Business Majors Input Wanted

[Oxide]

I am currently a junior in college, and as of right now I am planning to major in Business management.

However, I have thought about considering International business as a major as well, possibly as a second one.

Pros: I lived in Russia, visited Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Canada, Denmark.
Cons: Tougher to get a job in USA??

At the same time, I think finance is absolutely essential if you are going into the business world, so i would like to take that as well.

From your experiences, what do you think is the best job market for the next 5-10 years in the business field? Would an IB major with a Finance minor be better than a BA with an IB majors?

Just to set this thread correctly - I am looking to working in a large company that operates on a global scale.

Feel free to throw in useful links about business world and where it is heading.

 

[Marlimus]

DON'T GO WITH BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. It is a generic major much like marketing and human resource management. International business, coupled with one or two additional languages, will be much more attractive, especially to MNC's who need globally savvy people.

 

[Oxide]

I do speak a foreign language, Russian. Would you think finance is the best minor couped with this? Or should i think outside the box towards something like writing or law enforcement.


Kind of going on a tangent here, I am considering (dreaming) of a life of an adventurer - professional body guard, bounty hunter, etc.. So i was looking at things I'd need - krav maga, gun license.. what else is essential in this kind of job?

 

[LiveNow]

You can't go wrong with marketing. I guarantee you'll get hired right out of college.

As for globalization, that's big. I'm not sure about Russia, though I know South America is really bustling right now.

Don't worry about getting a job in the US. The future of job markets is no longer in the US, forget the US, we're on the decline.

If you want to be on top of things, move to China.

 

[Chillisauce]

I'm doing a double major - International Business and Accounting. It's pretty broad in terms of what it covers. If you have any questions about it PM me.

Someone else suggested marketing as an idea - if you decide to go this way note that there will be tonnes of competition (70 percent women, but still competition ), it seems to be a very popular major.

 

[RedPill]

My opinion likely goes against what is considered conventional wisdom by most college students. You might agree with it, you might not. Up to you.

Some background:

When I was in business school, I knew that someday, sooner or later, I would be a business owner. Capitalism is an exciting game, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stand on the sidelines in life while others play it. Instead of choosing an emphasis within business, such as finance, IB, etc, I elected to take an independent study type of business major, where I was required to take at least one upper-level class out of all the disciplines. Then I could choose any combination of upper-level classes from there to meet the credit requirements.

I took only those classes which I thought would give me the personal knowledge most difficult to learn on my own. Or conversely, those that I could get the most benefit out of having a seasoned professor's experience to learn from. I absolutely loved the experience and am richer for it.

Unfortunately, upon graduation, this approach made me less employable. I kind of lived in fantasy-land as far as real world experience goes. I wanted to be a business owner right away, but was very green in terms of understanding how people operate in reality vs. books. While many of my classmates took entry level graduate jobs with "big companies" on the very lowest rung of the corporate ladder, I worked commission-only sales jobs, and some sh1tty ones at that, to learn how to sell. I moved across the country, dirt poor, and struggled heavily. I was very upset that I wasn't making anything. I did this for 2 years. Without going into the whole story, I'll just say that last year an opportunity came along, much sooner than I had anticipated, for me to get into a startup with a few older guys, and I am one of the owners now of a company. It's still way early on in what we're doing, but I've never been happier than right now.

As my experience applies to your situation:

Getting a good job in America is easy as hell if you know what you are talking about from real-life experience, and are willing to work hard. There are so many weak, lazy pretenders out there, that if you stand out from the crowd (not hard to do), you can move up quickly. Most people who come in for an interview, at all levels of the corporate ladder, can't articulate themselves well and are full of sh1t. They have very few leadership qualities. Don't be that guy and you're 80% of the way to getting hired. The words on your degree aren't nearly as important as they're made out to be. My advice to you is not to choose an emphasis within business based on what you're expecting out of a job market. Instead, approach your choice in emphasis based on what knowledge you'd like to gain to further YOUR OWN life pursuits.

RedPill

 

[MrStabAHo]

Do you guys think Business Information Systems is a good major to go with???

 

[Marlimus]

Business Info Sys? sure, if you want your job t get outsourced to India.

By the way, don't listen to the guy that says to study marketing. Its a popular major with business college kids because it seems cool, but the labor market is saturated with marketing majors for that same reason.

 

[Oxide]

I am a VP of the marketing club at my school. Let me say this - i WOULD NOT either major or minor in marketing. The job market might SOUND cool - "Go work with major companies! Everyone will know your name! You'll work with the stars!" But in reality the job market sucks and YOU WILL NOT MAKE MONEY. ( Around here PR job out of college is like 26,000)

Everyone thinks marketing and advertising is cool, that's exactly why it is so tough to get a good job.


For me, this is how i view the majors. If you disagree, please post your opinions:


Accounting - important, but better as the major, otherwise just hire a good accountant.

Business Law - same as Accounting, you are better off finding a great lawyer than working your ass at law school. (Do you know there is a lawyer for every 26 people in USA?)

Human Resource - If you want to be a manager at McDonald's, choose this.

Finance - REALLY good opportunities. It is great to know how to deal with money and markets.

International Business - all business will be this within next 10 years. Not a bad pick

Business Management - Not too solid of a pick. you can strike gold or be a manager at domino's.

Sociology - waste of fukking time and life.

MIS (computer systems and such) - Solid pick, there are jobs out there (but they are going away overseas very quickly as well), and you know what you will be for the rest of your life - a dork.

 

[LiveNow]

Let me elaborate.

Don't choose anything you don't love with a passion. Remember, your work should be play. Too many people grow to hate their jobs and careers and end up having mid-life crises.

Forget business altogether unless you love it. For me, personally, marketing is it. I tried a bunch of other school majors before trying business. I wasn't like one of those lazy kids who wasn't smart enough for engineering or med school; I was smart enough and aced all the pre-med courses, but I chose business because I have a passion for it. Sure, job markets may be saturated, but I have no doubt I'll find a top spot out of school, or most probably start my own company. I think you have to follow your heart, your drive, your passion.

I read this somewhere, "many things in life may catch your eye, but make sure to follow that which catches your heart."

Or you'll never succeed to your truest potential. Or as Robert Kiyoski says, you must "find your inner genious."

Even if I did get stuck with a salary of $26,000 out of college, I would possibly be happier than you, because you apparently are looking at jobs for the salary. That's the wrong perspective. Find what you love. Even with $26,000 and good credit you can start investing in real estate; there's always other ways to make money other than your job. Hate to sound cliche, but you have to think outside of the box.

 

[Oxide]

Don't choose anything you don't love with a passion. Remember, your work should be play. Too many people grow to hate their jobs and careers and end up having mid-life crises.

Right, because I've NEVER heard of actors and artists who love what they do and can't afford the dollar menu at McDonalds.

At some point, you must pay bills, and if you like playing with money (like I do) then you will need a positive cashflow.

Forget business altogether unless you love it. For me, personally, marketing is it. I tried a bunch of other school majors before trying business. I wasn't like one of those lazy kids who wasn't smart enough for engineering or med school; I was smart enough and aced all the pre-med courses, but I chose business because I have a passion for it. Sure, job markets may be saturated, but I have no doubt I'll find a top spot out of school, or most probably start my own company. I think you have to follow your heart, your drive, your passion.

How do you know if you love it? I am sure you are a just so special that you will make your own marketing SUCCESSFUL business right out of college.

Or you'll never succeed to your truest potential. Or as Robert Kiyoski says, you must "find your inner genious."

Oh yeah? you must be a REAL GENIOUS. Finding your true genius takes a lot of searching and time. Some know who they are and what they want to do at 20, some do not until 35+

Even if I did get stuck with a salary of $26,000 out of college, I would possibly be happier than you, because you apparently are looking at jobs for the salary. That's the wrong perspective. Find what you love. Even with $26,000 and good credit you can start investing in real estate; there's always other ways to make money other than your job. Hate to sound cliche, but you have to think outside of the box.

Yeah, and with my $1,000,000 Lottery ticket i would possibly be pretty happy. Find what I love? No sh1t. Listen dude- I love freedom. I love financial freedom. This is why I am going to work to obtain it as soon as possible. Hate to sound cliche, but don't open your mouth if you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

[The_flying_dutchman]

Not trying to take shots at you LiveNow, but what you wrote is borderlining fantasy and it's not really practical advice. In the real world, one has to make compromises between following your dream and getting the bills paid. Having said that, here's my two cents:

One word: FINANCE!

Trust me on this one, having sound knowledge in both Finance and Economics makes you extremely attractive to employers in a variety of markets. Not only that, by taking this major you will also fulfill requirements necessary to take the CPA, CFA, and possibly even the actuarial exams (though the actuarial exams are extremely tough and require a lot of knowledge about statistics and math). It's absolutely crucial to have some sort of professional certification on your resume to prove your credibillity, most people don't realize that and only stop their education after getting a 4 year degree. If possible look into minoring in accounting because the accounting market is abundant now after the Enron deal.

Also look into investment banking.

BTW, Krav Maga is the official fighting art of the israeli army and is rated as quite possibly the most lethal and effective fighting art on earth. If you can find a reputable school that teaches it then do yourself a favor and join up (although it really isn't likely because it's only taught to israeli soldiers).

 

[Exo]

I'd say pick up hindi and mandarin. Two booming markets and remember: you cant learn bussines from a textbook.

 

[Chillisauce]

BTW, Krav Maga is the official fighting art of the israeli army and is rated as quite possibly the most lethal and effective fighting art on earth. If you can find a reputable school that teaches it then do yourself a favor and join up (although it really isn't likely because it's only taught to israeli soldiers).

Its overmarketed and the quality of schools vary way to much. For example, TKD teachers can attend a 'how to teach Krav Maga' seminar, and pay a bunch of cash so they can add the words 'and also Krav Maga' to their dojo. The best is good stuff, but he's unlikely to find it. Boxing, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, BJJ, Kyokushinkai karate on the other hand have a much higher average quality.. and are also highly effective.
(sorry for going off-topic)

 

[Nocturnal]

Not trying to take shots at you LiveNow, but what you wrote is borderlining fantasy and it's not really practical advice. In the real world, one has to make compromises between following your dream and getting the bills paid.

What is it with people and the word "practical?" Compromising one's dreams seems pretty impractical to me.

I started out as a business major, with the same hope for financial independance and freedom as many other people. What I began to realize, however, as I progressed through the classes, was that I was basically being set up to be thrown in at some level in the corporate ladder and manage people. While not all areas of business are like this, they do all have one thing in common--the same thing that all professions have in common--if you don't like your job, it doesn't matter how good the pay is, you will not be happy. I've found from talking to business majors that their goal is usually a financial one, or to blindly follow in the footsteps of their wealthy parents (except for a very select few, who actually belong there).

Yes, average salary and the job market should be something you consider. But it should not be the deciding factor in what you do. The truth is, if you enjoy your work, no matter how bad the market is, you will be competing with people who hate their jobs, and getting hired will be a non-issue. All industries have their fair share of incompetence, sometimes it just takes a little perserverance and knowing how to demonstrate your ability. If you can't make it in a particular field, odds are you shouldn't be there because it's not for you.

Right, because I've NEVER heard of actors and artists who love what they do and can't afford the dollar menu at McDonalds.

These are the exceptions. The problem is that modern philosophy is broken, and art, which is the expression of philosophy, is broken because of that. Success as an artist is based on the abritrary whims of so-called experts. In art, you can make a magnificent sculpture and be ridiculed for being too idealistic, and then the guy next to you can become rich because he knows how to paint like a three year old. Try applying that to something like engineering and selling a car designed like a three year old.

At some point, you must pay bills, and if you like playing with money (like I do) then you will need a positive cashflow.

Not everyone likes playing with money. How will your standards make them happy?

How do you know if you love it? I am sure you are a just so special that you will make your own marketing SUCCESSFUL business right out of college.

Since apparently no one knows what they love, instead of exploring different possibilities, I guess they should just give up and make it their life trying to become rich? You don't come out of the womb thinking "I love anthropology!" You start with ideas about what you're interested in and you find out which ones develop and which ones don't.

Finding your true genius takes a lot of searching and time. Some know who they are and what they want to do at 20, some do not until 35+

So why waste so much time and energy devoting yourself to something you're not interested in, when you could be figuring out what you do want to do?

I love freedom. I love financial freedom. This is why I am going to work to obtain it as soon as possible. Hate to sound cliche, but don't open your mouth if you have no idea what you are talking about.

I love physical freedom, but that doesn't mean I'm going to enlist in the army. If you enjoy your work and are smart about how you handle your money, financial freedom is not very hard. The problem is that most people are not smart about how they handle their money. And they would be the last ones to make it in the business world.

 

[elmo]

Nocturnal...nice post. Livepost...keep the spirit alive. :yes:

98% of the men in america live boring, desperate, and sad lives. you can see it in many of the posts on this board. america was once the greatest place on earth because men were not afraid to take chances and follow their passions. now america is in decline. men have now become nothing more than emasculated robots.

you are young. take risks. take chances. don't be normal. normal men end up with big fat mortgages, car payments, lumpy middle aged wives who are never happy, and kids that are selfish and self-centered. i will take being abnormal and a bit peculiar. remember, there is no "right" game plan for life. find something that you love and dedicate every second to it. if others laugh at you or think you are crazy you are probably on the right track.

finally, don't worry about trying to impress stuck up american females. who cares what those beasts think. learn some russian and you can always move to the ukraine/russia for a year and find many beautiful young girls who will find you exotic and wealthy. the amount of beauty and lack of attitude will blow your mind. i would actually advise you to do this fairly soon. you will learn more in that year than you have learned in all your years of going to school. i did just such a thing and will be doing it again later this year. am i sorry that i don't have a wife and little baby like many of my former classmates? hell, no! i am not getting married until i am 50 (probably to a 19 year old beauty from kharkov or donetsk) and i plan on having lots of fun while my classmates are getting divorces and ulcers from their high paying jobs.

 

[Oxide]

You guys are doing a great example in showing why this board is flawed - while philosophizing and thinking way too much, the users of this forum become detached from reality. Once they get back into it, they are slapped, HARD, and realize those dreams can't keep them afloat for too long.

My point was to make dreams out of reality. To succeed in real PRACTICAL world to such extent that your life feels as if it is a dream.

You are advising guys to leap into the air saying "Everything will work out...eventually". When this doesn't happen, I don't want to be there.


Elmo, you should have read what I stated earlier then you wouldn't make such a fool out of yourself.

I know more Russian women that got married to Americans than all the posters in this thread combined. You think a 19 year old girl will marry your 50 year old ass for love and good looks? You must be very delusional. The truth is, those beautiful girls get a lot of d1ck from Russian guys, but eventually they want to move out of Russia, because it does indeed suck to live there (except for the few who are very rich). Have you ever heard of RussianBride.com? Have you ever read spam letters from Russian girls that repeat your name over and over?

Let's stick to the thread:

BUSINESS MAJORS tell us about your experience in the corporate world.

STR8UP you are a business men, backbreaker, so are you. I want to hear from both of you as well.

 

[Nocturnal]

You are advising guys to leap into the air saying "Everything will work out...eventually". When this doesn't happen, I don't want to be there.

Until you make concrete connections between this statement and what we have said, the statement is meaningless. I have never said that everything will just work out. I said that it will work out given the precondition that you love your work.

 

[Egoist]

what a clusterfvck...

 

[SELF-MASTERY]

I think that the only peopl that are truly living the american dream are entrepreneurs. I would even go to say that they are living Adam Smiths wet dream. I respect the immigrant that busts his as to start a business more so than the middle class kid who majors in business and gets a bottom feeder corporate job.

Sure it is hard, but anything worthwhile normally is.