Because business touches on almost every aspect of human society, choosing a career in business management offers a variety of options. Those who work in the various business management careers develop a broad knowledge of business operations, finance, strategy, business policy, communications and much more.
Here are 4 examples of business management career paths to look at:
Business Analyst
Business analysts identify a company’s needs through the use of analytical tools. They collect data and information through interviews, surveys, site visits, and many other sources to determine what the state of a company is. They have the ability to take high-level information and present it in such a way that there is a general understanding of the findings. While they are skilled in gathering and processing information, they are also skilled at problem solving.
Business analysts have excellent verbal and written communication skills. They are able to interact with a variety of people, from external customers, managers, and executives to industry experts, and are employed in a variety of industries.
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers are responsible for the planning and overseeing of programmes and campaigns in order to create awareness and generate interest in their service or product. They develop and evaluate marketing strategies, always keeping the bigger picture in mind and taking into account the collective processes in the company. They often are in charge of managing a team of marketing professionals, and they work with sales, finance and other staff members to ensure that all roles work towards achieving the same goals for the product or service.
Effective marketing managers have excellent written and verbal communication skills, which include listening, being clear and patient, and having a positive attitude towards their work. They are organised, and have good planning skills.
Also read: 5 Marketing Careers You Probably Didn’t Know Existed
Account Manager
Account managers play the role of liaison between the company and the clients. They play an important role in the success of the business as they are tasked with nurturing long-term relationships with clients. They require good knowledge of the company, key accounts, and goals of each of these in order to be successful in their role.
An integral part of their job depends on effective communication and their ability to build solid relationships with clients. They can be seen as the face or representative of a company, and therefore also need to possess the skills of a sales person and the ability to network.
Management Consultant
The role of a management consultant is centred on improving the performance of a company through solving problems and finding better processes. They are often instrumental in helping companies save costs without compromising the quality of service or processes. They do this by providing guidance to management and helping them develop services that will improve performance.
Some of the important skills they have are critical thinking skills, where they have to be able to break down complex problems and find solutions that will benefit the company. Once this is done, they have to use their problem-solving skills to come up with recommendations. In order for them to be able to communicate these effectively, they need to have good communication skills.
Business management skills as transferable skills
The benefit of having a career in business management is that a lot of the skills acquired in this field are transferable skills. These skills can be put to use in both changing career paths and being able to provide other services in a different role within the same field, meaning you have the benefit of controlling your career growth.
Some of these transferable skills include:
- understanding how organisations operate in business
- communication skills
- analytical and critical thinking
- presentation skills
- project management skills
Choosing a career in business management offers a variety of options and gives you the benefit of working across different spheres in a business. Depending on your skills and talents, you could branch into analytics, marketing, account management, or consulting, as discussed above. Further benefits include the fact that many of the skills gained in business management careers are transferable skills, giving you the option to branch into different industries or positions.
Click here to find out more about preparing for a career in business management.