Not looking for a job (yet), but more advice/thoughts. If this is more LR material, let me know.
I’m in a full-time MBA program as a career/industry switcher from corporate strategy in financial services to a product/brand manager or general management position. Seeing as I wasn’t passionate about finance, I’m looking for an industry where I am really interested and passionate about the products and naturally that leads me to the sports/fitness industry. Aside from the obvious players like Nike, etc, what are opportunities for top MBAs in this niche market? Are these firms big enough to hire them? Are there companies known for good strategy/brand mgt departments? Or do they hire from within, from their engineers and such? Does anyone out there have an MBA and work in the industry? What was your career path? I could always join a CPG firm and gain experience there in one of their management development programs, but if there are ways into my target industry (which doesn’t recruit on campus) I’d love to hear them! I’d rather be a brand manager for a bike brand than a soap one…
Curious what the collective ST experiences are. Thanks all!
I already have my MBA and have never seen a position like the one you describe (though I have looked). Your best bet, go work for somebody for free until you know something people in the industry care about. Brand Management is probably the less important skill than industry experience and networking. Industry experience/networking + brand management knowledge… now that might be worth something.
Good luck with the MBA program. I definitely believe that you need to do what you love or at least have a genuine interest in what you do. Tough call on where to look - larger companies are going to have the critical mass to employ numbers of MBAs (i.e. $100M+). Seems the trend these days is for large private equity firms and holding companies to buy up the small to medium sized player (see Cannondale, Zoot, etc.). One recommendation is to shoot for a consulting firm that has clients and projects in the industry and start networking well before second year interviewing starts. Not sure where you are but if you are in your first year it might make sense to seek out an opportunity, build an internship around it and sell it to your academic advisor. Lastly you could grind out 2-3 years in the mines working good old fashioned MBA work and punch out and and become a consultant or find some like minded individuals and put together a targeted consulting practice. Good luck.
Well, my suggestion is that you don’t worry about the widget you are brand/product managing and just find a great company with great people to work with. I use my MBA every day product managing semiconductors, and on the balance, have a blast doing it, working with some incredible professionals from whom I learn every day. Would I rather do the same job at Cervelo, or Kestrel or Kuota or or or? Well, perhaps, however, my brain is stimulated with an entire array of different technical data and market dynamics completely unrelated to bikes. YOu get to associate with a completely different professional network or people with entirely different interests and perhaps make a greater impact on the world in general by adding value in an industry more meaningful than athletics (nothing wrong with athletics, but maybe you end up product managing a CT scan line at medical imaging company…).
In the mean time you get to do tri to blow off steam and associate with another completely different peer network.