The business world is so large and vast, and especially with many companies opening themselves up to remote staffing solutions post-pandemic, your opportunities for a successful career in this sector are almost limitless. With that size industry though will come potential for you to feel like a small fish in a big sea. When you say you want to work in business, that really isn’t enough.
It’s crucial that you understand there are so many different subsets and niches that exist here, and you need to think about things in a much more specific way. Additionally, you need to come to terms with the fact that matching your work style and personality to a specific sector is just as important. Below are three things to consider during that in between stage. In between declaring this is the industry you want to be in, and actually becoming a part of it.
The Cost and Value of Higher Education
There will always be exceptions, but in general, if you want to work in business, you will need a four-year degree. Make sure that you are looking for accredited colleges that offer degrees and programs in areas of study that align with your future career goals. Often people look at what it costs to attend college and get spooked, deciding that the return on investment is not favorable, or that they will never be able to repay that debt if they borrow money to pay for their education, both of these notions are common myths.
When you take out a student loan to pay for college you are signing terms that are in effect at that moment in time. Things like interest rates, repayment periods, and deferment can be all reworked post-graduation and amended to align with the present day. Instead of deciding you will never be able to pay back a loan that big, consider your options, like a refinance. With a NaviRefi student loan refinance you can take your existing student loan debt and refinance it into a new loan. This is great way to lower your monthly payments and make repaying that debt more palatable.
The Ties to the Economy
Almost any job that you have within the business world is going to require that you have a working and up to date knowledge of the current economic climate. Even in areas such as marketing, you will need to understand consumer behaviors in accordance with the economic times in order to create effective campaigns. You might think that this is blending the business and finance worlds too closely, but the truth is, they are closely related. The higher up the ladder you climb at any given company the more you are going to need to concern yourself with the financial bottom line. You might not be hoping to become a Chief Financial Officer, but to be truly successful you should have enough foundational knowledge to sit at the same table as these people and be able to collaborate and contribute in a significant way.
The Seasons of Your Sector
Each sector of business will have its own unique busy season. This is something important to think about when you are making considerations such as work life balance as well as your ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure. Even if you know when this season is coming and do everything you can to prepare for it, there will always be an element of chaos and variables that you cannot prevent. It is important that you understand how to thrive during these times and don’t collapse under the weight of busyness.
Not all businesses have their busy season during a specific time of year. Some will have cyclical patterns that you will notice and need to adapt to. Some companies will get into a pattern where the third week of the month is especially busy. Packed with roundtables, presentations, and meetings, it’s important that you can identify these trends and know yourself well enough to know if you can, or cannot flow with them. Using your networking skills, consider finding a mentor who has previously, or currently, works in a field like the one you hope to join and ask transparent questions about these types of demands and pressures. Sometimes hearing things from a trusted source lands differently that you’d expect, in a good way.
