What is Business Administration?
Along with monitoring and supervising daily operations, a business administrator communicates with outside partners, they improve the organization and employee performance, and they may also analyze financial data and negotiate contracts. These professionals may also find themselves approving purchases and expenditures, mediating between staff and executives, appointing department heads, and facilitating training programs.
For a successful career in business management, these professionals should have excellent leadership skills, thrive in high pressure situations, and have an analytical mind and great communication skills. Their biggest responsibility is to streamline the activities of the organization by using chosen strategies. They aim to achieve the goals of the organization with the least possible loss and have a positive impact on the productivity of staff.
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Online Business Administration Education in Minnesota
Business administrators are found in every sector in Minnesota. This includes the largest industries in the state such as manufacturing; real estate, rental, and leasing; educational services; healthcare; and social assistance.
A major part of a business administrator’s role is to focus on the revenues their organization is earning and making sure they are as efficient as possible. So, not surprisingly, business administrators are responsible for a large chunk of the oversight of an organization.
In Minnesota, education and health services employ the highest number of people, though retail and manufacturing both contribute large amounts of revenue to the state. The state is home to 17 Fortune 500 organizations. These include United Health Group, Target, 3M, and General Mills.
All of the state’s organizations and businesses employed 54,880 business administrators, as of May 2020. And the annual mean wage of these business professionals was $54,810 around the same time frame.
Saint Paul, one of the best-known cities in Minnesota, is home to several Fortune 500 companies. Best Buy and Ecolab are among these organizations. Because of this, and the importance of businesspeople to the state’s economy, many colleges and universities in-state offer business degrees to their students. These are some of the most popular degrees for colleges all over the country.
Once online students graduate, they have a wide choice of industries they can choose to enter. These industries include financial, precision manufacturing, medical, technology, retail, packaged goods, energy, and agriculture. The top employment sectors in the city of Saint Paul include healthcare and social assistance, hospitality and food service, public administration, finance and insurance, and educational services.
Online Associate (AS)
Students have multiple online degree programs to choose from at community colleges in the state of Minnesota. They may find an Associate of Applied Science, an Associate of Science, or even an associate of arts focused on business or business administration. These programs offer students a broad background in functional business areas: management, accounting, small business development, marketing, and leadership. Once students graduate, they are prepared to work in an entry-level position or they may choose to continue school to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Some online associate degree programs also have transfer pathways, which means that the course credits earned will transfer directly to a bachelor of business administration at a state university which has signed a transfer agreement with the community college. It’s important to know ahead of time if your school has this option if you think you would like to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree at any point.
Courses at this level give students the foundation they need to carry out the daily tasks of an entry-level employee such as reading and understanding financial statements, preparing accounting statements, and using written and oral business communication skills. Careers graduates may choose include personal banking, bank teller, customer service manager, or office supervisor once they have some experience under their belt.
Online Bachelors (BS)
An online bachelor’s in business administration offers students education in finance, general business, marketing, management, human resource management, small business, and computer information systems.
Students in the best online business administration schools in Minnesota also learn how to think logically; they develop their communication skills; hone their technical, theoretical, and professional skills; and they learn how to problem-solve creatively and make decisions. Students work on real-world problems to learn these skills. These degrees offer specialties in small business management and marketing, and many courses and even whole programs are offered online.
Graduates may work as management analysts, general and operations managers, administrative service managers, and more.
Online Masters (MS)
An online Master of Science in Business Analytics or in another pertinent field may be necessary in order for graduates to earn the position they have in mind. Graduate degrees in business are focused on giving you a more in-depth explanation of the field, of management, or of how technology operates within the field. What you learn will, of course, depend on the specialty you study. At this level, you could earn a master’s degree, which will provide a single focus of study, or you could earn an MBA, which provides knowledge in business administration specifically but also allows students to choose a specialization such as marketing, finance, and more. Or you may choose to focus on a specific area of analytics: testing, big data, data visualization, experimentation, predictive modeling, etc.
A Master of Business Administration is an advanced learning experience, which helps students develop the skills they will need as they begin taking on higher levels of responsibility. Potential occupations include general and operations managers, management analysts, administrative service managers, chief executives, college business teachers, consultant, and many more.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
Students planning to enroll in a Doctorate of Business Administration degree program will earn a degree focused on applied management practice, theories, and research. These online degrees prepare students for positions in consulting, management, and post-secondary teaching.
Students are exposed to a curriculum which hones their ability to think and act ethically as business leaders in organizations that are ever-changing. After graduation, students will have the higher-level skills they need as they take on difficult positions in business management, management consulting, and teaching in higher education.
Online program curriculum might include management information systems, organizational behavior, finance, and a capstone course focused on the field of your choice.
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Become a Business Administrator in Minnesota
While business certifications aren’t a mandatory step to work in administration, they do help applicants looking for business administration or management positions to get an interview and come out on top of the interview process. These certifications also help business professionals who are looking for ways to move laterally (over) or up into new positions. Here are some certifications you might want to consider.
- Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
This certification covers different supply chain concepts and its technology. It also offers strategies for end-to-end operations, in which products move from the supplier to the company to the consumer. Supply chain professionals who wish to earn this certification need to have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, one other approved certification, and three years of business experience related to supply chain. - SAP Certified Application Associate
This stands for systems, applications, and products. It is used worldwide by companies needing to manage their business operations and customer relationships and is applicable to a variety of types of business such as marketing, human resources, sales, supply chain, and manufacturing.
Candidates for this certification should have both experience and training before they sit for the exam. Training courses are available for those candidates who want to study before taking the exam.
- Salesforce Certified Administrator
Salesforce is a customer relationship management platform which assists lead management and help desk, sales, and customer service personnel. Salesforce grows with the needs of a business as it grows and, though this platform only launched in 1999, it is now an industry leader.
For business administrators who want to prove that they can use the platform on an administrative level, a certification program helps. You’ll take classes and workshops before taking a proctored exam. Administrators looking to gain certification should already have some familiarity with the platform as the certification builds upon their existing understanding of the platforms features and functions.
Careers for Business Administration Graduates
- Administrative Coordinator
This professional is responsible for both administrative and clerical duties as they coordinate the organization’s general administration. The administrative coordinator also acts as a liaison between internal departments, employees, and customers. They direct other administrative employees in developing new skills, assigning tasks, and planning and organizing upcoming projects.
The coordinator should think analytically, be organized, and have top-notch communication skills; they also have to be highly skilled at problem-solving as they handle office duties and administrative operations.
- Maintenance Manager
A maintenance manager supervises and leads maintenance procedures for their organization. This professional oversees building repairs and also manages office maintenance and landscaping.
Their duties include reporting progress on maintenance and repairs, assigning work schedules, and tracking expenses. They may also maintain machinery, plan upcoming repair work, and develop maintenance procedures and schedules to be used. They carry out (or support those who carry out) regular facility inspections to find and correct problems, make sure that all workers in the department follow safety policies and procedures, oversee equipment stock and place orders for new equipment and supplies.
- Team Supervisor, Call Center
This supervisor is responsible for hiring and onboarding new employees for call centers; helping with the development of targets for teams and individuals; responding to questions from staff members; and offering support, feedback, and guidance.
The supervisor assesses the work of the employees who make and respond to calls and provide them with feedback so they can improve their performance. Call center supervisors should have supervisory experience and call center experience. Having excellent communication skills and the ability to lead and motivate is also helpful.
Call center supervisors have to keep results in mind; they also need to be reliable and well-organized. Above all, call center supervisors have to coax excellent performance from each team member.
- Accounting Associate
An accounting associate offers support to senior-level accountants and auditors, carry out bookkeeping and administrative duties, and handle accounts receivable and accounts payable responsibilities.
To be considered for hiring, an accounting associate should be able to list a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or economics on their resume. However, employers may consider candidates with two or more years of accounting experience and a high school diploma or associate degree, depending on the company.
- Chief Marketing Manager
A chief marketing manager handles the development and execution of new marketing and advertising campaigns. Their primary responsibility is to increase their organization’s sales via advertising. They may report straight to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) as they usually lead the organization’s in-house marketing team.
Primarily, they manage every marketing operation, assess and improve existing campaigns, and develop new marketing strategies to increase revenue. A successful chief marketing manager needs to be able to tailor marketing strategies so they support the company’s objectives. They need great communication and leadership skills so that they are able to offer guidance to their marketing team, and they should also have a deep and broad knowledge of current trends in marketing.
Sources:
- https://stacker.com/stories/2571/top-industries-every-state
- https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/map_changer.htm
- https://work.chron.com/health-care-administration-objectives-26849.html
- https://www.business.com/articles/best-business-certifications/
- https://www.jobhero.com/resume/examples/accounting/associate
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