Duke MQM Student Blog
How Our MQM Alumni Support Career Success
I am proud to share how our recent graduates’ resilience paid off in the Class of 2023 MQM Employment Report, plus how alumni are shaping what’s possible for our students.
In my years working as a career coach, I have supported students through various cycles of the global economy. Graduates in the MQM Class of 2023 faced a truly unique year shaped by the declining demand in recruiting new talent as a result of economic uncertainty. I am proud to share how our recent graduates’ resilience paid off in the Class of 2023 MQM Employment Report, plus how alumni are shaping what’s possible for our students.
Outcomes for the Class of 2023
As the 2023 employment report shows, 77% of graduates accepted job offers within six months of graduation. They earned an average base salary of $90,534, the second-highest salary average for MQM graduates since the program began, and a median base salary of $86,000.
Because companies are increasingly interested in talented candidates with diverse competencies and an understanding of data analytics in a business context, it is no surprise that our graduates earned roles across a wide variety of industries. Financial services and technology hired the most recent graduates. The most popular functional areas were data analytics, finance and accounting, and sales and marketing.
Graduates found roles with 121 different employers in the U.S. and abroad. Capital One, Walmart, Fidelity Investments, and JP Morgan Chase, among others, hired multiple graduates.
Increased Alumni Support in Recruiting Efforts
While support from our team at the Career Management Center (CMC) is always important, it is especially critical when graduates are faced with an uncertain economy. This year we partnered with our alumni to launch a new career development program.
So far, 120 MQM alumni have agreed to mentor students during their job search, offering more insight into the recruiting process and connections to extended networks. Our alumni will also provide non-evaluative mock interviews to students who receive interview invites to their companies.
Support from Fuqua’s loyal alumni network has played a significant role in the development of our graduates for many years. With this new program, I hope to continue to forge strong bonds between past, current, and future MQM classes.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with many alumni in recent months. I’ve listened to their reflections about their Fuqua experience and how the MQM program prepared them to pursue rewarding careers. My team has been able to translate these learnings into actionable insights about how to strengthen our career services for our students. This is yet another example of how our alumni play an invaluable role in career development for students. It is great to see the way our community works together to support each other.
I take pride in the individual success of each graduate—and love hearing stories of persistence like this one. I look forward to seeing how our 2023 graduates impact their companies, and I can’t wait to welcome them back as alumni to mentor the next generation of MQM students.