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Business Career Paths
I have been finding the business career paths of marketing, entrepreneurship, etc interesting. What are some interesting ones I should look into? #entrepreneurship #business
10 answers
Updated
Lyndsey’s Answer
So many ways to approach this! You can break down your career path into job function, company size, and industry.
For example:
Function - marketing, sales, customer support, product management, finance
Size/maturity - large, small, legacy organization
Industry - consumer products, consumer technology, biotech, business technology
If you are interested in entrepreneurship and building a business from the ground up, you may want to look for a role at a smaller, growing technology company where they are still trying to figure out how to build the company. There will be more ambiguity but you should gain access to more senior decision makers and adhoc mentorship opportunity
If you want to get a more well-rounded business experience, you may want to evaluate openings at larger organizations that will give you more opportunity to explore and network within the company. There will be more structure in your day-to-day, which may help you better research your interests and build a career path
For example:
Function - marketing, sales, customer support, product management, finance
Size/maturity - large, small, legacy organization
Industry - consumer products, consumer technology, biotech, business technology
If you are interested in entrepreneurship and building a business from the ground up, you may want to look for a role at a smaller, growing technology company where they are still trying to figure out how to build the company. There will be more ambiguity but you should gain access to more senior decision makers and adhoc mentorship opportunity
If you want to get a more well-rounded business experience, you may want to evaluate openings at larger organizations that will give you more opportunity to explore and network within the company. There will be more structure in your day-to-day, which may help you better research your interests and build a career path
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
Thank you for the question. I think there are a few things to consider when thinking about your career path. Number one: What type of lifestyle do you want to live? Really define what type of life you want to live and what are your personal strengths. For me personally I was first interested in microbiology but I realized there was very little professional opportunity in that space. I figured out what type of life I wanted and what are my strengths.
I came to the conclusion business and sales was the path for me. I want to make a lot of money, have nice things, and manage money. I have an outgoing personality and and willing to learn, grow and hustle. But that alone is too broad. So you should narrow it down. You dont want to go into door to door selling or something that is mentally exhausting. Where should I look? Start at what interests you. For me personally I like the technology and medical industries because there is amazing growth, opportunity, and evolving landscapes in those spaces. There is always something new to learn. So I started applying to medical and technology sales jobs. I ended up working at an entry level job at an AMAZING company, Twilio. Now Im on a path to make hundereds of thousands of dollars before i'm 30. If I continue on this path I will be super connected in the industry and have enough money to start my own software company by my 30's or 40's.
Final note. Start by looking within yourself then look outward at the macro environment then narrow it down to specific companies you want to work for. Do everything in your power to set yourself apart from the competition and work super hard. Everything else will work itself out.
I came to the conclusion business and sales was the path for me. I want to make a lot of money, have nice things, and manage money. I have an outgoing personality and and willing to learn, grow and hustle. But that alone is too broad. So you should narrow it down. You dont want to go into door to door selling or something that is mentally exhausting. Where should I look? Start at what interests you. For me personally I like the technology and medical industries because there is amazing growth, opportunity, and evolving landscapes in those spaces. There is always something new to learn. So I started applying to medical and technology sales jobs. I ended up working at an entry level job at an AMAZING company, Twilio. Now Im on a path to make hundereds of thousands of dollars before i'm 30. If I continue on this path I will be super connected in the industry and have enough money to start my own software company by my 30's or 40's.
Final note. Start by looking within yourself then look outward at the macro environment then narrow it down to specific companies you want to work for. Do everything in your power to set yourself apart from the competition and work super hard. Everything else will work itself out.
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi There! Not sure what business path you are interested in, but I fell into the Insurance World about 15 years ago and it's proved to be a very interesting, lucrative and stable industry for me. I am currently a Regional Director at a Commercial Insurance Company in Chicago and before being on the carrier side, I was a commercial insurance broker for about 9 years. I'll mostly talk about the insurance carrier/company side though as that's what I found suits me best and I think it's a great career path for people just entering the job market. I am on the commercial underwriting field, but there are different niches within an insurance company you could pursue: Underwriting, Claims, Loss Control, Accounting, Finance, etc. Being a commercial underwriter (specifically large commercial workers compensation), it affords me the ability to work closely with teammates in the loss control and claims fields where we all work on accounts/customers together. It also challenges me to apply a lot of different skills: analytical, mathematical, investigative, etc. when looking at a new account that we may write the insurance for. Another big thing to think about right now is that our company (and most of the insurance carrier industry) has the ability to work anywhere with internet access. I've been working from home since March and while our company isn't writing as much new business as we originally hoped, we have been successful despite the pandemic and working in an office and being able to meet our customers face to face. It's been a silver lining to essentially operate seamlessly from going into an office everyday or visiting customers/brokers to working off of my laptop and performing visits via virtual meetings. It's not the most glamorous profession, but it ended up being very fruitful with lots of opportunities for advancement (the industry as a whole has an aging workforce) and has been very stable for the fifteen years I've been a part of it. Good luck!
As someone that has been in the insurance industry for over 30 years, I could not agree more. I have worked on the carrier side of the business the entire time but have had a number of opportunities to work in a wide variety of positions. My position has afforded me a nice career and the ability to travel all over the world, while not a glamorous career it certainly has allowed me to provide well for my family.
Keith Adkins
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Celeste’s Answer
Hello there! I was an undecided business major for my first year of college and what helped me the most was talking to the professors of my classes to find out firsthand what their jobs were like in industry. I majored in accounting and was amazed at all the different job opportunities this degree presented me.
Personally, I enjoy accounting because of the creative problem-solving. There is quite a bit of investigation and math and it's satisfying to make all your numbers balance correctly. In addition, accountants tend to work in teams and in modern-day accounting there is a tremendous amount of interaction between teams, clients, and even international firms. If you enjoy puzzles and working with others, accounting may be a good fit for you.
In addition, as an accountant you can explore virtually any type of business in any part of the world because businesses from all industries and places need accountants to keep their financial records in order. It is encouraged at my firm to do a global rotation and work as an accountant in other country or city for a year or two. If you are interested in traveling accounting may also be a good fit because a lot of work can be done remotely.
Personally, I enjoy accounting because of the creative problem-solving. There is quite a bit of investigation and math and it's satisfying to make all your numbers balance correctly. In addition, accountants tend to work in teams and in modern-day accounting there is a tremendous amount of interaction between teams, clients, and even international firms. If you enjoy puzzles and working with others, accounting may be a good fit for you.
In addition, as an accountant you can explore virtually any type of business in any part of the world because businesses from all industries and places need accountants to keep their financial records in order. It is encouraged at my firm to do a global rotation and work as an accountant in other country or city for a year or two. If you are interested in traveling accounting may also be a good fit because a lot of work can be done remotely.
Updated
Derek’s Answer
Hey Isolena,
If you're looking for a sturdy career where you know you'll have job security and steady income, finance and accounting disciplines are always in demand. You can also google online to see what the most in demand college majors are, but there's a chance that at first glance you won't like what you see. So on that note, here's what my experience was when I was trying to figure out in college what I wanted to do for a living:
I also knew that I wanted to do something business related when I first went to college. As a freshman, I took those business entry level courses, and that's when I realized there were a few subjects I excelled at more naturally. I ended up majoring in Economics at first, since I was good at it, but my junior year I switched to Finance after I realized that there were a lot more opportunities in that area. During my junior year and the summer going into senior year I participated in a few internships at different companies. These experiences ultimately shaped my career path and where I decided to go after I graduated college. So to sum things up based on my own experiences:
1) stay open minded when taking those required courses at school
2) realistically look at potential/future job opportunities where you can leverage your skill set
3) participate in as many internships as you can, but be selective on the types of internships you accept (they may lead to a job offer)
4) take risks! this is great to do early in your career, when your expenses are low and you have the rest of your life to figure out if you need to make a pivot. Good luck!
If you're looking for a sturdy career where you know you'll have job security and steady income, finance and accounting disciplines are always in demand. You can also google online to see what the most in demand college majors are, but there's a chance that at first glance you won't like what you see. So on that note, here's what my experience was when I was trying to figure out in college what I wanted to do for a living:
I also knew that I wanted to do something business related when I first went to college. As a freshman, I took those business entry level courses, and that's when I realized there were a few subjects I excelled at more naturally. I ended up majoring in Economics at first, since I was good at it, but my junior year I switched to Finance after I realized that there were a lot more opportunities in that area. During my junior year and the summer going into senior year I participated in a few internships at different companies. These experiences ultimately shaped my career path and where I decided to go after I graduated college. So to sum things up based on my own experiences:
Derek recommends the following next steps:
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Gloria’s Answer
Hi Isolena,
I am an Instructional Designer, so my passion is learning and development. I would recommend that you take a look at the field. At some companies it can be called Corporate Training, Talent Development, or even be part of the Human Resources organization. I like my professional since it allows me to use my talents to be of service to others. My job is in essence to help other people do their jobs to the best of their ability. And it can be fun. I create web-based training, videos, and content for leader-led training, in person or virtually. I was also a trainer for many years. It is a teacher for adults and around specific jobs. I would recommend you take a look at this site: https://www.td.org/
Learning and Development teams are an essential part of any business. Success in any endeavor is often achieved through training people to do the job at the right time in the right way.
Gloria
I am an Instructional Designer, so my passion is learning and development. I would recommend that you take a look at the field. At some companies it can be called Corporate Training, Talent Development, or even be part of the Human Resources organization. I like my professional since it allows me to use my talents to be of service to others. My job is in essence to help other people do their jobs to the best of their ability. And it can be fun. I create web-based training, videos, and content for leader-led training, in person or virtually. I was also a trainer for many years. It is a teacher for adults and around specific jobs. I would recommend you take a look at this site: https://www.td.org/
Learning and Development teams are an essential part of any business. Success in any endeavor is often achieved through training people to do the job at the right time in the right way.
Gloria
Updated
Vic’s Answer
I am a management consultant. I find it very rewarding in that you own your own career in terms of finding projects and finding those who will be your champion. With each project there is a completely new subject area and a new industry to cover. I find it invigorating because of how much it pushes you to learn and be a SME.
Think about your strengths and weaknesses
Think about what type of work life balance you want, personal goals
Think about what opportunities are available through your college
Vic recommends the following next steps:
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Simeon’s Answer
Marketing and finance are solid career paths/specializations within business. If those don't interest you, take a look at tech related jobs like computer scientist or data analyst. You can find work in both fields for a number of different industries. The more options you have to use your degree, the better!
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Prasanth’s Answer
I would suggest you reach out to your local university or community college to talk to a few professors or current students to understand the different paths in business school (marketing, finance, HR, entrepreneurship) to understand the content that is taught and the career that you can have post-education.
Updated
Dan’s Answer
Hi Isolena,
It's great that you have an idea of some different fields to explore. From a Marketing perspective, I might suggest taking a look into some companies in the Marketing field near you and evaluating the different positions they offer. Most marketing companies have a wide range of positions including those centered around the actual marketing content creation (like designing advertisements for example) and others focused more on the financial implications of running a marketing campaign. Starting to narrow your focus on what kind of role you may want to pursue will help define where you should be spending your time from an educational and professional development standpoint.
Entrepreneurship is a fairly broad field - you can connect with small business owners or taking classes focused on what it's like to start your own business, but it does help to have an idea of what kind of business you want to start if this is something you'd like to pursue in the long term.
Best of luck!
Dan
It's great that you have an idea of some different fields to explore. From a Marketing perspective, I might suggest taking a look into some companies in the Marketing field near you and evaluating the different positions they offer. Most marketing companies have a wide range of positions including those centered around the actual marketing content creation (like designing advertisements for example) and others focused more on the financial implications of running a marketing campaign. Starting to narrow your focus on what kind of role you may want to pursue will help define where you should be spending your time from an educational and professional development standpoint.
Entrepreneurship is a fairly broad field - you can connect with small business owners or taking classes focused on what it's like to start your own business, but it does help to have an idea of what kind of business you want to start if this is something you'd like to pursue in the long term.
Best of luck!
Dan
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