Author: Kim Song

Fully online Bachelor of Business degrees offer you the chance to study whatever business major you’re interested in. The online study option gives you tremendous convenience and flexibility. At the same time, you have access to learning materials that allow you to become knowledgeable and proficient in your chosen study area.

Some of the most popular online Bachelor of Business majors are Accounting, Economics, Business Administration and International Business. But these are only a few of the wide variety of majors available, via the internet, from a vast selection of colleges and universities.

Accounting

As a major, common careers associated with Accounting are Accountant, Corporate Financial Officer, Financial Analyst and Budget Analyst. With a number of programs offered online, the field of Accounting continues to offer many traditional roles in the workplace.

As well as those commonly recognized accounting occupations, more innovative types of careers are emerging from the field. A driving force is the increased emphasis on accurate and specific procedures for reporting and analysis. For example, accounting is a popular study field for business development and entrepreneurship, with accounting skills seen as essential for properly managing growth.

Online accounting programs closely mirror the traditional classroom curriculum in terms of required courses. Demand is on the rise mainly because of the flexibility of online study. This applies to those currently involved in accounting related fields and to mature-age workers interested in gaining the perpetually bankable major. Mathematical ability and patience are ideal qualities for those interested in this field.

Economics

Top careers involving Economics as a major include banking and government related positions involving the thinking processes behind theories of economics. Research analysts, who rely on strong background in economic theories and the inter-workings of economic systems, are a prime example of potential job titles. Banking and Financial Service Analysts and Auditing as well as Finance related consulting and Statistics are also common choices for the Bachelor’s program. Problem solving and strong mathematical skills are a plus for most wishing to venture into the field of Economics.

Business Administration

For this more “broad based” area of study, for which the top degree is an MBA, occupations vary widely. Careers often include retail management options, administration options, retail entry level, marketing and many entry level occupations requiring a basic overall concept of business practices and relationships required to conduct business on a daily basis. Those wishing to develop their own business are a natural fit for the Administration major, due to the necessity to understand general aspects of commonly conducted business procedures and practices. Entrepreneurial types needing a strong foundation on which to custom build their own company find this major a natural match. Organizational skill-sets are considered to be a help with studies in this major.

International Business

With a major in International Business, job options will mostly be in the areas of the relationships of people and natural resources with respect to the international communities. In other words, most general aspects of business conducted in an international format. Financial Analysts who may specialize in various currencies are one avenue for the major while most aspects of production, the economy as well as finance will fit through the category of international focus. Government jobs centering on multi-national interaction, currency exchanges, even the broad-stroke categories of business administration, with an international twist, would be a comfortable starting position for those from this major. Organizational skills and any specialized mathematical and accounting focus designed to cover different countries and their interactions would be most helpful.

Established Accreditation

Although it may cost more to earn an online business degree from a commonly known and recognizably accredited organization, the barriers it will overcome are often worth it. Unfortunately, for some lesser known online programs which are actually accepted by experts as some of the best, the smart money from most hiring businesses seems to remain on the names they can easily verify as trusted. Sadly, the best credentials may be a matter of being only those which are more popular and widely known by those scanning through resume’s and job applications.

Cookie Cutter Reward

As opposed to studying and earning a degree which carries limited endorsement, which may only help with the career seeking cause in a minor way, when the brand is comfortable and familiar, as with everything in society, a level of conformity is awarded. If a potential employer requires extra time researching the academic credentials of a job candidate, the applicant has established their case for hire as a “higher maintenance” potential employee.

Unfortunately many candidate sorters may have lost the romance for identifying uniquely educated individuals after only a few thousand names into their careers as talent hunters. In truth that position has evolved into more of a “easy grab” than a “hunt” based on numerous available job candidates with extremely popular prestigious degrees. When it comes to the selection process of virtually all reliable employers, ease of verification is crucial in gaining the competitive edge.

With so many people seeking employment for top positions, and fewer quality jobs open a hiring manager or firm will customarily try and “short stack” the list of applicants. Those lesser known educational “brands” will more often than not end up in the pile of paper not usually associated with “main stream” education. In a technical society driven by ease due to invention, where “less is more”, this is the exception to the rule. More means more when it comes to academic credentials.

Multiple Options

There are many choices when it comes to online Bachelor of Business Majors and greater flexibility than ever before (Just Business Today). Some of the options may seem “to good to be true”, and for the most part those are the ones which are the least recognizable and lowest accredited in many cases. There are, of course exceptions to the rule and some of the lesser known programs are “stand outs”, which have not fully been celebrated based on their merit and remain a victim of their lack of popularity. If these online options where in business and operating with a voice to express their disgust for being overlooked their motto would without question be “it is not what you know but who you know”, reflecting their stereotypical dilemma of being more “trendy” than trend.

Required Further Education

For those who are already employed in a position in which they feel secure and adding an online business degree is only a matter of checking a box on a “to do” list for their employer, then virtually any piece of paper acceptable to fill the bill will suffice. The key to deciding whether to try and increase long term marketability, planning for the worst by preparing the best, would be simply a matter of comfort with the current employment situation. As with most areas in the business world, the only constant is considered to be change, and planning accordingly might be a logical decision.

Those Who Genuinely Thirst

As with every segment in life, there are those who have their potential challenged by simply maintaining the status quo and others who feel the desire to excel through an innate drive for learning. For those experiencing a genuine thirst for knowledge, there is no substitute for systematically deciding which online courses would provide the best experience and the highest level of challenge. Even though it may be the hardest choice to take the most challenging online courses, those who are driven by personal achievement and overall self improvement will always take the path less traveled. The true thirst for knowledge is not normally an acquired taste, but rather one which burns deeply from within.

Getting employment upon graduation can be difficult if you lack applied skills to make it in the business world of today. Most marketing schools still emphasize teaching students about the most fundamental elements of marketing, such as the Four P’s (product, placement, price, promotion).

Although these concepts are still valid, the techniques needed for successful marketing have evolved. As well the things marketing schools teach, here are some important competencies that marketing schools should be teaching (but generally don’t).

Content and Social Marketing

In today’s digital world, content and social media marketing are the pillars of success for any business. You need to reach people on whichever platforms they’re using. And social media apps dominate the list of the world’s most popular apps.

Unfortunately, there is no coursework on content and social media marketing skills being taught in marketing schools. This is because most marketing schools view it as a subsidiary to other tactics. Although there may be some truth in that statement, content is the center of today’s marketing universe.

Hence, all other marketing tactics should spawn from the various formats of that content. For a business to attract and nurture prospects, leads and current clients, it should begin with creating fresh and valuable content that conveys its brand’s core messages to prompt interactions from its prospects. They can use social media platforms to have the content shared across a larger spectrum of potential clients.

Relationship Marketing

Marketing schools do not teach their students the importance of building a real rapport with their customers. Today, relationships are essential to any successful business. Marketers are expected to go beyond just marketing their products, but the design and develop products aimed at meeting customer needs. The relationships marketers build with their prospects and clients’ help them map out what those needs are.

Other than that, today’s consumers require continuous interactions to keep them engaged. They do not sit around to wait for the next campaign to buy a product. Instead, they leverage Google, social media, and other online channels to research products, review them, launch complaints and solicit recommendations. Hence, is it imperative that you create relationships to influence your loyal customer’s buying habits? Further reading: relationship strategy.

Business and Professional Networking

Marketing schools do not teach its students the importance of networking in business. The students are taught how to mingle and get to know other people but are not taught how to use these networks to their advantage. They are not taught how and why to network the right way. It is important that business schools train these students on just how critical business and professional networking is to the success of business from different angles.

Writing for Search Engines and the Web

Marketing schools should also take the time to teach their students how to operate in the evolving world of search engine marketing. A good website needs to be optimized for search engines and local SEO where applicable. Hence, marketing schools should have SEO as a course in their marketing curriculum. It should cover areas where SEO could help companies enhance their visibility online, where much of today’s shopping happens. Also, since the content is King, there should be a school curriculum that teaches the students how to write for the web. This will help marketers know how to create scan-able content for websites.

Analytics

Today, every marketing decision is based on data. Unfortunately, marketing schools do not have lessons about the technology of analytics, which is vital to any business’ success. Analytics can display customer journey cycle. It can show you their awareness of your products, consideration, conversion, and advocacy. Analytics tie all these channels together to give you a detailed customer journey cycle.

Analytics help businesses understand how well their campaigns and websites are performing. Hence, the company can identify which programs are working and which ones are not. It aids in decision-making and also helps marketers identify weak spots to their marketing efforts, helping them to better analyze and act upon the errors.

Basic Design and Coding

Since content marketing is an important aspect of business marketing, so is basic design and coding for marketers. Unfortunately, marketing schools do not have lessons on base level HTML. A successful marketer should be able to create a website or a landing page for their online marketing. Marketing schools should at least, offer a starter-level understanding of design principles and HTML to help their students be able to execute content marketing from the get go.

The decision of going for higher studies is often rooted in one’s desire for self-actualization while learning valuable skills that would open multiple avenues of finding meaningful work. Whenever you choose to undertake an MBA program, you will not only be extending your expertise in the current field to get promotion in your job, but also increase the likelihood of starting your own venture. When you start seeing yourself as a leader, that’s the time when you should start thinking about going to a professional Business School to give your career the boost it needs. What are the other reasons for seeking MBA? Read on to find out.

1. Acquire specialized knowledge

Classes of MBA programs concentrate on advanced level business ethics and specific areas that will prepare you to take on the challenge of filling an executive level role. In addition to developing leadership skills, you’ll also gain specialized knowledge on a certain niche that will make you indispensable in the job market (Good MBA).

2. Build a network

College is just not for advanced education but also the place to make great friends. In college campuses, you’ll meet new and influential people that are like minded and are focusing towards the same goal as you (UniCurve). The days you spend interacting with other people (networking) on your campus might make a huge difference later in your career as they may be your business partner or client.

3. Get exposure to global cultures

Your MBA class will comprise of students from different countries, backgrounds and ethnicity that will equip you with the experience to blend in seamlessly with many global cultures. The interaction will expand your horizons and make you a complete person. Meeting different kinds of people, whether in-person or through virtual classes, will give you different perspectives and allow you to better interact with future employers, clients, colleagues, etc.

4. Prepare for the corporate world

MBA studies launch you into the fast track to executive level roles. This would be impossible if you do not have the proper degree to show for the experience and skills you have gained in your business school.

5. Better job prospects and salary

As the job market is getting increasingly competitive, there is no lack of students flaunting their degrees to get ahead of the competition. Having an MBA degree will open up chances to more interviews and greater opportunities that you would get by just having an undergraduate degree (Globe University).

6. Learn to tackle business problems better

Theoretical lessons aside, an MBA program will prepare you to manage business problems better. You’ll get hands-on experience in group coordination to complete a single task of a business school project, which is itself a great experience that can serve you in real life.

7. Polish your spoken and written communication skills

This Masters level academic program prepares you to become an excellent communicator. You generally would have to produce reports for each subject as well as participate in group discussions on a regular basis. This curriculum would prepare you for the outside world where you’d be responsible for drafting policies and handling clients.

8. Realize your true potential

Business School is the perfect place to reflect upon your strengths and weaknesses and find out what is your life’s true calling (Harvard). You’d be amazed to find the things you are good at, which you never knew. You’ll also get opportunities to invest your skills in meaningful tasks and receive feedback that will allow you to grow to your full potential.