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Can I succeed in business? How can I pick a career that properly suits my interests?

Hello, I'm currently a second-year college student, and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with my future. I'm currently majoring in English, but I've been debating whether to add business as a second major due to my interest in what I perceive as business-related fields. The only problem is that I'm not confident in my math skills, so I'm wondering how "good" your math skills need to be in order to earn a business degree? I really enjoyed statistics in high school, and I have both statistics and macroeconomics credit already transferred over from high school, but I saw that I would still need to take another math class (precalculus at the lowest level) and microeconomics in order to major in business, and I'm worried that I won't do well in these classes since it's been over a year since the last time I took a formal math class. Anyway, the reason I'm considering adding business as a major is because I have been working a lot of administrative assistant and/or office jobs, and I've found that I actually seem to enjoy doing customer service-oriented office jobs. I especially liked a recent job I had where I got to advise incoming college students on how to adjust to college life and other tips like that. What kind of career could you have where you specifically use your "expertise" or higher knowledge to enlighten/advise less-knowledgeable individuals? Is being a "career coach" one of the only options? I find it really difficult to imagine myself working as a career coach when I don't even know what I want to do with my own career... #business #english #job #career #publishing #work #career-counseling #career-advice #advice #education #major #college-major #choosing-a-major #help #career-planning #career-path #student #student-advice #business-field #english-major #english-degree #business-degree #business-major #career-help #job-experience #work-experience #career-coach

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Subject: Career question for you

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Vladamire’s Answer

Great questions, Catherine, and I appreciate the context. Here are a few thoughts

  1. The jobs you mentioned do not require a business degree, so continuing with your English major would be sufficient for those types of jobs.
  2. Remember that a career is not the same thing as a job, so think about what impact you'd like to make over the long-run and what jobs, in succession, you can have to achieve that impact.
  3. Math is a skill that is improved with practice and most schools offer tons of support for academics. Remember, it's in your school's best interest for you to do well in classes and to graduate. It helps their stats and when you succeed, you are more likely to support the school. If you are willing to find and take advantage of what your school has to offer, they will help you make it through your math classes and , hopefully, gain more confidence in that area.
  4. Other careers to consider: guidance counseling, college admissions advising, teaching
  5. Do some reflection about what you liked about the jobs you've had, what brings you joy in your day-to-day life, when you feel energized, what types of people energize you, and what you are naturally good at. Then, research and talk to people about jobs/careers that involve those things.

I hope this all helps!

Thank you comment icon Hi Vereaux, I enjoyed reading all the points you made, especially #4. I think I'll talk to a guidance counselor at my college to see if they have any advice for me as well. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my question, I appreciate it! Catherine
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Kathryn’s Answer

Hi Catherine,  I had a hard time deciding on my future career as well.  I had several majors in college, but since I was paying for the tuition it didn't bother me and I learned a lot that I still use.  You'll never go wrong with a business degree, but there is quite a bit of math.  I would recommend finishing your English degree with a few electives in the Business field - like marketing and accounting.  It would be great to start your career in customer service in an industry you find interesting OR In sales.  You get to see a lot of different parts of the business in sales.  For example, you could be a sales representative for a text book company.  You'd be able to meet leaders in education and keep up with trends in education.  There are tons of options out there.  After working a few years, you might narrow down your dreams and then you can really focus there.  Another good option is to pursue education courses.  My niece got a degree in education, taught for a few years, then realized she really loved technology.  She moved (within the school district) to a job teaching teachers how to use technology to reach students more effectively.  I introduced her to the president of our foundation who had been a teacher -and she was encouraged to try to do something different!   Good luck to you! 

Kathryn recommends the following next steps:

Check out Linked in to find people who majored in English and see what they are doing now. You can join for free. Reach out to a few through the platform and ask to meet on the phone. Ask them about their careers.
Thank you comment icon Hi Kathryn, thank you so much for your informative and helpful answer! I appreciate you sharing your own experience with struggling to find the best major and career for yourself. Sales sounds interesting, but I don't think it's the right space for me. Trying to sell people stuff seems like a more "extroverted" endeavor, and I enjoy more personal interactions. That being said, education is definitely something I've been considering! Thank you again for taking the time to write an answer and helping me figure out what I want to do! Catherine
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Jennifer’s Answer

A Business Degree can open up many doors for you across many different industries. To name just a few, Operations Management, Financial Management, Human Resources , Marketing Manager, Accounting, Investment Banking, , Retail Manager, Hotel Management, any type of Small Business Ownership, Real Estate and Property Management, Medical Management, the list goes on.

Also, make sure you are on LinkedIn and follow people with similar interests and job titles. Reach out to people there for advise, you might just find something of interest you weren't even thinking about.

Best of luck!
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Elizabeth’s Answer

Taking business classes are very applicable regardless of what field you may evenaully go into. I have found the classes I’m taking (as a non-traditional student after being in the workforce for 10yrs or so) are very applicable to management and customer service jobs I have held. Being able to know what business leaders are looking for and how to be successful in business translates well into about anything you will do in life. Good luck!

Elizabeth recommends the following next steps:

See if business classes can be used as electives for your current degree.
Talk to leaders at your job and see what steps they took to start their career.
Thank you comment icon Hi Elizabeth, I definitely agree with you, which is why I was looking into pursuing a Business minor at the very least. I really like the second step you suggested. Good luck with your studies as well, and thank you for taking the time to write an answer! Catherine
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