Let’s be fair, most corporate jobs, in this day and age require a formal degree to make the cut. There is a simple reason behind that, organizations are looking for the best talent they can acquire as per their needs and affordability.
A degree (as of now) is the best way to assess if a potential employee has gone through and succeeded at a structured educational program. This demonstrates that they may possess the skillset to make it.
But that does not mean that you as an individual have limited options to study. Through technology education has become borderless; students can virtually access top quality learning resources from highest-ranking schools around the world. E-learning has been a great enabler that has evolved a contemporary (brick and mortar based) education system with platforms such as Coursera, EdX etc. becoming major game changers, providing worldwide access to quality education and making distance learning possible.
When it comes to studying business, opportunities are in abundance. A business degree lays a wide conceptual knowledge base so that students are able to perform in various business fields, expeditiously climbing up the corporate ladder. Universities world-wide are constantly making headway in providing access to top-notch educational material, streamlined communication methods in form of eEducation. This online learning pattern has made it easy for students anywhere around the world, to earn business degrees by enrolling into undergraduate business programs for starters, with the aim to build stronger profiles before they jumpstart their careers.
In a pool of numerous opportunities available, following are five lucrative in-demand jobs that an undergraduate degree may land you on:
- Financial Analyst
Financial Analysts aid in making investment decisions; for individuals and businesses. They leverage the analyzing and assessing skills gained through the business degree and use it to evaluate stock performance and other type of investments. It also includes evaluating present and past financial data to check company’s financial value, study economic trends and prepare reports.
The median pay for Financial Analysts was $85,660 per year in May 2018. The position is reportedly projected to grow 6% from 2018 to 2028 (BLS).
- Marketing Manager
Marketing Managers study the recent relevant trends in order to create innovative and effective marketing strategies for brands. Their primary focus is to apply forward thinking while planning strategies for advertising and promotion in order to serve the right customer, at the right time, through the right channels. They work closely with all departments to create synergy within the workplace. Marketing Managers are also responsible for developing pricing strategies for products, develop promotional campaigns of multiple mediums, oversee the budget and contracts as well as initiate market research studies.
Marketing as a field, can qualify you for over 19,700 new jobs (as per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) from 2014 to 2024. So there’s plenty of work out there for marketing graduates across key fields like advertising, marketing promotions, brand management etc.
Human Resource Specialist
Human Resource Specialists are responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing and placing employees. They also handle tasks related to compensation and benefits, employee relations and training. A clear understanding of business and its functions is required, along with strong decision-making and interpersonal skills, as well as strong knowledge of legal and company laws and regulations. HR specialists may also engage in planning strategies to internally strengthen the working environment in order to increase productivity and efficiency of the employees.
The median pay for HR specialists in May 2018 was $60,880 and is projected to grow 5% from 2018-2028 (BLS).
- Actuary
Actuaries work on calculating the probability of risks and uncertainties. With a strong grasp in statistics, they use a combination of financial theory and mathematics to assess the risk of potential events and generate policies to minimize the cost of that risk. Actuaries take the lead in insurance industry; assessing when insurance companies would be liable of paying. They typically use softwares to compile, analyze, and forecast. The job requires strong calculus background and strong a interpersonal skillset.
The median pay for an Actuary in May 2018 was $102,880 and the employment of Actuaries is projected to grow 20% from 2018-2028 (BLS).
- Market Research Analyst
Market Research Analysts are responsible for conducting a thorough research of the market conditions, latest trends, and analyze people’s demands, the appropriate price and the target audience. They deduce the method of research as well as compile relevant data and structure it into meaningful information. There has been an increase in the demand of research analysts who can conduct relevant market research and analyze data for businesses to keep ahead of the pack by understanding their consumers and their buying behavior. The results of these researches allow businesses to make or alter their marketing strategies.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. the annual median wage for Market Research Analyst was $63,120 in May 2018. Its employment is projected to grow 20% from 2018-2028; which is much faster than average.
Final Thoughts
As of now there are plenty of opportunities for graduates to enroll into their field of choice and pursue a structured career path. Even for risk takers and for people looking to build their own businesses; formal education/structured degrees are a safe-way to build towards the future.
