<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Main Types of Business Careers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you figure out which business careers are right for you, what are your options? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Business careers are roles that focus on the entire management, organization, and development of companies or organizations. There are opportunities to get into business no matter what your skills or interests are \u2014 for example, you might want to work on developing a business’ product, or you might want to be the one selling it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Business careers can be a good fit for various skill sets, personality types, interests, and preferred work environments. Here are five main types of these careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marketing and Sales<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Marketing<\/a> and sales are both business careers focused on promoting a company’s product or service. Professionals in marketing drive awareness of the product through various channels and strategies, whether that’s events, social media, email, or content. Sales professionals build relationships with potential customers and sell the product or service to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE:<\/strong> <\/strong>Sales and Marketing: What’s the Difference and Which One Is Right for Me?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Business careers in marketing and sales require excellent communication and persuasion skills to convince people to use or buy the company’s product. They’re also a good mix of creative and analytical career paths \u2014 while marketing and sales professionals develop creative outreach strategies, they also need to analyze their impact to see what’s working (and what’s not).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t Learn how to create an effective selling pitch that will convince a store manager to set up your company's product in the store.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t2-3 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGaining influence, building relationships, acting as an owner, managing team members\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finance careers in business focus on managing a company’s money, including budgeting, investments, and risk management. Professionals in finance careers may be accountants<\/a>, preparing financial statements to understand the company’s financial health. They may be more future-thinking and be financial analysts<\/a> or investment bankers<\/a>, assessing whether a specific investment or strategic decision can help the company make more money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finance careers demand a strong foundation in mathematics and analytics. Professionals in this field must be adept at interpreting financial data, forecasting future trends, and constructing accurate financial models. Additionally, soft skills like problem-solving<\/a>, attention to detail<\/a>, and excellent organizational abilities are crucial for ensuring the reliability and accuracy of their analyses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t Analyze a company's historical financial performance, then make a recommendation for a potential M&A target.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t4-5 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFinancial analysis, SWOT Analysis, M&A screening, valuation, communication, presentation\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n\n\n\n Human resources careers focus on ensuring employee success from recruitment to their exit interview. These professionals may work on hiring the right candidates for open roles, managing benefits<\/a> and compensation structures and logistics, and helping employees grow and learn throughout their time at the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Human resources professionals need exceptional people skills \u2014 specifically conflict resolution<\/a>, communication, and active listening<\/a> \u2014 to resolve interpersonal problems in the workplace. They also need organizational and analytical skills<\/a> to assess the effects and efficiency of the company’s current policies, benefits, recruitment practices, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t Gain practical human resources skills like giving feedback, creating a process map, and assessing compensation frameworks.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t3-4 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFeedback giving, communication skills, empowering with insights\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n\n\n\n Management and leadership careers in business focus on creating a strategic vision for a company and ensuring teams can execute it. These professionals monitor overall company performance and decide what strategies their team should use to meet goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While some of these professionals are an organization’s top leaders \u2014 like a CEO, CFO, or COO \u2014 there are business careers in management and leadership down the ladder, too. For example, project managers<\/a> lead project timelines, budgets, and execution, and consultants<\/a> provide expert guidance to companies on strategy, operations, management practices, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\t Conduct initial project planning for a global manufacturer's showroom development.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAvg. Time:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t1-2 hours\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSkills you’ll build:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCritical thinking, identification, risk analysis, project organization, time management, Excel\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n\n\n\n Management and leadership professionals need (not shockingly) leadership skills<\/a>, including decision-making<\/a>, communication, feedback, influence, and prioritization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Operations and supply chain careers in business focus on ensuring that goods and services are produced and delivered efficiently. These behind-the-scenes professionals may manage a company’s product inventory levels, oversee production processes, coordinate transportation and logistics, and ensure that the product meets quality standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These professionals need excellent organization skills to track and manage the many moving parts of a business and its product, as well as communication skills to collaborate with the teams that work on and deliver the product. They also need strong analytical skills<\/a> to assess the efficiency of their processes and identify where and how the company can improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t Develop the technical skills needed to succeed in supply chain management, including how to use engineering data to specify applicability and capacity requirements and determine the next steps.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Depositphotos_112312114_XL-150x101.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSales<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Finance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Working](\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/working-at-bank-of-america-150x100.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInvestment Banking<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Human Resources <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/what-is-ge-1-150x100.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHuman Resources<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Management and Leadership<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theforage.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/cbre-150x100.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProject Management<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Operations and Supply Chain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExplore Supply Chain<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t