Hi there. Maybe someone can help me out here with some guidance. I come from an NGO / non-profit background and I'm ready to move onto a normal job, hoping an MBA will help me ease the transition and open up the world. Would any particular MBAs be more suitable for me given my background? What are the prospects for MBA specializations such as sustainability? I'd think studying a standard MBA such as Finance, coming from the background I come from, might not help me as much when it comes to finding a good job.

You need career goals before picking an MBA. https://find-mba.com/board/general-forum/specific-career-goals-help-you-to-pick-the-right-mba-64431 and https://find-mba.com/board/general-forum/specialisations-dont-often-matter-42969 might help

Not sure what you really mean by a 'normal' job as surely that description applies to private sector or not for profit jobs?

You don't mention what functional background you have. Maybe think about the current skills you have and how transferable they might be. If you can identify roles in the private sector that interest you then compare the skills/experience needed. Depending on the gap, an MBA may or may not be the best way to address that gap.


Having done a lot of recruitment in the not for profit and private sectors here in the UK, I've seen quite a lot of bias from hiring managers in the private sector against candidates from the not for profit sector and vice versa. It's not insurmountable but something to consider when defining your career goals as Duncan suggests. You will invariably be asked at interviews why you want to make the shift.