Majoring in business can be very rewarding for those who know what they’re getting into. The most important things you need to succeed are a flexible mindset, the ability and desire to work hard, to learn new knowledge quickly, and to cooperate with others.
Pursuing a business major may provide you with a range of opportunities long after graduation. Business majors are exceptionally versatile, giving students the ability to learn to do much more than simply leading a corporation. One of the many reasons pursuing a business degree might be your first choice is that versatility to help open any pathway you want in whatever certain career path you end up going down.
For example, business graduates accounted for over 19% of all bachelor degrees awarded in 2014 – 2015 according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This means there are enormous opportunities in terms of career choices that you may have never even considered before! If this sounds appealing and exciting, then make sure you take some time and think about how a degree in business might influence the rest of your life by opening up doors most people would never get through otherwise.
Many individuals who are starting out in a career path will choose to invest in a business degree . Although the broadness and flexibility of this major can seem like a positive, there isn’t a clear outline of exactly what is included in certain programs. Find out about several business degree options as well as what kinds of career paths are open for individuals with all levels of experience.
What Is a Business Major?
A major in business is helpful for those interested in working in a variety of different career paths because it offers a wide range of courses and topics that are all centered on the business world. Students will be able to choose from course tracks like economics, management and marketing or they can take a more general approach to their coursework and just focus on core principles of business instead. The choice all depends on the student and what they want see come out of their studies.
Is a Business Major Right for You?
People thinking about getting their business degree should first consider the many skills and experience they hope to gain from it. A business degree is typically designed to produce students who have a broad range of knowledge in different areas that apply directly to the fundamental aspects of business like accounting, finance, international business, marketing, human resources, operations and project management.
The curriculum for business students may range from the very basics of a company’s inner workings to spreadsheets, stock trading and all other kinds of financial deal. The reason being, that most skills and knowledge are applied to all kinds of industries and therefore there is no way around it. Every business program offers a variety of courses and majors in order to accommodate the needs of various types of incoming students.
While you’re getting a broad-based introduction to different facets of business administration, a business degree from AIU can also help graduates make the most of their career with help from our Career Services department. Career services resources will be available for grads looking to make a move, as well as building future professional relationships via our alumni services once you’ve earned your degree.
Careers for Business Majors
Having a major in business can offer graduates with a variety of options when it comes time to finding gainful employment on the job market. Like any other college major there’s no one set path in terms of what someone with a business degree might want to do for work, but we’re going to show you some common career paths that people may choose when looking to get their start in the world after graduation from college.
Business majors may find job opportunities in a number of different industries including both private and public sectors employees . According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the business and financial occupations are projected to grow by 8% from 2014 – 2024.2 (a) Below are some possible careers that a student with a recently graduated business-related degree might consider getting their start in:
Human Resources (HR) Specialist
HR specialists are like travel agents. They are always getting people on the road and ready to go places, except instead of bringing along luggage they’re helping assemble a talented team! One way this is done is by personally meeting with department leaders in order to assess hiring needs, or posting open positions online and responding to those of potential job candidates. An HR specialist’s work can be a wonderful fit for individuals who thrive around others, and love working within departments across an organization!
Management Analyst
Management analysts analyze the overall structure of a company to help leaders make decisions about how to improve efficiency inside departments. Management analysts are often employed by large organizations, but more and more they’re also acting as self-employed professionals which could mean that your management analyst has more experience working with different types of businesses than some other jobs discussed.
Advertising & Promotions Managers
Business majors go on to work in the same field they have already completed their studies. They may move on to work with a company’s marketing and promotions department and can often be found handling PR issues. While there may be some overlap between the different fields that businesses use these terms, the difference is mostly situational.
In many cases, marketing managers are responsible for gathering information about price points, demand and profitability like a business’ products or services to help identify target markets. However, learning toward what products or services need to be marketed can prove more difficult than it sounds. The quality of services also plays more towards marketing as quality helps attract customers willing to pay higher prices for better service.
Besides, Promotions and advertising managers are like party planners. Only in this case, the party is either an event or product that creates awareness and interest for consumers. They coordinate regional and national sales and events for businesses to reach consumers as far away as possible.
Sales Managers
If you’re majoring in business, it’s a good idea to look for entry-level jobs which engage your interests and expertise. An area where business majors typically excel is sales, so an entry level job you might consider is working in Sales Department of a company. As a Sales Manager, one directly deals with vendors and businesses to secure contracts or sales that will be performed by the company’s products and services at large. Since this position involves building relationships with clients or customers, strong communication skills as well as interpersonal skills are critical requirements to fulfill this job – whose additional responsibilities may include analyzing sales data, creating pricing plans, coordinating promotional efforts, and setting sales quotas for the department(s) you’re managing!
Financial Manager
Financial managers help you stay financially stable. They make sure that your company has access to the capital it needs and doesn’t overextend itself. Part of their job is making long-term plans for financial security and securing financing, as well as helping upper-level management make important financial decisions. Financial managers also sometimes oversee teams of lower-level employees who are in charge of tracking finances such as keeping track of purchases or collecting debts owed to the company.
10 Types of Business Majors
Looking to have a specialized major in business can provide both a solid business foundation and a career-focused curriculum within a specific discipline. And with online study you also get to choose when and where you learn as there is no schedule (if you ever feel like taking time out, just don’t worry about not being able to catch up). We’ve made a curative list of some of the top types of business majors. They include;
- Human resources
- Health services administration
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Sales
- Management information systems
- Business administration and management
- Master of Business Administration
- Finance
- International business
Final Thoughts
If you want to be a business major then there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First, get used to being around people because networking is important if this is the path that you want to take toward earning a living or furthering your education. Second, be persistent because your dedication and work ethic are very important on this degree path. Lastly, make sure you understand how people work together but make sure you don’t compromise what matters to you in the long run!
References:
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/business-commerce-major-overview
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/01/28/business-is-the-most-popular-college-major-but-that-doesnt-mean-its-a-good-choice/
Last Updated on August 6, 2022 by Ana S. Sutterfield
Magalie D. is a Diploma holder in Public Administration & Management from McGill University of Canada. She shares management tips here in MGTBlog when she has nothing to do and gets some free time after working in a multinational company at Toronto.
