Careers in Economics
An undergraduate degree in economics leads to several career paths, and personal choices along the way play a significant role in determining where one
ends up. We understand that navigating through one's career, especially at the start, as an 18-year-old, can seem quite daunting and perplexing. So we've
made an effort to encapsulate in an infographic the more popular career paths for economics graduates, and the choices that matter along the way.
How to read the career path(s) in the graphic:
Follow the arrows to see where they lead. Equally, choose your professional aspiration and trace the steps to your goal!
Corporate Sector
Ÿ An MBA is ideal for managerial careers in generalist roles
Ÿ MSc Eco/Fin can facilitate mid-level specialist roles, or entry-level generalist roles
Ÿ A Ph.D. gets you furthest in specialist roles
Academia, Development, Policy
Ÿ MSc can facilitate mid-level roles
Ÿ Ph.D. is highly desirable and gets
you furthest in these careers
Citibank,
HSBC,
Moody’s,
Indiabulls
Bain,
McKinsey,
BCG, EY,
Deloitte
HUL,
ITC,
Mercer,
Walmart
Banking,
Investments and
Other Financial
Services
Consulting
Data
Analytics
Academia/
Research
Marketing,
HRM, Finance,
Operations
Development/
Think Tanks
Actuarial
Science
Central
Bank
Entrepreneur/
Family
Business
Government
PhD
Flipkart,
Zomato,
Social Cops
ian
Ind
Operations, Human
Resource Management,
Family Business, etc.
Marketing
UNDP,
World Bank,
ADB, CPR,
J-PAL
Others
Finance
Finance
MBA
e
rvic
Se
Eco
Development
& Public Policy
M.Sc
Placements
(entry-level roles)
India: via CAT / XAT, etc.
Foreign: via GMAT
If you are certain of a career in
the corporate sector, seriously
consider an MBA, preferably
after working a while.
Economics
ic
nom
If you are unsure of your academic
conviction, you could work for a bit
before deciding what to study further;
this is also a pre-requisite for most
prestigious MBAs.
Start ups
Others
International
Relations,
Actuarial
Science, Political
Science any other
related
disciplines
India: via entrance tests
Foreign: via GRE/GMAT
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nm
If you love your subject and/or research
excites you, go in for a Master's, and maybe
even a PhD; a foreign Master's is also one of
the only ways to secure some work
experience overseas
Subject Choices
Towers
Watson,
Genpact,
Max, ICICI
Prudential
Amazon,
SmartCube,
Google, EXL
Analytics
Most Eco (Hons) programmes will allow some optional courses, eg. Monetary Eco, International Eco, Further Maths, Development Eco, etc. Some colleges
may also take options from other specializations, like International Relations, Corporate Finance, Marketing, Psychology, etc. These could be a good way to
explore an area of interest early on, and may even define your career choices afterwards (though, equally often, these may not).
Research and Summer Internships
Research assistantship: equips you with research skills - including methodology and data analysis, helps build academic perspective, very
helpful for higher study applications (including references). Summer internships: useful to explore a potential career path (or childhood
dream job!), build relevant skills to bolster future prospects, or land an early job offer. Business Plans: great for concretizing business ideas,
presenting them to industry experts for feedback, and even getting incubated into a working startup (with funding!).
Co Curricular and Extra Curricular Activities
Placements: gives industry exposure and adds value to job applications (plus your classmates will always owe you one!). Social work: high on personal
satisfaction, reflects desire to give back to society, strengthens your scholarship applications. Debating, MUN, Quiz, Editorial work: good for all-round
personality development, helps stay abreast of current affairs, hones ability to make well-researched arguments, adds value to job and higher study
applications. Dance, Music, Sports, Theatre: help build inter-personal skills, can add great value to applications if pursued at a competitive level.
Bye, bye school!
Hello, college!
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