What Business Major are You Interested In?
Business leaders and other professionals are responsible for ensuring an organization runs smoothly and generates revenue. Business professionals run organizations that provide services or products to the public or to other organizations. These must meet the needs of clients and customers if they want to stay in business.
Business is a vague umbrella term that can cover a lot of different industries. For example, the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services industry netted $27.9 billion in revenue in a recent year, making it one of the top ten industries in the state in terms of revenue. The lowest-earning industry was wholesale trade, which make $7 billion, and others include rental, manufacturing, retail, finance, and more. Jobs in all of these industries can fall under the category of a ‘business’ profession, so those students looking to earn business degrees are going to graduate with plenty of options.
Some business professionals manage healthcare organizations. They may set goals for each department, set up work schedules, recruit and train staff members, and act as a representative of the healthcare organization as a board member or at meetings. They will need advanced management education and specialized knowledge of the healthcare industry. This allows healthcare managers to make more effective decisions regarding daily operations.
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Online Business Education in Nevada
To be successful, business professionals need to have a variety of business-related skills, with some being hard skills and other skills being soft skills, though which ones you need may be affected by the industry you enter.
These can include:
- Data analysis
- Knowledge and understanding of economics
- Business management abilities
- Leadership
- Financial accounting
- Project management, organization, and planning
- Networking
- Communication and negotiation
- Emotional intelligence
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Whatever industry you are considering, it’s a good idea to gain as much education as you can in general business while also gaining some specialized knowledge in the field you choose. All organizations need to have effective leadership. This is delegated to one person who has the skills to lead the organization. These leadership and management skills may be taught via company training, learned by doing, or gained through education. However, education is one of the only sure ways to gain this knowledge and it can ensure that you earn more money with more opportunities for promotion.
Business professionals have many qualities in common. The most important are communication skills, both spoken and written. This allows them to get their message across clearly. Second, good leadership skills means that a good business professional is able to take the reins and lead their team or an entire organization.
Other qualities can also be important:
- Ambition—Successful business professionals have the drive they need to reach their own goals even as they aim to reach the organization’s goals.
- Reliable and dependable—Business professionals must be dependable and always be ready to put in the work to make the organization a success. This requires a commitment to the organization that some aren’t willing to make.
- Making decisions and solving problems—Effective decision-making skills mean a direction can be decided upon quickly. Problem-solving means they can develop good solutions, not just fast solutions.
- Honesty—This reflects on the businesspersons' character. Someone who is able to admit they made a mistake and learn is someone to be valued.
No matter what role you fill in business, these qualities can help you succeed. And, because business is a broad term, you may fill roles in nearly any industry whether you are selling products or services, offering customer support or client account management, working in the IT department, or making your way into the C-suites.
Online Associate (AS)
Community colleges offer a variety of associate degrees to prospective business students. These students may plan to work in a business leadership role or may simply be interested in learning more about the field before choosing a major for their bachelor’s degree. Students can attend smaller community colleges or some of the best business schools in Nevada to gain their final degree and learn the essential career skills they need to rise to a leadership position in an organization.
Business and economic systems can change rapidly. Systems and processes are constantly being brought up to date, so students need to understand the new technology and have the skills needed to be successful in helping a business to grow. Students can take part in quality programs at the associate degree-level in order to gain practical business knowledge and get their foot in the door of their chosen industry.
Online Bachelors (BS)
An online Bachelor of Science in Business is usually a 120 credit hour program that can take four to six years to complete, depending on whether you attend full- or part-time. Along with the core business courses such as finance, accounting, employee relations and management, students will also take general education courses. These courses cover English and communications, helping students gain the hard and soft skills (interpersonal, communication, etc.) they need to succeed.
Faculty and instructors use their accumulated real-world experiences, and their own education, to develop high-quality learning opportunities for students. This may include internship opportunities, business development or incubation programs, and more. Graduates can find careers in management, project management, human resources, operations, marketing, and more.
Online Masters (MS)
Graduate students can enroll in a masters in business or an MBA program if they have already earned a bachelor’s degree. Options include a Master of Science in Management and Leadership, a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and a huge variety of other master’s degrees or MBA concentrations for those who need specialized knowledge.
These programs are designed to provide students with more in-depth knowledge in business within their specific industry, in leadership and management methods and theories, and in the management of organizational change, planning, and more. Students can develop expertise in project management, group dynamics, organization and work design, team and organizational culture, and more.
Those who choose to earn a Master of Business Administration will gain a wide range of business and management skills and will also obtain the tools and knowledge they need to develop a vision for the future of their company or industry as a whole. Some MBA programs offer various tracks on top of the concentration options available, so make sure that your school search is thorough and you know exactly what you will get out of a program before you sign up.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
A PhD in Business Administration focuses on Management, while a PhD in Business might be more general. Either way, those enrolled in these types of programs are usually trained in both basic and applied research.
For those exploring an academic career, a PhD program can be designed with an interdisciplinary focus to help you gain more experience teaching while also providing you with high-level insight into management and research. You may study organizational behavior, game theory, strategic management, behavioral finance, human resources management, behavioral economics, entrepreneurship, judgment and decision making, leadership, business ethics, and more.
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Become a Business Development Specialist in Nevada
The best way to become a business professional in Nevada is the same way you would do so in other states: education. While some professions are open to those with associate degrees or certifications who gain experience on the job, business is more likely to require that you have at least an undergraduate degree, and a bachelor’s will get you further than an associate’s. An MBA may actually be required to make your way into the C-suites, no matter your experience.
However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no place for certifications in business. There are plenty of options, and professionals with business certifications end up with more job offers than those that have none on their resume. Here are just some options, though you’ll want to make sure you earn ones that are pertinent to your line of work: marketing, human resources, supply chain management, etc.
- Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
This certification is created for individuals who want to add to their business analysis skills. To qualify, you should have a few years of prior experience as a business analyst, 35 hours of professional development, and around 7,500 hours of work experience in business analysis. Topics covered in the exam include solution evaluation, strategy analysis, business analysis planning, and life cycle management. - Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
This APICS certification is suitable for qualified supply chain supervisors, operators, and leaders. It focuses on concepts and technology in the field, as well as helpful strategies for end-to-end operations, moving from supplier, to company, to consumer. - Oracle Certified Professional (OCP)
Professionals who take this certification program focus on learning how to use Oracle, which is a well-known cloud database software. Business leaders learn how to use this digital program in a variety of business functions.
Potential Careers for Business Graduates
- VP of Operations
This manager is responsible for making sure everyday business practices satisfy operational goals and that those goals produce the highest efficiency. They report to the chief operating officer, working as a liaison in between the COO and middle management. They advise the COO on strategy, vital partnerships, and stakeholder relationships. - Human Resources Specialist
Human resource managers assists their employer in finding job candidates who are best qualified to meet the needs of the organization. They work on recruitment, review resumes, carry out interviews and background checks, and more. They may also enact training programs and will onboard new employees into the payroll system, benefits programs, and other aspects of the job. - Team Leader
This professional is responsible for supervising, leading, and monitoring employees on their team. They ensure goals are met and work to motivate and inspire their team members, developing a good environment, and promoting positive communication; they encourage bonding of team members and show flexibility. - Marketing Manager
Marketing managers are all about promotion & marketing: products, businesses, brands, and services. They may create marketing and pricing plans, find new business leads, oversee the staff of the marketing department, manage marketing budgets, and examine trends. - Data Analyst
Data analysts gather information on an organization’s performance, a marketing campaign performance, competitors, and other metrics. These include sales numbers, linguistics, market research, logistics or any other behavioral indicator. In this role, the data analyst shares their technical expertise, helping to verify the data is accurate and produce reports so that others can understand what the data means. - Financial Analyst
Financial analysts examine the current and project the future financial picture for organizations. They handle the financial planning and forecasting for individual departments and total organizational revenues and expenditures as a way of developing cost structures. - Supply Chain Specialist/Manager
A supply chain manager makes sure the supply chain is functioning in every area: receiving orders, filling them, shipping them out, and billing the customer and providing customer service.
Next in the chain of command is the supply chain manager. This professional stays current with an organization’s logistics and ensure the organization’s inventory in updated. It is their responsibility to analyze the operational performance so that they can spot and resolve issues.
- Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business; they take on most of the risks and, if the business succeeds, they enjoy the bulk of the rewards. This professional may be viewed as a font of new ideas, services, or goods, though they are most often seen as problem solvers who see gaps in the current market and develop a plan to fill them. - CEO and other C-suite positions
CEO means chief executive officer. This professional is generally the highest-ranking person in any organization. This professional creates objectives for the company and charts a path; they may develop budgets and forecast budgetary factors, be an effective PR person, communicate regularly with the Board of Directors, track how the company is performing, and develop a working culture within the company.
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