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In the modern landscape of business leadership, Founders and CEOs often capture the spotlight in media and public events. But have you ever paused to consider the career journeys that led these executives to their current roles? Understanding their paths can provide valuable insights for aspiring leaders.
This article delves into a comprehensive analysis of the most common previous work experiences, educational backgrounds, and college majors of Founders and CEOs. We have also included bar charts and a quick Top Five list for each profession to illustrate our findings effectively.
Before we dive into the data, let’s take a moment to explain how we gathered this information.
How Did We Gather This Data?
Our analysis is based on a database of over 7 million resumes, specifically focusing on those related to Founder and CEO positions. For each role, we compiled data by addressing the following key questions:
- What previous positions were most frequently listed?
- What levels of education did they commonly achieve?
- Which colleges and universities did most Founders and CEOs attend?
- What were the predominant college majors among Founders and CEOs?
Now, let’s explore the insights we uncovered.
Most Common Previous Work Experience
In this section, we analyze the most frequently listed previous work experiences for Founders and CEOs. Individuals in these leadership roles often have backgrounds as Founders or CEOs themselves, with many also holding positions in leadership, consulting, or business analysis.
The Top Five
Founders
- Founder: 11.09%
- Consultant: 0.56%
- Externship: 0.55%
- Volunteer: 0.45%
- President: 0.33%
CEOs
- CEO: 10.54%
- Consultant: 0.33%
- Director: 0.3%
- President: 0.27%
- Executive Director: 0.23%
Most Commonly Held Highest Levels of Education
This section highlights the highest levels of education achieved by Founders and CEOs. Bachelor’s degrees remain the most prevalent for both groups, with a notable trend showing that CEOs are more likely to pursue Master’s degrees compared to Founders. Interestingly, a higher proportion of CEOs tend to either attain a higher degree or have lower educational attainment, such as an Associate degree.
The Top Five
Founders
- Bachelors: 41.15%
- Masters: 25.11%
- Other: 14.05%
- Doctorate: 5.07%
- Associate: 2.61%
CEOs
- Bachelors: 30.13%
- Masters: 28.94%
- Other: 16.91%
- Doctorate: 5.98%
- Associate: 3.56%
Most Common Colleges/Universities Attended
The following are the most frequently attended colleges by Founders and CEOs, excluding certain online for-profit institutions. Notably, New York University, Harvard, and the University of Southern California rank among the top three for both professions. However, as we delve deeper, we find that Founders tend to favor more Ivy League institutions, whereas CEOs often prefer public universities, though there are still many overlaps in their educational backgrounds.
The Top Five
Founders
- New York University: 1.03%
- Harvard University: 0.73%
- University of Southern California: 0.66%
- University of Texas at Austin: 0.66%
- Stanford University: 0.62%
CEOs
- Harvard University: 0.88%
- New York University: 0.64%
- University of Southern California: 0.59%
- Michigan State University: 0.57%
- George Washington University: 0.57%
Most Common College Majors
This section examines the most common college majors among Founders and CEOs. We observe that Computer Science and Communications majors are slightly more prevalent among Founders, while CEOs typically pursue degrees with a stronger emphasis on business and finance.
The Top Five
Founders
- Business Administration, Management and Operations: 11.56%
- Marketing: 4.55%
- Finance and Financial Management Services: 3.53%
- Computer Science: 3.4%
- Communication and Media Studies: 3.35%
CEOs
- Business Administration, Management and Operations: 17.92%
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services: 3.58%
- Finance and Financial Management Services: 3.46%
- Marketing: 2.97%
- Business/Commerce: 2.75%
Final Thoughts
What Did We Discover?
Our analysis reveals that Founders and CEOs share significant similarities in educational backgrounds, with both groups attending comparable colleges and pursuing similar degrees. However, the most notable distinctions arise in their work experiences, where Founders predominantly have a history as former Founders, while CEOs are more likely to have previously served as CEOs.
For those interested in pursuing careers as Founders or CEOs, further insights and guidance can be found on our dedicated career information pages for Founders and CEOs on the official Zippia website.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
