Harrah's, and other big Las Vegas casinos, are recruiting new MBAs to work behind-the-scenes to improve their businesses, reports a Bloomberg Businessweek article entitled "Viva Las Vegas: MBAs Catch the Gaming Bug." With extensive knowledge and experience in marketing, refinancing, human resources, and management, these fresh-out-of-school MBA grads fit the casino job specs perfectly.
B-schools, and not just the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), are started to offer courses and clubs that focus on career development in the gaming/casino industry.
Harry Chernoff, a NYU Stern professor who teaches the course, Operations Entertainment: Las Vegas, explains that as the financial job market dries up, MBA students need to broaden their job-prospect horizons.
Many of the people who work in the gaming industry don't have business degrees; until recently, it was not required or a common occurrence. Now, not only does having an MBA greatly increase a job applicant's competitive edge, but people who are already in the industry are returning to school to get higher business degrees in the hopes of job advancement.
An MS in hospitality, especially when combined with an MBA, has also become a valuable asset in the casino job market; since most casinos are housed in hotels the two fields have become intertwined to the point of inseparability. (For example, frequent gamblers or "high-rollers" are often "comped" free rooms.)
B-schools (NYU Stern, Chicago Booth, and UNLV in particular) are making the "job trek" to Las Vegas (and to Los Angeles) to explore non-traditional ways to put their MBAs and MSes to good use. The entertainment/gaming industry is "screaming for management leadership," says Chris Roberts, director of the School of Hospitality Leadership at DePaul University, and MBA and MS grads are the ideal candidates for the job.
Related Accepted.com Blog Posts:
- New MBAs Offer Mixed Reviews on Job Market
- More Students Head to Mom and Pop For Jobs
- B-School Students See Light at the End of the Job Market Tunnel
- Good News for MBAs: Job Opportunities Abound!
- GMAC: MBA Employers Express Job Market Optimism
- The Make-Your-Own-Job Solution
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