Which careers after business school?

In brief
A business school leads to careers in commerce, marketing, finance, human resources, management, communication, logistics, purchasing and, increasingly, tech, in almost every sector of activity.
At Excelia Business School, the Bachelor in Business, the BBA International, the Master in Management (Programme Grande École) and the Master of Science (MSc) programmes prepare you for these different career opportunities, with specialisations chosen progressively throughout the course.

Commerce and distribution

Commerce and distribution recruit profiles capable of constantly reinventing the customer experience, in a sector that has already transformed several times: the rise of large retailers, then the arrival of e-commerce, then today the return of local shops. This ongoing restructuring opens up positions focused on customer relations, business development and export.

• Customer officer
• Salesperson
• Commercial development officer
• Sales director
• Export area sales manager
• International product manager

Marketing and advertising

Marketing and advertising combine creativity, knowledge of consumers and data analysis. Digital now occupies a central place, from search engine optimisation to multichannel campaigns, through social media, content creation, acquisition and performance measurement. Careers in the sector are evolving rapidly with new digital uses and the development of artificial intelligence.

• Product manager
• Marketing manager
• Marketing research officer
• Marketing data analyst
• Social media manager
• SEO/SEA manager

Our Excelia Business School blog article on marketing careers that are hiring details each of these roles.

Finance, management accounting and consulting

Finance, management accounting and consulting offer varied career opportunities to business school graduates. Financial analysis, management control, audit, risk management or consulting: these careers require mastering the figures, but also knowing how to interpret them to inform decisions and support company strategy.

• Management controller
• Treasurer
• Accountant
• Wealth manager
• Finance director
• Financial auditor

Find the full overview in the Excelia Business School blog article on finance careers that are hiring.

Human resources

Human resources support employees at every stage of their journey within the company. Recruitment, training, skills and career management, employee relations or quality of life at work: HR careers combine human issues with the strategic needs of the organisation.

• Recruitment officer
• Training manager
• Career management officer
• Human resources director

These different careers can be explored in greater depth through the specialisations offered by Excelia Business School's Master of Science (MSc) programmes, presented further on in this article.

Management: leadership and adaptability

Management today requires the ability to bring teams together and support them in constantly changing working environments. Hybrid work, diversity of profiles and cultures, new expectations from employees or the transformation of organisations: managers must combine leadership, adaptability, communication and decision-making.

• Operations manager
• International project manager
• Business developer
• Team manager
• Account manager

Communication and public relations

Communication careers combine creativity and strategy to build and enhance an organisation's image, develop its visibility and create a lasting connection with its different audiences. Digital communication, press relations, events, influence or brand communication: there are many fields to work in.

• Press officer
• International communications officer
• Digital communications officer
• Public relations consultant
• Communications director

Logistics and purchasing

Purchasing and logistics are at the heart of company performance and are closely linked. Purchasing selects suppliers, negotiates terms and controls costs, while logistics organises flows to guarantee product availability, meet deadlines and ensure service quality. Together, these functions help make the supply chain more efficient, agile and resilient.

• Supply chain manager
• Purchasing and procurement manager
• Planning manager

Working in tech after a business school

Tech offers new prospects to business school graduates, particularly in careers at the interface between technology, strategy and business. Data, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and product management now occupy an increasingly important place within companies, creating a need for people able to understand these issues and turn them into development opportunities.

• Data analyst: uses data to guide strategic decisions
• Product manager: drives the development of innovative products
• Growth hacker: accelerates a company's growth using digital levers

The Excelia Business School blog article on the most promising digital careers details these same profiles, hybrid between business and technology.

Which programmes lead to these careers?

Not all these careers require the same path. At Excelia Business School, four programmes allow you to progressively build your professional project: the Bachelor in Business, the BBA International, the Master in Management and the Master of Science (MSc) programmes. Throughout the course, students refine their direction and choose specialisations according to their skills, their interests and the career they wish to pursue.
Depending on the programme followed and their project, they can then enter the workforce, continue their studies to develop more advanced expertise, or turn to entrepreneurship and starting a business.

If you're still unsure between these paths, our post-baccalaureate guidance quiz helps you identify the programme that suits you.

The Master in Management offers numerous specialisation paths, allowing everyone to build a profile in line with their professional project, their aspirations and the skills they wish to develop (the Master in Management). Excelia Business School's Master of Science (MSc) programmes, meanwhile, are programmes specialised by field, available in classic format or on a work-study basis (the Master of Science programmes); at Bac+3, it is the Bachelor in Business that lays the first operational foundations, and at Bac+4, the BBA International that adds an international dimension.

This academic rigour is also reflected in international recognition: Excelia Business School holds the accreditations EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA and EFMD Master, a quadruple accreditation held by only 1% of business schools worldwide.

Professional success can also go hand in hand with concrete commitment. At Excelia Business School, this dimension is reflected in particular through two schemes, Humacité© and Climacité©. Depending on the programme followed, the course includes a Humacité© mission and/or a Climacité© project, allowing students to confront their skills with human, social and environmental issues (find out more about student engagement).

Once you have chosen your programme, the question of budget naturally arises: our simulator gives you an estimate of your study costs in just a few minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Which careers can you pursue after a business school?

You can move into a variety of sectors: marketing, finance, commerce, human resources, communication or logistics. Companies are looking for versatile professionals, capable of quickly taking on roles with responsibility.

What can you do after a business school?

You can join the professional world directly, continue your studies with a specialisation, or launch into entrepreneurship to create your own business. The Excelia network has 53,000 graduates engaged in equally varied career paths.

Does a business school only lead to careers in commerce?

No: human resources, marketing, finance, management, communication, logistics and purchasing are just as much a part of it. Most of these careers exist in almost every sector of activity, not just in commerce.

Can you work internationally after a business school?

Yes: careers such as export area sales manager, international product manager or international communications officer are commonly practised outside France. The Excelia network is present in 150 countries, further proof of the international dimension of these careers.

Can you start your own business after a business school?

Yes, entrepreneurship is one of the possible career paths after graduating. The Master of Science (MSc) programmes in Entrepreneurship prepare you specifically for this, for those who prefer to build their own project rather than join a company.