Majoring in business is one of the most popular paths for undergraduates, while MBAs rank among the top masters degree choices, but what do you do with these degrees? As it turns out, one reason that these programs are so popular is that they open the door to a wide range of different career pathways. So, what should you do after completing your BA in business, or earning your MBA? Here are a few options.
Project Management
One reason that employers seek out business graduates is that they tend to excel at teamwork and planning, and these are great skills to have because they’re applicable to just about any field. Take advantage of those skills and look into earning a project management certification. Though you don’t technically need a special license to become a project manager, but given the growing demand for professionals who can handle complex project management tasks, earning it can give you a competitive edge.
Chartered Financial Analyst
Earning your CFA charter is one of the more advanced career pathways you can pursue if you’ve already earned your MBA, and it’s a very difficult certification to achieve. With that in mind, even well-educated CFA candidates should consider signing up for a respected CFA charter prep program, like Wiley’s CFA Program Exam Review. This program will help prospective CFAs to tackle the 300+ hours of prep that typically goes into passing this exam, because your MBA alone won’t do it.
SAP Certifications
Today’s businesses rely on a wide variety of technology in order to be successful, and many of these tools aren’t particularly intuitive. They are, however, often part of a common network of programs, the most popular of which is SAP – Systems, Applications, and Products. SAP offers a number of certifications, depending on your specializations. Earning SAP certifications, whether in financial accounting, business planning and consolidation, or another area can make you a more competitive applicant for business positions.
Systems Security
Most people think of business as relatively distinct from fields like cybersecurity – while businesses obviously rely on IT professionals to protect their systems, these are individuals with very different training, right? Maybe not.
As with any industry, people with cross-specializations, who understand multiple aspects of a job, hold the highest value. They’re the most desirable hires and have a lot of leverage. That’s why individuals with business degrees might want to consider earning an IT-focused certification, such as that for Certified Information Systems Security Professionals.
Business is a broad field, which is why majoring in business or even earning an MBA is not on its own a particularly distinctive qualification. Instead, you need to seek ways to make your resume stand out from the pack so that when hiring managers review your qualifications, they see someone who can bring a unique skillset to their business. Without added skills or certifications, one business major is as good as another. Your job, then, is to make it clear you can offer something beyond the basics, and you can decide what that is.
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