No Shortage of Jobs for Business Majors

Good News - if you're thinking about studying business, you're in luck. Business majors face some of the most encouraging job prospects of any industry.

Business degree holders at all degree levels from Associate’s to Master's consistently rank in the top ten most in demand graduates by employers.

About two-thirds of employers surveyed by professional business organizations said they plan to increase the number of new grads they recruit into their work forces by the end of this academic year.

Students with a bachelor's degree in business administration and management were the fourth most highly recruited graduates by employers last year. In fact, in a recent survey, employers said their greatest challenge in the coming year will not be a lack of qualified candidates, but competition for "the best and the brightest" of the abundant supply of business degree candidates on the market.

Workers in business administration and management plan and direct the activities of business, government, and other organizations.

Business is Good

The job market for business professionals as a whole is shaping up as one of the most lucrative the field has ever seen.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers are expected to add around 2.2 million new business administrators and managers by 2014, a 14.4 percent increase over last year.

General and operations managers will add the majority of these new jobs, over 300,000 by 2014. In fact, farmers and ranchers are the only workers in this major occupational group whose numbers are expected to decline, losing over the next eight years, dropping some 155,000 jobs from their ranks.

In management, opportunities will grow the fastest.

With a growing demand for quality childcare, opportunities for qualified administrators to manage preschool and childcare centers will increase the fastest, a whopping 27.9 percent. Close behind are new jobs for computer and information systems managers, a field, which is expected to grow by 25.9 percent.

Among business and financial occupations, auditors and accountants and management analysts will add the most jobs, 386,000 combined by 2014. Within this group, employment, recruitment, placement specialists and personal financial advisors will be the fastest growing occupations increasing their ranks by nearly 30 percent respectively.

Greater Opportunities; Greater Competition

According to a study by the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), business continues to be the most commonly anticipated major among first-year college students.

At the graduate school level, MBAs top the list as the most desirable of all degreed candidates, with over half of responding recruiters, 51.2 percent, saying they’d be targeting MBAs. This continues a hiring trend begun in 2004.

Going the Extra Mile

Though the job market for business majors may be strong, finding a job in this highly competitive market requires work and persistence. The fact that employers are hiring isn’t enough to ensure a smooth transition from campus to conference room.

Expert recruiters agree, your chances of landing a job go up if you can distinguish yourself with more than just a high GPA. Grades are important, but they will not secure employment on their own. The more a student demonstrate they have the personal qualities, skills and experience employers are looking for the more they distinguish themselves from the herd and get the jobs they are after.

In order to be considered as one of "the best and brightest" in your graduating class recruiters are looking for, employers offer a few keys that may help you not only get noticed but also get hired.

According to an annual survey conducted by a leading business college, employers note the attributes they look for in the "ideal candidate." Year after year, the number one skill employers say they want to see their candidates is good communication skills: the ability to write and speak clearly. Unfortunately, despite the consistent results of this survey, employers say business school candidates are still falling short.

The list that follows is the result of an employer skill ranking assessment of qualities they find most important when considering hiring new business degreed candidates. Students who want to truly stand out will take note: (1 to 5 scale; 1=not important, 5=extremely important)

• Communication Skills 4.7
• Honesty/integrity 4.7
• Teamwork skills (works well with others) 4.6
• Strong work ethic 4.5
• Analytical skills 4.4
• Flexibility/adaptability 4.4
• Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) 4.4
• Motivation/initiative 4.4
• Computer skills 4.3
• Detail-oriented 4.1
• Organizational skills 4.1
• Leadership skills 4.0
• Self-confidence 4.0
• Well-mannered/polite 3.9
• Friendly/outgoing personality 3.8
• Tactfulness 3.8
• Creativity 3.6
• GPA of 3.0 or better 3.5
• Entrepreneurial skills/risk-taker 3.2
• Sense of humor 3.2

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