As a business management student, chances are you are prepared for the corporate world. Since it’s quite a broad subject, you could be equipped to deal with business in many sectors and industries.
For those looking for a more concise answer for what you can do with a business management degree, you have come to the right place. We’ll take you through some options that may benefit a student looking for a lucrative career in business management.
Get Prepped for your career with Preply
We have also considered those who are still finishing up their studies. Getting work experience is imperative to preparing you for different career paths, and even for the MBA track.
However, working while finishing up your first degree (bachelor’s) in management is no easy feat. One way to circumvent the limitation of time is to find an online job. Many online language platforms such as Preply, offer jobs to people who are masters in a language or well versed in a certain topic.
At Preply, students either look to improve their language skills or seek help in other areas. While looking for a business management career, you can join Preply, share your knowledge of business English, strategy or administration.
For instance, this could certainly help people taking the TOEIC exam.
A few benefits of working for Preply include:
- You set your own hours – This is especially advantageous for people who have a heavy homework load or even internships.
- You set your own rate – Isn’t this all about the money? Jokes aside, being able to set your own rate and knowing your value in the job market is also a useful skill to possess.
- You save money – As opposed to commuting, working from home saves you money on transportation.
- You call the shots – What you teach, at what pace, and how you teach it is also dependent on yourself. Looking for study resources online can also help you find teaching materials.
- Maximum flexibility – Other than setting your own hours, you can get a lot done while being at home. Finish some chores and even homework assignments you’ve been putting off while making money on the side
The entry level options
You’ve got to start somewhere, and it’s usually the bottom.
A few of the most common entry-level positions offered to a business management major are:
- Customer service – Once you have proven yourself in this position, it could eventually lead to management jobs in HR and other departments.
- Sales associate – There are sales associates in virtually every industry out there, so young graduates are always in demand.
Understanding how to sell the product and how to appeal to people will prove favourable in many aspects of life. Plus, if you’re good at sales, the commission can be a hefty sum!
- Administration – Usually as an assistant, a job in administration can help you familiarise yourself with the inner workings of an organisation. Being organised and detail-oriented are coveted skills for the job that transfer to other career paths.
Some of these jobs are even available to those who are still completing their degree and can only take on part-time positions. The above mentioned career starting positions are also accessible for those with an associate’s degree.
Managerial and More Specialised career Positions
While it’s hard to get your foot in the door and acquire a managerial position straight out of school, it’s still possible and especially for those who have a higher degree such as an MBA or a PHD. There might be more of a chance you could start out in a higher position due to your credentials. Some of the most common business management positions are:
- Business/management analyst – There isn’t another job out there that gives you more insight into how a company is run. Your main job will be to collect data and analyse the information and find solutions to problems or procedures in the company.
- Sales manager – A tier or two up from a sales associate, sales managers are responsible for the direction of the sales team(s). Your job would be to pull in sales and lead your team effectively.
- Account manager – A bit different than a sales manager, account managers tend to focus on an existing client. They are the ‘after sales team’ who work to foster and strengthen client relationships whether the client is a single entity or an entire business.
- Financial analyst – As a financial analyst, the company’s finances and investments are in your hands (or your department’s). It’s your job to translate data into spreadsheets, charts and other visual aids that help you illustrate your points on how to benefit your company financially.
- Marketing manager – As the person responsible for marketing your company’s products, it’s your job to analyse product demand and identify markets and demographics.
- General/operations manager – The overall operation of the company depends on you. You review performance data to drive productivity and possibly delegate to other department managers areas that need improvement.
- Financial manager – The financial manager works in tandem with the financial analyst, as the latter requires data compiled by the former to provide guidance to the company financially.
- Human resource manager – While this is less common than others, what you learn while acquiring your business management career degree translates to any managing position.
As you may have heard sometime during your studies, people are among the most difficult aspects to manage in a business. Suffice it to say, if you are good at managing issues for the entire staff, you can excel in other business management positions.
Conclusion
In all honesty, it’s almost unfair for society to expect students in their late teens to early 20’s to have their whole lives figured out. You want some flexibility and freedom should you decide to change your career path down the line.
Business management career skills are among the most transferrable. It’s a broad subject that benefits you whether you are looking to be the newest addition to a Fortune 500 company or to become an entrepreneur, it will definitely help your chances at succeeding.
Working remotely can offer you great flexibility, and entering the corporate world will give you more hands-on experience. In the end, you decide what’s right for you.
