Business Administration
Effective managers are needed at all levels of business, industry and government-- from first line supervisors to top executives--to plan and direct the work of the organization, set policy, establish channels of communication, and evaluate the work that is done.
Entry level opportunities for business graduates are categorized by the following functional areas: accounting and finance; personnel/administration; marketing and sales; and production/operations.
Representative Job Titles and Areas of Specialization
| Account Executive | Insurance Underwriter | | Account Manager, Advertiser * | Internal Revenue Officer | | Administration | Job Analyst | | Administrative Analyst | Labor Relations Specialist | | Assistant Controller | Management Consulting | | Auditor | Management Trainee | | Bank Examiner | Market Research Analyst | | Bank Officer, Operations And Lending | Marketing/Sales | | Budget Analyst | Materials Management | | Business Analyst | Methods Analyst | | Buyer | Personnel Analyst | | Claims Representative | Product/Brand Manager * | | Contract Administrator | Production/Operation | | Cost Analyst | Production Planner | | Credit Analyst | Public Administration | | Employment Interviewer | Public Relations Representative | | Finance | Purchasing Agent | | Financial Planning | Systems Analyst | | Health Administrator | Traffic Analyst | | Human Resources Management | Training Specialist | | Information Systems | Writer: Business, Trade, |
| Technical Publications |
* See Training section
Nature of the Work
Within the area of accounting and finance, a broad range of positions exist whose primary function is that of analysis. Examples of position titles are financial, budget, credit, cost, methods, and statistical analyst. Financial analysts study trends and assess economic performance of individual firms or whole industries. Cost analysts study costs involved in manufacturing, construction or services.
Administration comprises activities that are primarily non-technical in nature. In corporations, they are usually performed at the headquarters, since they are corporate-wide functions serving all areas of the company. Administrative activities include materials management, contract administration, and human resources. Materials management involves controlling the flow of materials from the purchase of goods and services, transportation to production facilities and distribution centers, packaging, and distribution to warehouses and customers. Contract administration entails supervising the details of a contract once it has been awarded. On the industry side, the contract administrator serves as the customer liaison for the whole project. If one works for a government unit that awards the contract, then one is responsible for contract compliance.
Production is the function that turns out the product, and is usually reserved for goods producing industries--manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and mining/resource recovery. Production planners, sometimes called production engineers, design the production scheme, i.e., the flow of work and information.
Marketing and sales positions at the entry level include sales activities as well as "field engineering" or customer service. Other marketing specialties such as market research, advertising and sales promotions, and marketing management usually build on this experience or require specialized training in marketing.
Places of Employment
| Accounting firms | Insurance companies | | Advertising agencies | Investment firms | | Aerospace industry | Magazines, newspapers, and periodicals | | Banks | Management consulting firms | | Chambers of commerce | Manufacturing firms | | City, county and state | Market research firms | | government | Professional associations | | Engineering firms | Public relations firms | | Federal government: | Publishing companies | | - General Accounting Office | Radio/T.V. industry | | - Comptroller of the Currency | Regional planning councils | | - Internal Revenue Service | Research and development firms | | - Office of Personnel Management | Retailers | | Financial services | Trade associations | | Hospitals | Public utilities companies | | Import-export companies | Universities, colleges, and other |
| educational institutions |
Training
Nearly all of the jobs listed above may be obtained with a bachelor's degree depending heavily on the type of coursework completed and experience gained while in school. Those job titles designated by an asterisk generally require specific education and/or experience beyond the bachelor's degree.
Entry-level positions for business graduates typically involve training programs. The approach to training varies widely, however, from highly structured programs, to less formalized on-the-job training. Formal management trainee programs are most frequently found in finance, trade, and manufacturing companies and in government agencies.
For further information and/or career counseling contact the Career Center, Veitch Student Center, Northwest Wing, University of California, Riverside, 951.827.3631.
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