Whether you study business in general or specialise in a certain subject such as accounting, finance, economics, management or marketing, choosing to study business at university is a wise option. Business graduates tend to do very well in terms of employment, and the different degree courses on offer are designed to set you up for success in your future career, whether you see yourself as a manager in a large organisation, working for a marketing agency, running your own accounting firm or launching a startup.
If you’ve recently graduated from university or are nearing the end of your course and want to pursue a career in business, you might be considering getting a relevant master’s degree. Whether you study for an Accounting MBA, or another type of business postgraduate qualification, you can be assured that it will be a wise step towards career success.
Why a Master’s Degree?
Almost all master’s degree courses can help to improve your career prospects in some way. Simply having a master’s degree on your CV can help you set yourself apart from other job candidates and differentiate yourself from the crowd, especially as an increasing number of people now have an undergraduate degree as standard. Lucrative business careers have more competition than ever before, and a master’s degree will help you stand out to future potential employers and demonstrate to them that you are really serious about your career goals and achieving success.
Why Business?
While a master’s degree in any subject can help to enhance your career, degrees that specialise in business are particularly worthwhile, and even necessary if you are pursuing a lucrative career as a business professional. A master’s degree in business can be very useful because these courses are so versatile; the majority of jobs these days involve working for some kind of business, and the knowledge and skills that you will develop when studying for a master’s degree in business can be very highly transferable. You will also gain a wide range of very desirable skills that come in handy in any workplace, including critical thinking, decision making, time management, communication and much more.
Choosing the Right Postgraduate Degree
If you’ve decided that a master’s degree in business is the right step for you, then the next thing you should do is get to work researching what’s available and choosing the best course and university for you and your future career goals. Master’s degrees tend to be more specialised and offer more opportunities for professional development than undergraduate courses, so consider more than just the course itself when you choose. Think about the location of the university in relation to businesses where you could get work experience, networking opportunities and more. Research the facilities, teaching staff, and where graduates tend to work afterwards and how much they earn.
University Compare is a great place to start; you can search for and compare UCAS postgraduate courses. University Compare is a handy comparison site that any student can use to find UCAS postgraduate courses, university facilities, fees, entry requirements, and much more.
Enhancing Your Career While Studying
As a postgraduate business student, you will get plenty of great opportunities to begin making valuable connections and building your network for your future careers. Desirable employers will make frequent visits to universities to meet postgraduate business students, and don’t forget that many of the students that you meet while studying for your master’s degree will be as motivated as you are and may go on to be highly successful contacts for your future. The job market these days is overcrowded with excellent graduate candidates, so studying for a business master’s degree is also an excellent opportunity for you to get involved with a range of extra-curricular activities like travel, sports, volunteering or even starting your own business, to add character to your CV and help you stand out to future employers.
Career Options
If you want to study for a master’s degree and aren’t exactly sure of the career that you’d like to pursue in the future, the good news is that there are plenty of different options to choose from. Once you graduate with a master’s degree in business, you will have a diverse range of opportunities to choose from in a variety of industries. And since master’s degrees in business are so versatile, it’s easy for graduates to change careers years down the line too. Some popular career options for business master’s degree graduates include:
- Business Development Manager: As a business development manager, your job will be to come up with and manage future business plans of a company. You will need to develop and maintain positive professional relationships with partners, suppliers and clients. You’ll need a solid understanding of how the company works, be able to see the bigger picture, and a good combination of business intelligence and communication skills. If you’re a highly motivated self-starter who likes the idea of leading a team, this could be the career for you.
- SEO Specialist: If you are interested in the idea of marketing, particularly digital marketing, you may want to consider pursuing a career in search engine optimisation (SEO). SEO specialists are increasingly needed by businesses of all sizes all over the world, and to be successful in this position you will need to have a solid grasp of technology, analytical skills, and marketing knowledge. Your main responsibility will be to successfully identify successful tactics and strategies to ensure that audience traffic to the company’s website is strong and ensure that the website ranks highly in search results.
- Data Business Analyst: If you have a keen interest in both business and technology, this could be an ideal career choice for you. Your main responsibilities as a data business analyst will include collecting and analysing data which is then used to come up with and implement solutions to problems and help with future business decision making.
If you want to continue studying as a postgraduate student and are interested in a career in business, there are many options available to you which will help enhance your future career.
