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You Can Get Satisfaction with a Business & Management Career

By Kate McIntyre
Learning & Life Columnist
February 9, 2007

If you're looking for an interesting and fast-paced career, business might be a perfect choice. Management consulting is on the Wall Street Journal's recent list of the most satisfying careers, based on job security, intellectual rigor, self-sufficiency, and close involvement with clients. Business careers usually offer other benefits as well, such as excellent health insurance, the possibility of travel, retirement plans, and profit sharing.

Degree Options in Business

In many fields, college graduates go straight to graduate school to earn their advanced degrees before they enter the working world. Business administration is different. Most business schools encourage undergraduate business degree holders to gain some real-world experience before returning to school in an MBA program. A popular career choice for people interested in management consulting is research analysis. Not all people with undergraduate business degrees need to return to school to earn their master's degrees, but MBAs increase their chances of quick promotion to upper management in their companies. Nearly all management consultants have master's degrees.

The Life of a Business Management Consultant

Business management consultants are hired by companies for specific, short-term projects. They travel frequently and their hours can be long as deadlines approach. Many work for consulting companies, who send them out to companies in need of help. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29% of consultants are self-employed, which is a much higher percentage than average for other industries. If one of your biggest career priorities is autonomy, consulting is a great choice. Business management consultants can expect to earn $63,450 per year on average.

If you are interested in management consulting, earning your bachelor's degree in business or a related field such as economics or accounting is a great first step. Even if you decide that management consulting is not for you, a business degree prepares you for many other lucrative career options.

Sources:

• The Wall Street Journal, "2006 Best Careers: The Results Are In"
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Management Analysts"

About the Author
Kate McIntyre, a fiction writer in Portland, Oregon, holds an M.F.A. in fiction writing from Oregon State University.

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