Many of us start college with no idea of what we want to do. One of the things that can influence what we get our degree in, is what kind of job we want after college. Sometimes we discover this while attending college and sometimes we stumble upon our dream job after we’ve finished. Jobs in the field of business can be some of the most lucrative jobs a person can have but just what kind of jobs can you even have in business? In this week’s blog, we will discover just that along with what branches of business there are and then what jobs you can get with degrees in those fields.
First of all, business is just a general term to describe a wider range of fields. At Idaho State University’s College of Business, the seven main fields of study that are housed under their business umbrella are accounting, business informatics, economics, finance, health care administration, management and marketing. These areas of study cover a wide variety of information and can cover a variety of topics though for the sake of simplicity, we won’t be exploring the niches and nuances that are part of each program.
We will also be exploring what kinds of personalities may prefer certain fields. These personalities are based off of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which is a test that is designed to help people look at themselves introspectively and give them insight as to how they themselves perceive the world and make decisions based on that perception. For those of you who are not familiar with the Myers-Briggs, there are 16 personalities that are made of 8 differing qualities that create a four letter combination or personality. They are as follows on the infographic.
The combination of these letters create a variety of personality types which are all listed below. (These descriptions are taken from https://www.16personalities.com/personality-types. Copy and paste this link if you’d like to find out what one you are and gain more insight about yourself.)
INTJ - “The Architect: Imaginative and strategic thinkers with a plan for everything.”
INTP - “The Logician: Innovative inventors with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.”
ENTJ - “The Commander: Bold, imaginative, and strong-willed leaders , always finding a way - or making one.”
ENTP - “The Debater: Smart and curious thinkers who cannot resist an intellectual challenge.”
INFJ - “The Advocate: Quiet and mystical, yet very inspiring and tireless idealists.”
INFP - “The Mediator: Poetic, kind, and altruistic people, always eager to help a good cause.”
ENFJ - “The Protagonist: Charismatic and inspiring leaders, able to mesmerize their listeners.”
ENFP - “The Campaigner: Enthusiastic, creative, and sociable free spirits, who can always find a reason to smile.”
ISTJ - “The Logistician: Practical and fact-minded individuals, whose reliability cannot be doubted.”
ISFJ - “The Defender: Very dedicated and warm protectors, always ready to defend their loved ones.”
ESTJ - “The Executive: Excellent administrators, unsurpassed at managing things - or people.”
ESFJ - “The Consul: Extraordinarily caring, social, and popular people, always eager to help.”
ISTP - “The Virtuoso: Bold and practical experimenters, masters of all kinds of tools.”
ISFP - “The Adventurer: Flexible and charming artists, always ready to explore and experience something new.”
ESTP - “The Entrepreneur: Smart, energetic, and very perceptive people, who truly enjoy living on the edge.”
ESFP - “The Entertainer: Spontaneous, energetic, and enthusiastic people - live is never boring around them.”
Of these, there are six main personalities that have a higher aptitude for jobs in the business field simply because these personalities are more logical and fact-minded persons than the others who are more emotional or creative. These personalities are the Executive, the Logician, the Commander, the Debater, the Architect, and the Logistician. Some famous people who have these personalities are Elon Musk (Architect), Ellen Page (Logician), Gordon Ramsay (Commander), Adam Savage from MythBusters (Debater), Anthony Hopkins (Logistician), and Judge Judy (Executive).
The first area of business we will cover is accounting. It sounds like what you think it is but there are so many different options to choose from when it comes to picking a career in this field. Some jobs you could have with an accounting degree are an actuary, a chartered accountant, tax advisor, an auditor and a forensic accountant among other occupations. For example, a forensic accountant helps investigate crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. They can also help in civil disputes by evaluating losses and gains and also give an expert testimony in a court of law. It’s also interesting to note that in each field, there are certain personality types that do better and gravitate toward each. For accounting, the Logistician and the Executive personalities have a high aptitude for this type of work. These jobs can also be held within a wide range of companies and businesses because when it comes to accounting, many people may think that accountants just do taxes and while it’s true that many do, there are also many corporations and entities that need accountants to help them keep track of their finances so they don’t run into more issues later on.
Next is business informatics. What’s that? Well, it’s using information and developing computer systems that make it so a business or organization can run more efficiently. It’s commonly interchanged with computer science but computer science is different in that it is more focused on the software such as operating systems rather than how it will be used. Informatics is a form of management that isn’t quite management. Some possible occupations in this field are a business analyst, software production manager, and a business consultant. A business consultant is just what it sounds like: giving advice to companies about a particular field. Businesses are always looking for ways to be more efficient and a consultant can help them do just that. Consultants can also help smaller businesses who may not have the resources of money to have their own IT or informatics department. Consultants can help them have a competitive edge against giant corporations and conglomerates in smaller areas such as ours.The Logician, Logistician, Debater, and Architect personalities may find that this line of work is more satisfying than others.
Third, is economics. Economics is studying the creation, consumption and shifting of wealth within an economy and also understanding inflation, price fluctuation and spending trends. Jobs in this field can include a market research analyst, compensation and benefits manager, and a credit analyst. A market research analyst, for example, is a little self-explanatory but they study market conditions to give businesses advice on who to sell their product to and at what price among other information. These folks can help provide the basis for marketing and advertising campaigns as their research can tell us what people will likely want. (They do all the heavy lifting so people like me can just put out the creative stuff that you see in store :) ) Personalities who may favor this area of business are Logicians, Logisticians, and Debaters.
Fourth, is Finance. Finance is all about managing and growing finances so banks are generally where you can find those with a finance background. Finance is a business where if it didn’t exist, a lot could go wrong and many businesses may not even exist because without business loans, many startups would have fallen flat. Potential jobs include financial planning, a stock broker and an attorney. As a finance lawyer, you can help business people keep in line legally with their finances. This can range from helping people set up a business to helping already established institutions get their finances in line with the law. The Architect, Logician, and Executive may find this line of work to best suit them.
Fifth, is health care administration. These positions make sure that hospitals run effectively and efficiently so as to provide the best patient care possible. Because doctors, nurses and other hospital staff are in the business of taking care of patients, health care administration staff make sure that the business side of things are taken care of so that the medical personnel can focus on the priority of the hospital: the patients. You could be a CEO of a hospital, a clinic administrator, or a medical office manager. Hospital CEOs for example, are what they seem: They are the ultimate end-all be-all in the hospital and as such come with heavy responsibility because they can make life and death decisions. They must have some knowledge of the financial side so you can make decisions that help support your CFO and also have understanding of laws and regulations that you have to be in compliance with. Personalities suited to these roles are Executives, Commanders, and Debaters.
Sixth, is management. Management is exactly what it sounds like. You are in charge of managing people or things to make sure they do their jobs and are doing them to the best of their ability. Without those in managerial positions,the world would cease to function. Jobs in this field can include being a sales manager, a business analyst, or a marketing manager. These jobs can be very challenging but also very rewarding because good management reflects on the business and can either make it or break it. Personalities who are well suited to this position are Executives, Commanders, and Debaters.
Last but not least, is marketing. Marketing is how you position a brand or product towards a specific group of people with the intent of encouraging them to buy from that brand or buy that particular product. People in this field would work with market analysts to determine their audiences and to get ideas of how to market a product. Marketing is the base of all advertising campaigns and are part of the heavy and extensive research that is done before it gets passed on to the creative and advertising teams to come up with a positioning strategy. People in this field could be a brand or product manager, an event planner or a public relations representative.
A PR representative, for example, would be responsible for creating and maintaining a positive image for their company. They are responsible for answering on behalf of a company when something happens involving the company. For example, in 2002, Abercrombie & Fitch released a t-shirt depicting Asian stereotypes. Their response? “We personally thought Asians would love this.” That is an example of poor PR and in those kinds of situations, an apology is a better recommendation to save face in a scenario like that but this is a scenario of something that a PR representative would be responsible for: Making sure the company gives an appropriate response to a situation that puts the company in the best light possible.
While there are a plethora of jobs that can be held that are under the business umbrella, these are a taste of some jobs that you could have and while these personalities are more likely to find these jobs satisfactory, that doesn’t mean that other personalities aren’t compatible either. It’s really up to you and what you find fulfills you the most. After all, that’s what matters most: finding a job or occupation that makes you feel at your best. You don’t have to do what you don’t enjoy so why make yourself?