Applicant Survey
Ukraine
Ukrainians most optimistic
about MBa salaries, survey says
Pick a country, any country. That’s what QS TopMBA
Career Guide and topmba.com editor ross Geraghty
did when looking at the recent QS TopMBA Applicant
Survey, the most comprehensive study of MBA
candidates ever completed. He decided to select one
country at random and take a close look at the results.
And the country that came out of the hat? ukraine.
U
krainian MBAs have high, even skyrocket in the time they are attending business same industry. However most MBAs are, sensibly,
unrealistic salary expectations, according school; that it is in fact possible for them to achieve looking at the bigger picture and not just their
to the QS TopMBA Applicant Survey a more than 400% pay increase by taking an MBA; bank balances when considering business school.
2008. The survey, which was sent in by attendees or, Ukrainians are largely considering living and The survey says that improving career prospects,
of the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 QS World MBA working in countries with far higher average salaries learning new skills, building professional
Tour, canvasses the opinions of thousands of MBA than their own country can provide. networks and enabling a career change are more
applicants worldwide and is the best indication yet Of course an MBA is a sure way of increasing important than straight salary uplift.
of the professional thoughts, desires and aspirations a graduate’s salary; as a rule of thumb, estimate an
of the MBA world. average 20% increase in salary a year after Salaries
graduation. Figures from QS also show that MBAs But why do Ukrainian MBA candidates think that
Credit crunch in consulting, for example, will earn 35% more business school is going to more than quadruple
In this time of financial uncertainty, with the credit than someone with four years experience in the their salaries? For one, it does seem that many of
crunch making itself felt in the finance houses of them are considering living and working in the
the US and Western Europe, it is encouraging that country where they study, hence earning the
there are parts of the world remaining buoyant. In salaries available in those countries. The top six
some countries, MBA candidates are looking nations for Ukrainians to study in are as follows:
forward to improving their careers and salaries
without trepidation.
USA 79%
In the case of Ukraine, this has translated
UK 77%
itself into an extreme, with regard to salary
expectations. As the survey shows, candidates from
Canada 36%
that country have the second highest ‘salary uplift’
Germany 33%
expectations in the world (behind India). This
Switzerland 26%
means that although Ukrainians responding to the
survey had an average salary of less than
France 26%
US$20,000, the 7th lowest of the 33 countries
participating in the QS survey, their salary In selecting a country for study, Ukrainians
expectations averaged at a colossal US$90-95,000, said that international recognition of qualifications,
the 13th highest. cultural interest, lifestyle and improving language
This suggests one of three things: Ukrainian skills are the top three priorities, hence the US,
MBA candidates are unbelievably confident – UK and Australia (7th) featuring so high. However
perhaps deluded - that the Ukraine economy will
Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in kiev
the fact is that those countries are all in the world’s
194 TopMBA CAreer Guide www.topmba.com
MBA_FALL_08_pp_066-287.indd 194 15/8/08 11:20:56
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