples of career climbers include:
- Advancing to the next level of management within one’s current organization.
- Enhancing one’s management skills and business acumen to enable one to "stay on top of their game" and provide continued leadership in a changing business environment.
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Switcher
Over half of our executive format students now identify as career switchers. Examples of common career transitions include:
- Switching to a new company, industry, and/or profession.
- Transitioning from the military into a new role in the private or public sector.
- Launching a new business.
Darden creates opportunities for Executive MBA students to source new roles through a variety of in-person and virtual recruiting events, career conferences and interview forums across the country, networking events with alumni and business leaders, and a robust online job portal. However, most students seeking to make a career switch will likely find their next opportunity through a network driven search.
Months Until Graduation 18 15 12 9 6 3 0 Defining Yourself ✔ ✔ ✔ Packaging Yourself ✔ ✔ Marketing Plan ✔ ✔ Active Job Search ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Apply/Interview ✔ ✔ ✔ Negotiating Offers ✔ ✔ -
Entrepreneur
Darden's entrepreneurial offerings continue to be ranked among the best in the world by publications like the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine. Most of the entrepreneurial resources and opportunities available to residential MBA students are also available to Executive MBA (EMBA) students.
In recent years, we have had executive students participate in the UVA Entrepreneurship Cup, the Venture Capital Bootcamp, Start-Up Academy and the iLab summer incubator program. We even have an executive format student organization - Executive MBA Entrepreneurship Club (EMBEC) - focused on entrepreneurship.
Many executive format students enjoy their current career path, and seek to leverage their MBA to rise up to the next level of leadership. Examples of career climbers include:
- Advancing to the next level of management within one’s current organization.
- Enhancing one’s management skills and business acumen to enable one to "stay on top of their game" and provide continued leadership in a changing business environment.
Over half of our executive format students now identify as career switchers. Examples of common career transitions include:
- Switching to a new company, industry, and/or profession.
- Transitioning from the military into a new role in the private or public sector.
- Launching a new business.
Darden creates opportunities for Executive MBA students to source new roles through a variety of in-person and virtual recruiting events, career conferences and interview forums across the country, networking events with alumni and business leaders, and a robust online job portal. However, most students seeking to make a career switch will likely find their next opportunity through a network driven search.
| Months Until Graduation | 18 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defining Yourself | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Packaging Yourself | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Marketing Plan | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Active Job Search | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Apply/Interview | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||
| Negotiating Offers | ✔ | ✔ |
Darden's entrepreneurial offerings continue to be ranked among the best in the world by publications like the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine. Most of the entrepreneurial resources and opportunities available to residential MBA students are also available to Executive MBA (EMBA) students.
In recent years, we have had executive students participate in the UVA Entrepreneurship Cup, the Venture Capital Bootcamp, Start-Up Academy and the iLab summer incubator program. We even have an executive format student organization - Executive MBA Entrepreneurship Club (EMBEC) - focused on entrepreneurship.
Plan Your Next Move
Schedule a conversation to connect one-on-one with a member of our Admissions Committee and learn how a Darden MBA can help you advance your career.