Facts About Business Degrees and Careers

If you are a college student, you have probably been told by at least one well meaning person that you should major in business. After all, you've likely been told, it's practical! If you have mentioned a desire to pursue art, music, or other creative pursuit, you have probably been advised to major in business, in order to have something to fall back on. Have you ever wondered how accurate these sentiments really are? What are the facts on management, business, and other related degrees? For that matter, what is business management, and what can you do with a degree in that field? Check out these interesting business facts so you can make an informed decision about busines management as  your college major.

Popular Careers for Business, Business Management, and Business Administration Graduates

Let's start with the bad news. The business management job outlook could be much better. Business majors are among the most likely to end up underemployed after graduation. First, simply having a degree is no guarantee of a business related job. Second, many entry level jobs are going to graduates who selected a major that requires them to learn a specific skill, e.g., accounting. Business programs are more general in nature. However, it is not impossible to get an entry level job in the business sector with a degree in business. Here are a few examples of such:

• Sales Representative
• Customer Service Manager
• Buyers
• Retail Management Trainees
• Account Manager

Facts About Business Schools

For some students, it does not really matter where they go to school. If you are business student, your choice in colleges absolutely makes a difference. Get into an elite business program, and you are practically guaranteed a great, white collar, position. Settle for an average skill, and you will need to do something else to boost your chances of getting a job in your field after you graduate. Students considering a degree in business should definitely do a lot of research. One important thing to remember is that there are many great degree programs at state universities. Don't believe that you have to attend an Ivy League school to get ahead.

Maximizing Your Business Degree

If you are a business major, you will face two very important challenges when you begin looking for a job. The first is that there are so many business majors. You will deal with a lot of job market saturation issues. The second is that your degree has put you on a career path towards management, but has not necessarily given you something practical to begin with. Let's be realistic, most businesses don't start newly minted graduates in management positions.  Fortunately there are a few things you can do to increase your job prospects:

• Work part-time jobs during college that help you develop leadership skills
• Secure a great internship
• Minor in a field such as accounting
• Learn bookkeeping or another practical skill
• Develop a track record in sales, even retail or telemarketing
• Network with people you know in the corporate world, including your parents' friends