I am 28 years old and less than a year away from obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business management. I have extensive job experience in administrative work, but I want to explore different avenues once I earn my degree. What would you suggest as career possibilities with my degree?
–K. Brice, Via the Internet
Your business degree can be a good foundation for a range of areas. It’s up to you to focus your efforts on entering the industry and an area of expertise that interests you. In the next year, I would use both semesters and the summer, if possible, to enroll in internship programs. This will give you an opportunity to explore your options as well as make important contacts in the industry.
For your first years out of school, I recommend targeting companies that provide corporate or management-training programs. These specially structured programs are offered in a variety of industries and are set up to develop “future leaders” of the company. Graduates are often paired with mentors and guided in specific instruction in different areas of the organization, which may include sales, operations, finance, or marketing.
Also, talk to your career counselors about on-campus recruiting, and research the graduate programs of companies that interest you by visiting their Websites and calling their human resources departments.