Work is a big part of our life, and how you feel about the eight to twelve hours you spend in the workplace each day will affect your life dramatically. Maybe you’re just starting out in your career and are thinking of options for the future, or perhaps you’re a little later in life and looking to make a change. Either way, studying for a business degree could be a smart move. The accessibility of the internet has lead to an explosion of businesses to there are plenty of opportunities here. Because companies have so many different departments and roles, there’s a good chance you will find something suited to you regardless of your skills and interests. Here are a few different directions you could take with a degree in business!
For The Creative: Advertising
If you’re a business graduate looking to go into a more creative career, how about utilising your skills in a marketing or advertising role? Your degree will have given you a great working knowledge of the market, plus you will have the ability to create marketing strategies that actually work. You’ll know how to conduct market research, as well as manage relationships with clients. On top of all this, you will be able to liaise with content creators and other professionals to be able to bring your vision to life, allowing you to create adverts or marketing materials that appeal to the target audience of the brand. These skills are invaluable to this kind of role, and would mean you’re a great fit. As a business graduate, your knowledge and understanding of technology and trends in the market will be appealing to employers. Many business roles are very formal and academic where as advertising and marketing give you more of a creative license. If you’re interested in psychology or have previous qualifications or experience in this, it’s a fantastic addition to your business degree. As you can merge your skills together to work out what it is, that will appeal to customers on a psychological level as well as implementing known proven marketing and advertising strategies. Alternatively you might have a degree in business psychology which would be perfect for a career in advertising or marketing.
For The Financially Savvy: Procurement
Do you have a strong interest in finance? If so, a career in procurement could be for you. This involves buying and selling materials from suppliers all across the world for the business you work for. You will of course need excellent communication skills and be sharp with your money and financial ability to snag the best deals for the company. Those who work in procurement are often ‘behind the scenes’ meaning it’s not always obvious as a career choice, however when you work in procurement you’re in a position of power. You get to make decisions and have a huge influence on a company. If you want an important and well paid career then it’s certainly one to consider. You could check out a company like Portfolio procurement recruitment agency who will have a list of procurement jobs all in one place. It’s a good way to put your business degree to good use, and if you want to work your way up to management you could study for further qualifications along the way.
For The People Person: Human Relations
HR is an integral element of any business, which means it can provide a whole host of opportunities for business graduates. If you’re unsure what HR (human relations) deals with, it’s basically responsible for everything to do with employers. It covers recruitment, interviewing and training, it deals with company benefits, payroll and redundancy. If there’s a case of bullying or harassment in the workplace it will go through HR– plus so much more. You might not necessarily see business careers as being particularly rewarding, however working in HR can be as you’re dealing with people. It’s a well paid career but isn’t all about the money, as you get to genuinely help and advise people and are able to make a difference. If you’re a people person, it will be right up your street. You get to work with humans as well as utilise your degree in a business environment.
For The Ideas Person: Start Your Own Business
If you’re constantly brimming with ideas and have entrepreneurial spirit, why not put your knowledge and experience of business to good use by start your own business? If you were always coming up with plans and potential ideas while you were studying for your degree, chances are this will be a rewarding path for you to take. Working for yourself is always going to be rewarding, and being able to utilise your skills in your own company is certainly great use for them. Starting your own successful venture can be a big job, so as a recent graduate you could always work within another business to begin with to build up real life experience (and save money!) Later down the line you’re equipped with all if the knowledge and experience you need to give your company the greatest chance of success. Be sure to network both at university and when you start paid work, attend training days, business expos and more- build up your professional network. That way when you do set up yourself you have support from friends and uni tutors in the industry as well as potential leads for your products or services from other businesses.
There are all kinds of careers you can go into in the business field. Business is often chosen by very serious, high flying academics however there are plenty of options for all kinds of graduates. With the amount of new businesses being created each year it’s a sensible option if you want a career that’s future proof and that provides lots of opportunities.
Do you have a business degree, or are you in the process of studying for one? What kind of role are you hoping to gain from this?
