Career paths
Where business students win in tech & AI.
Pick a role to see what you'd do, the skills that matter, how to break in specifically from Olin, who hires, and where to start.
AI Product Manager
Own what gets built and why — the bridge between engineering, design, data, and the business. The single best-fit role for most MBA/MS students.
Skills that matter
How to break in from Olin
A natural fit for an Olin MBA or MS. Build product sense, ship a small side project, do PM case prep, and network hard — PM hiring is referral-heavy. AI PM specifically rewards knowing what LLMs can and can't do.
Where they hire
Compensation
High, and scales fast into senior and PM-leadership roles. Check Levels.fyi for current numbers.
Start prepping
- ExponentPM interview prep
- Lenny's Newsletterproduct & growth
- The BatchAI literacy
- Figmamock a concept
Tech Strategy & Consulting
Advise companies on technology and AI decisions — strategy, transformation, and getting it implemented.
Skills that matter
How to break in from Olin
A classic MBA path. Nail case interviews, target the tech/digital practices at consultancies or in-house strategy teams, and use Olin's recruiting pipeline and the Weston Career Center. AI fluency is now a differentiator in every case.
Where they hire
Compensation
Well-compensated with a clear progression and meaningful bonuses.
Start prepping
- Case interview preppractice daily
- Stratecherytech strategy
- The BatchAI trends
- Levels.fyicomp data
Data, Analytics & AI
Turn data into decisions — from dashboards and experiments to models. Runs from business analyst all the way to the technical ML/AI-engineering track.
Skills that matter
How to break in from Olin
A strong fit for Olin's STEM-designated MS in Business Analytics. Master SQL cold and build an analysis portfolio for the analyst path; for the technical ML/AI track, lean on the new MS in AI for Business and a public GitHub of projects.
Where they hire
Compensation
Strong and rising with seniority; the technical AI track is among the highest-paid — verify on Levels.fyi.
Start prepping
- StrataScratchSQL/analytics Qs
- Tableau Publicportfolio
- DeepLearning.AIthe AI side
- Levels.fyicomp data
Growth, BizOps & GTM
Drive adoption and revenue for tech products — growth, operations, marketing, and partnerships.
Skills that matter
How to break in from Olin
Great for business-minded students who like data and impact. Show measurable results from a project or internship, get comfortable with analytics tools, and target growth / BizOps / GTM roles at startups and scale-ups.
Where they hire
Compensation
Varies by stage; equity can be significant at earlier-stage startups.
Start prepping
- Lenny's Newslettergrowth playbooks
- StrataScratchSQL basics
- Stratecherymarket context
- Levels.fyicomp data
Tech Investing & VC
Evaluate and back technology and AI companies — venture, growth equity, or corporate development.
Skills that matter
How to break in from Olin
Competitive and network-driven. Develop a point of view on AI markets, write investment memos, use Olin's finance coursework and alumni, and get reps via a VC fellowship, scout program, or startup operating role first.
Where they hire
Compensation
Base plus carry/bonus; upside is long-dated and firm-dependent.
Start prepping
- Stratecherytech strategy
- The BatchAI landscape
- Investment memoswrite your own
- Levels.fyicomp data
Founder / Startup
Start something of your own — or join an early team and help build it from zero to one.
Skills that matter
How to break in from Olin
Use WashU/Olin's entrepreneurship resources, competitions, and founder network. Validate a real problem, ship a scrappy MVP (AI tools make this faster than ever), and surround yourself with builders. The club's project pods are a low-risk place to begin.
Where they hire
Compensation
Unpredictable — you trade near-term cash for ownership and a very steep learning curve.
Start prepping
- YC Startup Schoolfree & practical
- The BatchAI landscape
- Hugging Facebuild the MVP
- Founder meetupslocal network