Business and management is one of the most versatile subjects to study at degree level, opening up paths to a huge range of careers in the business world and beyond. Business students tend to be career focused and keen to take any opportunity to help them stand out in a competitive jobs market. With that in mind, here are our top tips to help you achieve your business and management career goals:
Keep your options open
Choosing a business and management degree helps to keep your career options open. It also gives you a broad skills base, making you adaptable to market changes.
If you look at the structure of the University of Sunderland BA (Hons) Business and Management course, you will see the building blocks of a successful organisation. Marketing, human resources, operations, accounting and finance and strategy are the basis for the degree. These modules will give you the essential knowledge needed for managing people, managing resources and managing operations. They will also develop your knowledge and skills in leadership, decision making, communication, teamwork, innovation and enterprise. These skills are essential for a successful career in business and management.
Skill up
Finding the right career path is also about having transferable skills which can take you to the next step. These are developed not only through what is taught, but also by how it is taught. Here at Sunderland, our students learn though techniques such as problem-based learning, working in a small team to explore issues or decide how to manage a situation. This helps them to dissect, challenge and debate issues.
Other learning techniques include company visits, guest speakers and cutting-edge e-learning technologies. These learning methods are combined with lectures, seminars, debates, tutorials and workshops, giving our graduates a highly versatile set of transferable skills.
Plan how, and when, to specialise
Business and management courses are designed to make you a great all-rounder, but with the ability to move into specialist areas through optional modules. These optional modules could cover relevant topics such as innovation and creativity, contemporary developments in human resources, digital marketing, marketing management and metrics, and innovation management.
As well careers in business and management, University of Sunderland graduates have embarked on successful careers in related areas such as business systems analysis, finance, human resources, digital marketing, marketing consultancy and supply chain management.
Get employer ready
When you choose a business and management degree, you should look to build your CV throughout the course. Does the university offer a placement? Do you get great industry insight through guest lectures and company visits? Can you develop your skills with business simulations and projects? Is the teaching ‘real-world’ and applied? Is there good careers support?
For BA (Hons) Business and Applied Human Resources Management graduate Chelsea Parker, taking a placement in industry was instrumental in kick-starting her career:
“I was fortunate enough to be offered a placement with Caterpillar AT Trucks. My placement year gave me invaluable knowledge and insight into human resources and also strengthened my confidence in the workplace. I’m very proud to have subsequently been employed at Caterpillar AT Trucks as a Learning and Human Resources Advisor.”
Chelsea Parker, Learning and Human Resources Advisor, Caterpillar
Employers are looking for graduates who can perform well from day one, as well as be adaptable and enterprising. Students can develop these traits by choosing a course with an emphasis on employability. The University of Sunderland offers all of this and more through the Employability and Enterprise Hub.
University of Sunderland graduates have gone on to careers with some of the world’s most prestigious companies, including IBM, Procter & Gamble, BT, Nissan, Marriott Hotels, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the NHS and Adidas, as well as a range of small firms and charities.
Published: 17 May 2018