5 post-MBA roles for a good work-life balance

U2B spoke to Duncan Chapple, ABD doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh business school who specialises in teaching and researching new ventures and new markets to find out if MBA graduates would be able to find roles that gave them a healthy work-life balance.

Chapple’s research focuses on informatics and digital entrepreneurship and has also lectured at the Lancaster, Manchester, Sheffield, and Nottingham business schools.

Chapple, a business school admissions consultant has a strong track record of matching professionals to the right MBA and the right business school for years.

When asked what careers MBA graduates should opt for to enjoy a good work-life balance, he suggests that MBA holders who are looking for careers that can offer the best work-life balance should opt for a career in entrepreneurship.

He explains that as an entrepreneur, an individual has complete control over the amount of time they spend working.

He warns that however, this may work in reverse as many people who become entrepreneurs are workaholics and cautions that these individuals may lack time management skills, which is one of the main pitfalls most MBA graduates succumb to.

“If the aim is to achieve a more balanced lifestyle, it is important for an entrepreneur to take concrete steps to get off their phones and learn how to say no. This includes learning how to make a choice when tasks that demand your attention come up,” Chapple says.

Chapple emphasises that entrepreneurs will have to develop the discipline to delegate tasks effectively so that they can direct their attention on the task on hand more effectively – which could be something like paying attention to your family or spending time on your hobbies.

He adds that these are privileges that entrepreneurs should understand and not take for granted.

The mindset shift he says is essential for those who make the transition from employee to entrepreneur after completing their MBAs.

Chapple asserts that MBA holders who are seeking a better work-life balance are also able to find opportunities in the corporate world. He adds that there are roles that allow these professionals to leverage their network to minimise the amount of time they spend working.

Chapple offers corporate recruiting, where the role of a recruitment consultant is about speaking to hiring managers and employers to solve industry problems, and this can be done by leveraging your network for support and guidance and therefore, MBA holders who want a better work-life balance can enter the consultancy field.

Additionally, roles in technology design including user interface design, requirements analysis, and systems analysis that entail communication and knowledge transfer can also help these individuals strike that balance.

Chapple also recommends that MBA graduates should consider data science as a promising area, as data science is a field that does not occur in real-time.

He adds that there is a huge growth in demand for data scientists that will benefit from the MBA skillset.

Chapple also adds that a growing role that also benefits from the MBA skill set is strategic management.

These individuals are responsible for evaluating actions and to seek options for a businesses’ long-term financial value and the operational risk that they develop.

Strategy managers will be able to have more control over their roles, which will in turn help with the work-life balance a little better. Chapple also recommends careers that function as an interface between delivery teams and customers such as account management to offer a better work-life experience.

While it is quite common for professionals to claim that spending long hours working is necessary, studies show that work-life balance is increasingly becoming a priority.

However, there are some careers that may require fewer hours than most and offer more flexible schedules for MBA holders who make work-life balance a priority.