From a company of one, to billion-dollar corporations and beyond, business career opportunities abound. Business skills are also applicable in several career sectors, making an associate degree in Business one of the most sought-after undergraduate degrees.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the 2019-2020 postsecondary school year, business was one of the top three fields of study for all associate degrees earned in the United States, with 112,100 business degrees attained that academic year.
Students pursuing an associate degree in Business learn transferrable skills like effective leadership, ethical and strategic decision-making, marketing principles, and team-building techniques. Such attributes are especially pertinent for administration, creative careers, human resources, and management positions.
Read on to learn what you can do with an associate degree in Business, including:
- How an associate degree in Business can translate into a career
- Business program outcomes and career options
- Career projections for the business profession
How an Associate Degree in Business Can Translate into a Career
An associate degree in Business Administration provides students with the instruction, skills training, and internship experience needed for future career success.
The business administration curriculum covers various courses — from accounting and business law to customer relations in a multicultural world. Whether learning organizational responsibility or the fundamentals of business communication, this level of education prepares students for a wide variety of career options. Business careers can be found in companies, multinational conglomerates, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and more. They can also be found across industries, such as finance, retail, marketing, and beyond.
The beauty of an associate degree in Business is that it can lead to careers in just two years’ time. Some career-focused institutions, like Goodwin University, also offer flexible course options so students can earn their associate degree and enter the business world even faster. For example, Goodwin offers an accelerated seven-week program for those looking to get into the workforce fast. Associate-level business students can also attend classes on-campus, online, or in a hybrid format.
What Can You Do with an Associate Degree in Business?
Upon earning an associate degree in Business, students graduate ready to support real-world business results. Associate degree graduates leave their program able to:
- Apply leadership and management techniques to team-building initiatives
- Communicate articulately, concisely, and professionally on business matters
- Explain corporate social responsibility and ethics in business environments
- Evaluate external factors influencing business on a local, regional, national, and global scale
- Implement data to drive crucial decision-making, and
- Prepare a budget, business plan, executive summary, and marketing strategy
The question remains, exactly what can you do with an associate degree in Business? Below are eight excellent business administration employment options for which associate degree holders are eligible.
Authorized Administrators
1. Administrative Assistant
Job Description: Administrative assistants support supervisory staff members through clerical and organizational tasks like answering the phone, arranging files, preparing documents, and scheduling appointments.
2. Executive Assistant
Job Description: Executive administrative assistants support upper-level management — for example, booking travel accommodations, conducting research, handling information requests, and preparing invoices and statistical reports.
Creative Careers
3. Entrepreneur
Job Description: Turning a passion into a paycheck, a professional entrepreneur organizes and operates their own viable business with vast options and opportunities.
4. Marketing Director
Job Description: Marketing managers perform potential buyer research, plan engaging branding strategies, analyze campaign results, and implement areas for improvement. Additional responsibilities include promotional events, monitoring an organization’s online presence, and managing a marketing budget.
Helpful Human Resource Professionals
5. Benefits Specialist
Job Description: Benefits specialists are often a point of contact for employees who manage benefits like health insurance and retirement plans. The human resource professionals ensure governmental compliance, maintain employee databases, perform benefit program research, and suggest necessary recommendations.
6. Employment Specialist
Job Description: Employment specialists recruit, screen, and interview job applicants and candidates. Human resource professionals may also handle administrative tasks related to onboarding, retention, and employee relations.
Managers Making Meaningful Change
7. Sales Manager
Job Description: Sales managers direct sales teams for organizations. Sales managers set company goals, analyze sales results, and develop training initiatives for profit improvements.
8. Training and Development Manager
Job Description: Training and development managers plan, coordinate and sustain career enhancement programs to align with the organization’s core values, objectives, and goals.
What Will You Do with an Associate Degree in Business?
When it comes to completing an associate degree in Business Administration, earning the education pays. In 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the median weekly wage for someone with a high school diploma was $809, while an associate degree holder made $963 per week.
As specified by EducationData.org, professional and business services made the top three employing industries in 2021 for associate degree holders.
As detailed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, business employment is also projected to grow seven percent from 2021 to 2031, with 715,100 new jobs opening over the decade. The time is now to start your degree, launch a career, and start earning in this booming business field.
Are you ready to get down to business to earn your associate degree?
Learn more about an associate in Business Administration today!