Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
A business degree is like peanut butter—it goes with almost anything. Apples, bananas, Oreos, celery, chocolate, bread...wait, where were we? Oh yes, peanut butter—it's very versatile. It's like a business degree in that you can pretty much turn anything into a business. Do you make a mean grilled cheese? Sell it. Are you good at basketball? Charge for lessons. Did your grandma leave you a bunch of unoccupied real estate in her will? Rent them out. Bada bing, bada boom—you're in business.
While taking courses for the major, you'll learn all about how to manage and grow a business from the ground-up. But if entrepreneurship isn't in your future, you can still use these skills in another job. The fact is that almost every job uses the talents you'll acquire as a business major. Whether you want to be the CEO or someone who clocks in at 9 and leaves promptly at 5, a business degree can help you get there. Business majors learn how to think critically and make decisions quickly under pressure, and those skills are useful anywhere.
Common Career Fields
Event Planner. J.Lo makes it look so easy in The Wedding Planner, doesn't she? You know what they say: Always the wedding planner, never the bride…or something like that. Most companies put on large-scale conferences and meetings for their employees and clients every year, and they usually hire an event planner to take care of the details. With an eye for fancy-yet-tasteful decorations and a knack for planning, event planners make corporate events a success.
Fundraising. For businesspeople with big hearts, fundraising is a good way to go. Chances are you've helped out at some school fundraiser way back when that involved selling candy bars, wrapping paper, or magazines. You can take those skills to the big leagues to ask people—nicely, of course—for some hard-earned dough to help out the little guy. Cancer research, hospitals, halfway homes, and non-profits all rely on fundraisers to stay afloat, and they need someone with business skills to get the ball rolling. As a fundraiser, you might campaign for a cause, organize a donor event, or even do a phone-a-thon.
Funeral Director. We hate to turn death into a business, but nothing in life (or death) is free. It's a tough job and someone has to do it. It's important to keep in mind how our culture deals with death. The funeral is very important, and knowing how to appropriately talk with a grieving person is crucial—they need someone to guide them through the process. There's legal stuff to think about (like the death certificate and social security), as well as a laundry list of decisions to be made about the type of funeral and burial arrangements. Someone with a business mind who can be calm and collected is ideal for this position.
Human Resources. We don't know why Michael Scott hates his HR representative so much, but he shouldn't. These people look out for their employees. HR reps are also in charge of screening people before they're hired, and making sure the company is fair in hiring different genders and races. They also know a thing or two about what's appropriate in the workplace. If there's a discrimination or harassment suit, the HR department handles it.
Management. We're willing to bet that the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "business major" is someone working as a CEO or president of a huge company. It's true that a lot of people with business degrees head into management of some kind when college is done. Being a business major is like taking a crash course in how to be a manager. You learn about risky business decisions and pick up administration skills that are useful anywhere you go. A lot of large companies like to see an MBA to back those skills up, too.
Real Estate. Honesty is important, especially in real estate. (What housing bubble?) Since realtors need to be current on the latest laws and procedures when it comes to buying and selling property, our budding business grads are a good fit. There's a lot of paperwork involved, too, so fingertips of steel are a must-have. Business graduates are especially equipped to handle the piles of contracts and signatures needed to close a real estate deal.
Underwriter. This job title is just one or two consonants away from being a support mechanism for a certain undergarment for women. (Or men. We don't judge.) Coincidentally, an underwriter supports a potential client's candidacy by checking up on their credit and bank history. You don't want to grant a new line of credit or a major mortgage to someone who can't even pay the monthly electric bill. Banks aren't going to just give away their money. What a wonderful world that would be… Nope, they want to make sure it's going to someone who will probably, most likely, hopefully pay them back.
Current unemployment of the major
6%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
20%Stats obtained from this source.