Goals, the Entertainment Industry, and Entertainment Careers for MBA Admissions Consultants
For some people, working in the entertainment industry is their lifelong dream. People come from all over the world to work in Hollywood, New York, Canada, London, and even Bollywood because of the glitz, glamour, and gluttony. It is a well-known fact that getting a job in this highly walled fortress of employment is not only challenging, but also arguably the hardest industry in the world to get into. How do you gain access?
In the past, nepotism was the most important thing, so if your father or mother worked at a movie studio, for example, you had a chance.
This was made worse by the unions, which are closed groups that still run the movie business today. But what if you want to work away from the film set, maybe in the accounting, finance, or strategy departments of a major studio? Maybe what you need is an MBA from a top school. After all, the Harvard Business School directory is devoid of industry experts, and other prestigious universities have had greater success sending alumni to companies like Disney, Paramount, and Universal. I mean, someone has to run the business behind all the noise and commotion, right?
The good news is…
…that there are lots of positions for MBAs in the film business, and studios do offer vacancies for applicants with a preference for MBAs.
The bad news is…
… that it's just as competitive as the more "creative" professions in the business. There's also a lot of pushback in the film industry, especially towards the highly educated. Whether it's insecurity, intimidation, or a "they need to put in the blood, sweat, and tears like I did" mindset. The "business" is full with people willing to reject freshly minted MBA holders and thereby get their revenge on a world where they may have been rejected themselves at some point.
One thing that our own consulting clients have shown us, however, is that the better the school, the better your chances are of being offered a good job in the corner office at Hollywood and Vine.
The small details that make your story stand out to the admissions committees are probably the same ones that will help you get hired in the Entertainment Industry. Showing a little more passion, creativity, and even whimsy will make you stand out, which is important both for getting into an MBA program and for getting a job in Hollywood. To stand out, you have to get in—on both sides. Don't underestimate the power of a good school's network, but don't think that there's one school that will make it easier for you to get in either. At the end of the day, it's way more about you than about your school.
Another thought: Since the digital revolution, the entertainment industry has grown far beyond Hollywood. If you want a creative job, don't forget about gaming, podcasting, digital distribution, and virtual reality, to name just a few of the many options.
There has never been a better time to use your MBA to get a job in the entertainment industry. Just be smart about which classes you take and make your own qualifications check list, ideally using classes you took outside of your MBA to prepare you for this unique world. Most MBA programs let you take electives from other parts of the university. This is another good reason to try to get into a top program, where the courses will be high quality and recruiters will know about them. But the first step is to get that top MBA. We recommend the book "Wannabe: A Would-Be Player's Misadventures in Hollywood" by Everett Weinberger, who tried to use his Ivy League education and MBA to get into film production.
If you are looking to further your career in entertainment and media through an MBA, let's talk.
Since 2006, we have worked with applicants from the entertainment media industry – from Hollywood studios to media technology firms, from stalwarts like Disney and Pixar to innovative startup entertainment companies.