Even Harvard Graduates Struggle to Get Hired... 1 in 5 Says "Looking for a Job"

Recently, as demand for high-paying professional jobs in the United States has decreased, even graduates of Harvard Business School (MBA) are reportedly struggling to find desirable positions.

On the 15th, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that 23% of job seekers who graduated from Harvard Business School in the spring of 2024 were still actively looking for jobs three months after graduation. This represents a 3 percentage point increase from 20% a year ago. In 2022, this figure was only 10%. However, this outcome appears to be due to the reduced demand for white-collar professional employment.

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Christine Fitzpatrick, who is in charge of career development and alumni relations at Harvard Business School, said, "Being from Harvard does not exempt one from difficulties in the job market," adding, "Simply graduating from Harvard is no longer a differentiator; actual capabilities are required."

It appears that it is not only Harvard graduates from prestigious business schools who are having difficulty finding desirable jobs. Graduates from other top-tier business schools such as the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and NYU Stern School of Business are also facing worse employment conditions compared to the past.

WSJ analyzed data from various business schools and concluded that, with some exceptions, the proportion of graduates from top-tier business schools in 2024 who have not found jobs three months after graduation has doubled compared to 2022. University officials attribute the tightening job market for even prestigious business school graduates to reduced hiring by big tech companies such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, as well as consulting firms, which have traditionally recruited heavily from these schools.

Jenny Jenner, Senior Director at the Career Center of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, noted that companies are changing their hiring practices, stating, "Companies are now saying they will no longer come to campus." Universities are also strengthening their employment support programs. For example, Harvard Business School has introduced an intensive four-day job preparation course focused on networking techniques and ways to showcase one’s capabilities, WSJ reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.