The recruitment of international MBA students continues to be an area of concern according to the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance, a global association of business school career management offices and companies who hire MBA and Masters in Business students. The Alliance found in its recently released Autumn 2016 Recruiting Trends Survey that 51 per cent of schools reported a decrease for the hiring of international students. Anecdotal comments from schools, as well as responses to a follow-up survey with survey respondents, revealed an increasing caution among employers in recruiting international students due to the current uncertainty around a US immigration reform, which likely had an impact on survey results.

 QS’ website Top MBA has even published a guideline for international students now affected by the “Trump effect”. Their top tips for applying for a position in the current environment are:

• Showcasing global mobility and the ability to work, travel and successfully live in regions or countries other than the US
• Attending industry trade shows whilst still studying
• Applying at employers known as ‘non-cap employers’ as these are exempt from regulations which limit the number of H-1B visas that can be approved each year, like universities and some hospitals
  
  But back to other key findings of the MBACSEA Autumn 2016 Recruiting Trends Survey which were much more promising for the different MBA and Masters programmes:
  
  
• 41 per cent of schools reported an increase in on-campus recruiting for full-time MBA students in autumn 2016, with 29 per cent reporting recruiting as flat. This compares to 65 per cent that reported an increase in 2015 whilst 17 per cent reported it as flat a year ago
• 23 per cent of schools reported an increase for part-time MBAs, with 50 per cent of schools reporting it as flat. This compares to 46 per cent reporting an increase in 2015

Similar results were reported for Specialized Masters programme recruiting, with 23 per cent reporting an increase and 47 per cent indicating reporting was flat (compared with 55 per cent reporting an increase in 2015):

• Full-time MBA programmes identifying themselves as ranked from 21-50 reported the sharpest decrease (42 per cent) in recruiting in 2016. In comparison, in 2015 83 per cent of this group reported increased recruiting activity

• Consulting and technology industries continued to show stable year-over-year increases in recruiting activity while financial services experienced the highest reported year-over-year increase. Consulting and Financial Services were decreasing by a large number of schools

• Recruiting for full-time MBA students appears to have decreased from large companies (with over 500 employees)

• Recruiting by start-up organisations for MBA, part-time MBA and specialized Masters programmes increased, a consistent trend from previous years

Read more at MBA CSEA and Top MBA