Michigan Ross Named One of the Top Business School Feeders for MBA Jobs at Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google
The Ross School of Business had the second highest number of full-time MBA graduates landing jobs at the country’s leading tech giants, the FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google), according to data put together by Menlo Coaching.
Menlo Coaching analyzed more than 50,000 student profiles, drawn from publicly posted lists and social media profiles on sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, to extract information about MBA grads hired by the FAANG employers over 2018, 2019, and 2020. The organization’s findings were highlighted by Fortune.
"It’s no secret that Michigan Ross has long led the pack as a feeder school for Amazon; it hired 76 MBAs in total from the classes of 2018, 2019 and 2020,” stated the Fortune article.
One reason Fortune described Michigan Ross as having such a strong MBA-to-Amazon pipeline is Ross grad Peter Faricy, MBA ’95, who spent nearly a decade as vice president of Amazon Marketplace.
“Faricy left Amazon in 2018 and now is CEO of SunPower Corp. Still, he clearly planted the seeds for continued interest in the school and he maintains ties with Ross, serving in his ninth year on the (Ross School) Advisory Board, where he is currently vice chairman," wrote Fortune.
Fortune described how choosing the right business school is critical for a career in tech, and that top schools like Michigan Ross — which offer hands-on experience with creative problem-solving opportunities and access to a strong network — can assist graduates' pathway to success in the industry.
That was true for Michael Beals, MBA ’22, who said the power of the Michigan Ross alumni network assisted him in transitioning to the tech industry.
"What stood out to me was how helpful and responsive the Ross alumni network in Big Tech was,” he said. “I was able to find Rossers with very similar backgrounds to mine at multiple FAANG companies, and they reassured me that someone like me (with my non-traditional background) could thrive, especially as these companies espouse collaborative cultures that are nearly identical to that of Ross."
Growing interest of Michigan Ross MBA in tech
For several years, there has been a growing interest in tech offerings and post-graduation careers in the industry by Michigan Ross students. According to the Ross Full-Time MBA employment report, 24.9% of the Ross Class of 2021 went into tech. Over half of the tech hires accepted positions at the ever-popular post-grad MBA destinations: Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple.
In addition, the Full-Time MBA employment report showed tech was a top industry for the Class of 2022 internships, with Amazon and Google among the largest internship and full-time employers.
“The Menlo Coaching data is a strong testament to the drive and excellence of our Michigan Ross MBA students and the connections of our Career Development Office to the top tech companies”, said Heather Byrne, managing director of the Ross Career Development Office. “Ross has a wealth of opportunities for students to get hands-on experience in tech, and our coaches help students translate and articulate those experiences to recruiters in order to land the jobs they want in tech.”
Increasing number of opportunities at Michigan Ross at the intersection of business and tech
Michigan Ross students have a multitude of opportunities to pursue their tech interests to help land their dream jobs. Beyond a wide variety of tech-focused courses, ranging from blockchain/cryptocurrency to big data analysis and AI development, many of those experiences are offered through the new Business+Tech initiative.
Through Business+Tech, students from Michigan Ross and across the University of Michigan can learn, grow, and experience real-world tech concepts in action through cross-disciplinary events, programs, and competitions. These opportunities include:
FinTech Challenge
The +Tech 2022 FinTech Challenge is a competition that prompts students to develop fintech-based solutions to real-world business problems by working on multidisciplinary teams. Student teams are encouraged to think creatively as they pursue new, disruptive ideas at the intersection of finance and technology.
+Tech Datathon
The +Tech Datathon 2022 hackathon competition gives interdisciplinary student teams the opportunity to analyze a real-world set of data to develop and pitch an innovative, data-driven solution to solve a business challenge.
+Tech Innovation Jam
The +Tech Innovation Jam is a four-week program where students work in cross-functional teams to combine creativity and tech to design, build, and pitch an innovative product concept.
+Tech Literacy Download
Students at all comfort levels can build their tech literacy skills at +Tech Literacy Download. This week of workshops encourages the exploration and learning of the technology world in a low-stress environment.
Sports Tech Conference
The Michigan Ross Sports Tech Conference is a two-day event where keynote speakers, industry expert panels, and leaders in sports and technology join the Ross community to share insights and best practices about the intersection of sport, business, and technology.
Business, Innovation & Tech Mixer
The Business, Innovation & Tech Mixer is the first networking event of its kind at U-M for tech-oriented students interested in collaborating with engineering, information, and business students to make connections, join a team or venture, and get inspired to innovate.
Opportunities for hands-on experience working with top tech companies
In addition to providing many opportunities for students to learn about tech and engage in programming, Michigan Ross also offers many curricular and co-curricular experiences for students to work directly with the FAANG companies and other top tech organizations.
Those include through MAP (Multidisciplinary Action Projects), the signature action-based learning course at Michigan Ross where students work in teams on high-impact projects at sponsoring companies, as well as the team projects course offered through the Tauber Institute for Global Operations.
Although she already had experience working in tech, these opportunities to work on projects with tech companies helped attract Christina Weiberg, MBA ’22, to pursue her MBA at Michigan Ross.
“When thinking about an MBA program, I knew I wanted to step into the ‘big league tech industry.’ I specifically chose Ross because of the opportunity to be a Tauber Fellow. Tauber's long-standing connection with technology companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and new startups allowed me intimate access to technology companies within an already top-ranked MBA program. After interning with Amazon this summer, I was able to expand my understanding of how a technology and operations giant like Amazon continues to innovate and be a world leader in so many different spaces, and look forward to returning to this space after I graduate."
