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If I double major in business and economics, what are some possible career paths?
#choosing-a-major #careers #economics #business
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11 answers
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Michael’s Answer
Adding on to others' responses, there are many different career paths you could take! You could work in consulting, government, academia, etc. It really depends on the type of work you want to do.
If you want to focus more on business, finance, consulting jobs you could focus on developing your business, finance , data analysis skills. If you want to focus more research then you could pursue a PhD in Economics that would lead to more opportunities in academia and industry.
There are many opportunities out there for you and the skills you develop will depend on the career you want to pursue. I'd say the first step is to determine what type of work you enjoy doing. That will help narrow your focus within the fields of business and economics.
-Michael
Find out what type of work you enjoy doing
Determine the jobs that perform that type of work
If you want to focus more on business, finance, consulting jobs you could focus on developing your business, finance , data analysis skills. If you want to focus more research then you could pursue a PhD in Economics that would lead to more opportunities in academia and industry.
There are many opportunities out there for you and the skills you develop will depend on the career you want to pursue. I'd say the first step is to determine what type of work you enjoy doing. That will help narrow your focus within the fields of business and economics.
-Michael
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Michael - this is super helpful advice. Thank you :)
I will definitely make sure to keep all of this in mind!
Savannah
Updated
Brian’s Answer
This is similar to my major (Economics and Business Management).
My path is as follows:
1. Worked for a SAP consulting firm
2. Worked for a Healthcare Tech Analytics company as a Project Manager
3. Worked for US Bank as a Technical Analyst
4. Worked as a Product Manager for Healthcare Analytics company
What you may notice is nothing I did was actually economics based. But much of it was data based. You may find that your background makes people believe you are a hard worker but may not find many options in your direct field.
The great thing about economics though is that it deals with a lot of data. My data experience was a important part of my career.
The way to think about how to optimize your career is to understand what your passion is and then hyper focus in that industry. It may not be your dream job at first - but being in the industry you want will keep you motivated to work for more.
My path is as follows:
1. Worked for a SAP consulting firm
2. Worked for a Healthcare Tech Analytics company as a Project Manager
3. Worked for US Bank as a Technical Analyst
4. Worked as a Product Manager for Healthcare Analytics company
What you may notice is nothing I did was actually economics based. But much of it was data based. You may find that your background makes people believe you are a hard worker but may not find many options in your direct field.
The great thing about economics though is that it deals with a lot of data. My data experience was a important part of my career.
The way to think about how to optimize your career is to understand what your passion is and then hyper focus in that industry. It may not be your dream job at first - but being in the industry you want will keep you motivated to work for more.
Okay! Thank you so much - this is super helpful!
Savannah
Updated
Spencer’s Answer
I'd also add consulting to the list of fields you can enter in addition to the one that Liz has listed. I think it will help to talk to some of the alumni or upperclassmen who studies/is studying business and economics at your college to see fields they are pursuing.
Thank you, Spencer!
Savannah
Updated
Jad’s Answer
I myself double majored in finance and economics a few years ago, and am now working as a Portfolio Specialist at a large Brokerage/Investment Advising firm. The work is great, and involves the monitoring and investments on Managed Portfolios. I’m basically working on the back-end side of a robo-advisor
That is very cool! Thank you, Jad!
Savannah
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
Whether you major in both Economics and Finance or even if you majored in just one, you would have many career options ahead of you. My degree is in Economics and I am a Financial Advisor with UBS. You can take the path of being an advisor, financial planner, financial analyst, trader, or even enter the corporate world in a leadership role. You can even take whatever it is you love in life and create your own business and path!
Updated
Liz’s Answer
Hello, there are many career paths for you with a business and economics double major. Sales and Marketing might be one possible career path that you might be interested in. With economics and business, you can also enter into a Finance or Accounting career path. All of it depends on where your interests lie.
Thank you so much - this is very helpful!
Savannah
Updated
Sami’s Answer
Doubling major in Business & Economics would create the path to work mostly in the following fields:
Accounting
Banking
Research and Development
Academic Professor
Consultancy
Economist
Analyst
Entrepreneur
Logistics Specialist
Retail Strategist
Venture Capitalist
Accounting
Banking
Research and Development
Academic Professor
Consultancy
Economist
Analyst
Entrepreneur
Logistics Specialist
Retail Strategist
Venture Capitalist
Updated
Matthew’s Answer
If you double major in Business & Economics you can have a career in many different avenues of finance, including Financial Advisor, leadership (management at a firm), private equity, or you can start your own business. There are many different roads you can take with those focuses, it will all depend on what your interests and skillsets are after the fact.
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hi Savannah! Great question, and you've gotten some great answers too! Depending on where you go to school, there are likely opportunities to concentrate in a particular area as part of your business major (marketing, strategy, finance, ops, etc.). Once you've taken a variety of business classes, you may have a clearer sense of what areas of business you like best and this will help clarify what careers would be a good fit.
Something that hasn't been mentioned is pursuing economics research. Economic research is fascinating, and a Master's or PhD in econ could lead to a lot of exciting opportunities in academia and industry (though the trade-off is spending more time in school). This might be a particularly good option if you love math (statistics especially) and are excited by the idea of generating new knowledge in the field.
Something that hasn't been mentioned is pursuing economics research. Economic research is fascinating, and a Master's or PhD in econ could lead to a lot of exciting opportunities in academia and industry (though the trade-off is spending more time in school). This might be a particularly good option if you love math (statistics especially) and are excited by the idea of generating new knowledge in the field.
Hi Michelle! This is super interesting - you make a really good point. Thank you for your answer! I appreciate it!
Savannah
Updated
Colleen’s Answer
Your options are endless! You can create your own path once you start gaining business experience and apply your educational background. I found that procurement and contracting were my strongest interests once I began my professional career, but have since transitioned into communications management. With an economics degree, the insight you will be able to provide to any company on your resume will be invaluable and you'll be able to demonstrate value in any of the organization's business operations areas.
This is super helpful! Thank you so much, Colleen.
Savannah
Updated
Taylor’s Answer
Hi Savannah,
For my undergrad degree I majored in Economics at a business school and what I found most valuable was the way I learned to think about and approach various situations from an analytical perspective, as well as the hands on data analytics that were a big part of my classes. Economics and business classes give you great baseline skills that can be adapted for many different career paths depending on your interests.
What I found helpful in defining where I wanted my career to go were my experiences and internships outside of the classroom. I spoke to professors about their experiences and connections they had in different industries, and set up time with my college's career services center to discuss potential fields of interest and how I could utilize the skills I was learning. I now work as a Sales Operations Analyst at a tech company where I get to blend my data analytics (hard) skills with my interpersonal (soft) skills to support multiple sales teams.
Best of luck!
For my undergrad degree I majored in Economics at a business school and what I found most valuable was the way I learned to think about and approach various situations from an analytical perspective, as well as the hands on data analytics that were a big part of my classes. Economics and business classes give you great baseline skills that can be adapted for many different career paths depending on your interests.
What I found helpful in defining where I wanted my career to go were my experiences and internships outside of the classroom. I spoke to professors about their experiences and connections they had in different industries, and set up time with my college's career services center to discuss potential fields of interest and how I could utilize the skills I was learning. I now work as a Sales Operations Analyst at a tech company where I get to blend my data analytics (hard) skills with my interpersonal (soft) skills to support multiple sales teams.
Best of luck!
Hi Taylor, thank you so much for your answer! I appreciate that you shared your own experiences - thanks again for the help!
Savannah