University of Pittsburgh

What Program is Right for Me?

Career Switcher: Define Skills, Retool, and Transform

Transitioning from one career to another takes concerted effort. The Katz MBA programs that are best suited to you are the Two-Year MBA Program, Part-time MBA Program, or one of our Dual Degree options.  In your MBA transformation it is critical that you identify the gaps in your skill set—by assessing your current skills and experiences in light of where you next want to go in your career—and use the MBA experience to address those gaps. At the same time, you have the opportunity to build on the strengths that you have developed to this point.

Address the identified gaps in your skill set through a series of academic and practical experiences. Our academic program provides you with a foundation of knowledge that will bring new life to your professional experiences. Identify opportunities through our experiential programs to augment your professional acumen.

You have at your disposal, a professional Career Services and coaching staff who will work with you in mapping out your plan for making the transition to a highly-skilled management position in the industry and job function that you’ve identified. The most successful career switcher in the Katz program is one who is actively engaged in all aspects of the MBA experience. 

You’ll be encouraged to be creative in identifying ways to address the gaps in your skill set. In addition to your academic focus, you may seek to take the lead on a project course, identify an independent study opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member in your area of focus, or take advantage of the Competency-Based Coaching Program.  Build your networking skills through a variety of student clubs and organizations at Katz and across campus. All of this should be done with the focus of reaching your career goals in a new industry or job function.

An Example of a Career Switcher

Devon Alder earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from University of Texas at Austin and spent one year in sales and three years in the hospitality industry before deciding to pursue an MBA degree.

Having identified an interest in a career as a corporate financial analyst, Devon spent a lot of time interviewing financial analysts to learn more about their day to day tasks and responsibilities. She enjoyed the analytical part of her job in the hospitality industry (reconciling daily sales and even being part of a new venture and opening that operation), but was looking to start a career in business.

Devon recently took an internship with Ford Motor Co. Finance.