8 Jobs You Can Get With a Business Administration Degree – Florida National University

In the United States, managers of administrative and business services are part of an occupational field that is crucial for the continued growth of the American economy. Business organizations are in constant need of employees who are able to carry out administrative functions. It is not unusual for Florida employers to encourage specialists and technicians to pursue business administration degrees; they do this because they know that promotion from within is a proven strategy for growth in the American enterprise.

By studying business theories and learning best business practices, business majors may develop critical skill sets, such as knowing how to analyze problems by using and applying data. Business majors also have the opportunity to gain proficiency in managing large groups of people and may become adept at fostering professional communications. Employers from a multitude of industries look for this wide range of skills in business degree earners. According to a national CareerBuilder survey, 74% of employers surveyed say they plan to hire recent college graduates in 2018, with 30% of respondents choosing business majors over other degrees.

As for annual salaries, business administration majors can expect (depending on the industry) to earn:

• Entry between $60K and $120K with experience
• MBA graduates can earn up to $155K per year

After graduates with a business administration degree work in their fields for a few years, they can move up into higher-paying management positions. According to the BLS, the median business management salary was $102,590 in 2018. Having a master of business administration will boost earnings even further. According to the Financial Times, the average salary for an MBA three years after graduation was $142,000 in 2018.

Out of the hundreds of job descriptions for this broad occupational segment, here are eight positions you can reasonably pursue after graduating from a business administration program at Florida National University:

1. Procurement Officer

Also known as “purchasing officers,” procurement specialists are in charge of acquiring products that are essential for business operations. Analytical, organizational and bargaining skills are crucial for this position, which is one of the most important in what is known as the supply chain. The procurement officer must set standards and timing requirements for the goods their company needs, then search for and compare the suppliers’ reputations, what they offer, quality and pricing. Out of all of those, the procurement officer must choose one to prepare a contract with and then monitor the effectiveness of the product, delivery, and relationship.

For a South Florida company, such as Fresh Del Monte Produce, procurement officers may be expected to deal with international trade logistics since this is a business with connections to American and European economies. In some cases, procurement officers are appointed to serve as members of executive boards.

2. Office Administrator

There will never be a shortage of jobs for business administration graduates who specialize in office management. This being the 21st century, office administrators are expected to be resourceful and capable of multitasking. Basic skills include intermediate to advanced use of databases, and especially Microsoft software such as Word, Excel, etc. Occasionally some light reporting and accounting skills. Office Managers usually must be personable, handle phones, clients, employees can plan office space use and maintenance and can handle unexpected office situations.

Florida-based companies, such as home security giant ADT, are always looking for office managers.

3. Human Resources Manager

A company’s most valuable asset will always be its human capital. Human resource managers are in charge of workforce administration, which starts at the recruitment level and continues through payroll, training, compliance, benefits, scheduling, retention, counseling, strategic planning and more.

While the primary function of human resources specialists is to recruit, screen, interview and hire employees, most human resources specialists are trained in all HR functions, and therefore they frequently handle other human resources work, such as employee relations, compensation and benefits, and training. These daily tasks could include processing payroll and administering benefits, as well as ensuring all human resources functions are in compliance with federal, state and local regulations.

For a very large Florida enterprise, such as Publix, effective management of human resources is crucial for success. This is a dynamic and competitive field that truly values specialization; large human resources departments will hire you based on your degree as a qualification, but you may be expected to complete additional training, particularly as it relates to workplace compliance.

At the managerial level, the BLS reports the median annual wage at $110,120 and reports job opportunities for human resources specialists are projected to grow 5% between now and 2024.

4. Sports Operations Manager

With median salaries of around $95K per year, sports management is an interesting position that many business administration students seek to pursue. Professional sports franchises, such as the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Panthers, are medium-sized employers that need sports management specialists for both their front and back offices. The NASCAR brand is also based in the Sunshine State and is looking to expand beyond the 13 racetracks it wholly owns and operates.

Talent management firms, sports marketing agencies, school academics programs, and even municipalities often have positions that need to be filled by sports management professionals.

FNU offers a sports management concentration with a minimum of 18 credits for the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program. To learn more about this exciting career field, contact one of our academic counselors.

5. Advertising and Marketing Roles

Advertising Executive: You do not have to specialize in marketing or advertising to handle the accounts of clients who need promotional work; professionals with business degrees are often hired for this purpose and they can also oversee internal marketing efforts. Vendors of goods, for example, Rooms to Go furniture store, or Ikea, need to stay very visible and competitive to reach consumers and target the right advertising channels. This is something that calls for the organizational and analytical skills of business majors.

Market Research Analyst: A market research analyst helps a company understand who their customers are, what products they should be selling, and how they can successfully promote those products.8 Market research analysts often design surveys and train and supervise interviewers who conduct the surveys. They then analyze the research and report the results to management. Market research analysts work for employers in a variety of industries and for consulting firms.9 According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for market research analysts are projected to grow by 19% between now and 2024

6. Municipal Manager

Modern cities are not managed merely by means of political action and development; they are entities that require a substantial amount of administration, and this is where managers of administrative services are particularly needed. Municipal administration departments tend to have a large concentration of business graduates because they need to be managed like a business. Bureaucracy will never cease to be the apparatus that keeps cities running and this is the case at the city, county, and federal levels.

In a populous metropolitan region such as South Florida, municipal administration departments are always hiring.

7. Franchising Manager

Miami is home to one of the largest fast-food franchising brands in the world: Burger King. The headquarters and regional offices of this company are efficiently managed by business administration professionals who make sure that operations run smoothly. The franchising operation alone requires significant management because it is essential to the continuous expansion of the brand. While it is true that Burger King managers and field operations supervisors come from their restaurants, administrative staff members come from college business programs. Other major franchise brands based in Florida include Checkers, Darden and Benihana.

8. Business Developer / Business Consultant

When small business owners want to take that next step towards growth and expansion, they may either retain the services of a business development consultant or hire one as a director.

Business developers formulate and apply strategies to help companies expand their commercial footprint; they may come up with new products and services, forge partnerships or enter new territories. For medium and enterprise-level companies, developers will typically need MBA degrees and report directly to executive boards.

Business consultants also referred to as management consultants, help companies propose ways to improve a business’s efficiency. They advise managers on how to make an organization more profitable through reduced costs and increased revenue. Management consultants generally organize information about a problem and design a procedure for improvement, recommend new systems and organization changes, and confer with managers to ensure changes are working.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the employment of management consultants is projected to grow 14%, or much faster than average, by 2024.

Starting Your Own Business

You may consider taking the journey of entrepreneurship. Starting your own business is no easy task, it takes tremendous dedication and sacrifice. However, in today’s age of technology, we are seeing new businesses pop up every day. Advances in internet technology have made starting a new online business possible with just a few clicks of a button. eCommerce has been one of the most popular routes for young entrepreneurs because of the rapid and consistent growth of online consumers. eCommerce technology, such as the BigCommerce development and design platform, allows you to get your business idea up and running within just a few weeks.

Business Administration Job Openings

When you search LinkedIn for business administration jobs, you are bound to find more than 125,000 listings at any given time. Among them, there may be jobs posted by federal government agencies, which may require you to obtain a security clearance. The bottom line of business administration degrees is that they can get you jobs.

FNU Business Administration Associates, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

At FNU, our business administration programs are fully-accredited and our Associate of Arts, Baccalaureate and Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) programs are nationally recognized.

For both the Associate and Baccalaureate degrees, some of the classes you will take as upper core requirements include Principles of Accounting, Business Law, Microeconomics, Marketing, etc.

In consultation with your college counselor in your department, you can take upper-level electives from FNU’s broad selection of classes in other related fields, the recommended electives that will serve you best in a career in business administration include:

• Business Research Methods
• Organization Behavior
• Entrepreneurial Finance
• International Banking and Finance
• Negotiation & Conflict Resolution
• Supervisory Skills
• International Marketing
• Sales, Advertising and Promotions
• White-Collar Crime

Because Business Administration is so broad, we’ve created five specialization programs at FNU to help our students hone in on the industry they have a stronger affinity towards.

Concentrations of the FNU Bachelors in Business Administration include:

• Sport Management
• Accounting
• Finance
• General Management
• Marketing

At the Master’s level, we offer CAPSTONE credits, as well as six concentrations in:

• Accounting
• Financing
• Health Services Administration
• Public Management & Leadership
• Marketing
• General Management

At this level, students can delve profoundly at a superior level in topics such as Health Informatics, Managerial Financing, Corporate Financing, Health Care Law & Legislation, Services Marketing, Consumer Marketing, Contemporary Project Management, Federal Taxes, and Management Decisions.

If you start with an Associate’s Degree, your career may start as a specialist or technician; managers are more likely to hold Bachelor’s degrees, while MBA graduates can become directors.

Online, Distance Learning Associates, Baccalaureate and Master’s in Business Administration

All of our business degree programs can be completed online, and you may be eligible for financial aid; plus, you may also take advantage of our internship programs for experiential learning to help you land a dream job.

To learn more about how a business administration degree may fit in your life, contact our counselors or visit our campus offices in Hialeah or Miami.