Carla Silva is the Career Services Director at Porto Business School in Portugal, which recently released its International MBA Employment Report 2025.

We learn more from Carla about the new employment trends she is seeing, how AI is impacting recruitment and career services, and what the new report reveals about MBA graduate employment today.

1. What trends are you seeing in graduate employment?

Graduate employment is being shaped by three major forces: technological acceleration, geopolitical and economic uncertainty, and a need for adaptable and purpose-driven leadership. Employers are still looking for strong analytical and strategic skills, but they increasingly want graduates who can work with ambiguity, understand digital transformation, and lead across functions, cultures and geographies.

This is very visible in our International MBA Employment Report 2025. Technology became the leading post-MBA destination sector for our graduates, rising from 26% pre-MBA to 41% post-MBA. We also observe graduates moving into roles that require broader business ownership, including General Management, Technology, Marketing & Sales, and Operations & Supply Chain.

This mirrors wider market trends. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies technological change, geoeconomic fragmentation, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts, and the green transition as the major forces reshaping labour markets through 2030. In graduate management education specifically, GMAC’s 2025 Corporate Recruiters Survey shows that employers continue to value MBA talent, particularly as AI becomes more embedded in business.

What is also changing is the meaning of international mobility. It is no longer only about relocating from one country to another. Increasingly, graduates are building international careers through global teams, remote collaboration and cross-border projects. In our report, 24% of the International MBA cohort made a geographical shift, while the class itself represented 11 nationalities.

2. Porto Business School recently released its International MBA Employment Report 2025. Why is it important for schools to monitor results such as this through an employment report?

Employment reports are fundamental because they bring transparency and accountability to the student journey. They help prospective students understand what kinds of outcomes are possible, they support current students in benchmarking their ambitions, and they help employers better understand the talent profile of a school.

Additionally, employment reports are becoming more strategic than ever. Labour markets are changing quickly, and business schools need to be able to identify where demand is growing, where students are succeeding, and where additional support is needed. At Porto Business School, the report helps us evaluate placement and career transformation. For example, the 2025 report shows an 81% job placement rate within three months of graduation. It also reports a 90% average salary increase, with the salary indicators sourced from the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking for the International MBA 2022/23 edition.

Those figures matter, but they are only part of the story. The report also shows how students are changing direction: 46% changed sector, 65% changed function, and 15% achieved a “triple jump”, meaning they changed geography, sector and function. That tells us something very important: the MBA is not only helping people progress; it is helping them reinvent their careers in response to a changing world.

3. Did the report reveal any surprising trends in employment that you weren’t expecting?

One of the most interesting findings was the scale of transformation. We always expect MBA students to be ambitious about change, but the extent of that change was striking. In the International MBA Class of 2025, 65% changed function and 46% changed sector. This confirms that many professionals are no longer thinking about careers as linear progressions. They are looking for reinvention, resilience, and broader impact.

Technology was another standout. The increase from 26% pre-MBA to 41% post-MBA shows that the sector continues to attract MBA talent, but it also reflects a broader reality: almost every sector now needs leaders who understand technology. AI, data, cybersecurity, digital products and platform models are no longer niche topics; they are part of mainstream management.

The entrepreneurial outcomes were also significant. In the report, 9% of students started their own business, which aligns with what we see more broadly: graduates are not only seeking roles in innovative companies; some are creating the companies themselves.

4. Can you share some success stories that illustrate the importance of Career Services at business schools?

Yes, and these stories show that Career Services is not simply about helping students find vacancies. It is about supporting them to understand their value, build confidence, access networks, and make informed career decisions.

One example is Luís Silva, who moved from a Senior Pharmacist role in healthcare to a Business Development Representative role at Coverflex in the technology sector. His first connection with the company began through a conversation at the PBS Career Summit, which is a strong example of how employer engagement can open unexpected doors.

Another example is Vanda Ying Cabral, who moved from consulting and strategic marketing into a sustainability role in Malawi. Her career story reflects a wider employment trend: the growing relevance of sustainability, impact, and responsible leadership in management careers. Her MBA experience, including sustainability courses, certification and the Capstone Project, helped her connect business strategy with real-world impact.

We also see important examples of international mobility, such as Tess Greven, who moved from Brazil to Portugal for the International MBA and later secured a Growth Associate role with a UK company, fully remote. These stories demonstrate the value of combining personal advising, employer access, mentoring and international exposure.

5. What is the best way to build and maintain relationships with employers, both locally and internationally?

The best employer relationships are built on partnership, not transactions. A business school should not only speak to employers when there is a recruitment need. We need to maintain an ongoing dialogue about skills, talent, leadership challenges and the future of work.

At Porto Business School, we do this through Career Summits, individual career advising, mentoring, recruitment initiatives, networking moments, and regular conversations with companies. In our International MBA Employment Report 2025, we highlight 120 companies involved in Career Summits, 360 individual career advising sessions, and 85 mentors. These numbers reflect a wider ecosystem connecting students, alumni, employers and Career Services.

Locally, employer relationships are about understanding the needs of the Portuguese and regional business community, while also helping companies access international and experienced MBA talent. Internationally, the focus is on alumni networks, global employers, sector-specific opportunities, and partnerships that allow students to engage with companies beyond their immediate geography.

This is particularly important now because employers are hiring for agility. According to GMAC’s 2025 Corporate Recruiters Survey, employers continue to value graduate business education in an AI-driven and hybrid work environment. That means schools have a responsibility to help employers understand not just what students have studied, but how they can contribute to transformation.

6. How has employer engagement changed post-pandemic?

The pandemic normalised digital recruitment, remote interviews, virtual employer sessions, and hybrid networking, which are now embedded in employer engagement.

This has widened access: international employers can connect with students more easily, and graduates can explore global opportunities without always relocating immediately. It has also broadened what we mean by an international career, with more professionals working across global teams and cross-border projects from one location.

At the same time, in-person engagement remains crucial for trust, culture and deeper relationships. The most effective model is hybrid: digital tools expand reach, while face-to-face interaction creates depth. Career Services must prepare students to succeed in both environments.

7. What challenges do international students face, and how do Career Services help them overcome these?

International students often face practical, cultural, and strategic challenges: understanding local labour markets, recruitment timelines, visa and work authorisation processes, compensation expectations and, sometimes, language requirements.

They also need to translate their previous experience into a new market. A CV, interview answer, or LinkedIn profile cannot simply be translated; it must be adapted to what employers in that geography or sector value. At Porto Business School, we support students through personalised advising, mentoring, employer engagement, and access to networks, helping them build a clear career narrative.

The International MBA Class of 2025 showcased 11 nationalities across Europe, Latin America, and North America, reinforcing why Career Services must be highly personalised rather than one-size-fits-all.

8. How has AI impacted your work within Career Services? Has it changed how students engage with employers, or vice versa?

AI has significantly impacted Career Services, and we are still at the beginning of this transformation. Students use AI to research companies, analyse job descriptions, prepare for interviews, improve applications, and identify skills gaps. Employers are also applying AI in recruitment, screening, workforce planning, and assessment.

This creates opportunities, but also responsibilities: AI can make career preparation more personalised and efficient, but it must be used critically, ethically, and authentically.

At Porto Business School, we see AI as a tool to strengthen, not replace, human career development. Judgment, empathy, communication, adaptability, and responsible leadership are now more important than ever.

For additional insights, announcements and perspectives on MBA employment and career trends, visit the conversation on Career Services.