Uncovering the Mystery Behind MBA Salaries in the Current Economic Climate
MBA Podcaster Asks the Experts What MBAs in Investment Banking and Private Equity Can Expect

LOS ANGELES, CA, September 10, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Salaries for MBA graduates, especially those in the traditionally highly-paid sectors of investment banking and private equity, is something that many MBA graduates, as well as incoming and current business school students are worried about. It's obvious that the finance industry is not the easiest place to find a job at the moment, but for those few MBA grads savvy enough to land a job, what kinds of salaries can they expect? How is the recession affecting MBA salaries in finance jobs, on and off Wall Street?

MBA Podcaster recently published a show interviewing some of the salary experts at the nation's top recruiting and career opportunity firms about what MBA graduates in the finance industry can expect to commission and how incoming and current business school students can position themselves to land a job in this current economic climate. The experts interviewed include:

• Brian Korb, Partner and Head of the Private Equity practice at Glocap Search, a recruiting firm focused mainly on alternative assets
• Mareza Larizadeh, Founder of Doostang, an invite-only website that connects young professionals with career opportunities
• Al Lee, Director of Quantitative Analysis at Payscale, a company that collects salary data from individuals through online pay comparison tools
• Derek Loosvelt, Finance Editor at Vault.com, a website that provides information and solutions for professionals and students who are pursuing and managing high-potential careers

While the future of MBA graduates in investment banking and private equity is far from grim, the experts agree that it's going to take additional effort from each individual to land themselves a job in the finance industry. Some of the highlights from the MBA Podcaster interview are:

• Starting salaries for MBA grads in First Year Associate investment banking positions - after bonus - range from $80 to $150 thousand.
• Across the investment banking sector, all-in salaries plus bonuses are down about 40 to 80 percent from their 2007 peak though base salaries have remained approximately the same, leaving the difference being made up in significantly smaller bonuses.
• MBA hiring in banking will get more competitive, partly because there are many people who were laid off and haven't yet been re-hired.
• The stellar hiring pool available to financial-services firms may be one reason hiring is starting to pick up. This reduces opportunities for career-switchers or MBA grads looking to get into investment banking or private equity for the first time.
• Summer internships for MBAs are still paid and still available, though there is more competition for these career-building opportunities and more employers are looking for experience in private equity or banking when picking a summer intern candidate.
• Career trajectories are going to be more gradual at this stage of the game. Annual salary bumps are going to be smaller, and it may take a title promotion to really increase your compensation, at least until the economy recovers.

Listeners can visit the MBA Podcaster Web site (www.mbapodcaster.com) to hear the entire interview for additional insight on salary expectations for MBAs in finance.

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