Why a Business Career?
“The business of America,” Calvin Coolidge famously said, “is business.” As a nation, we pride ourselves on our work ethic, our ingenuity, our technical innovation. In America, perhaps more than anywhere in the world, men and women of vision and foresight have left their mark through the great private business ventures that they began; the Carnegies, the Rockefellers, the Fords, the Gates, and the list goes on. Whatever their industry, business professionals are given the opportunity to excel and advance in results-driven careers. Business schools have trained thousands of successful professionals and you can be next.
In the wealthiest, most advanced nation in the history of the world, over half of Americans are unhappy with the job they have. The Conference Board, a global market research firm, has conducted a widely-cited job satisfaction study for over 20 years. Their first survey, in 1987, found that over 61% of people were satisfied with their career. By last year, that number had dropped to an all-time low of 45.3%. It’s not just that people aren’t making enough money – many feel frustrated and bored by the repetitiveness of their workday and the lack of opportunities for meaningful advancement.
Many of us choose to define ourselves by what we do – “I’m a mechanic, I’m a sales manager, I’m a painter.” What does it mean when almost 55% percent of us are unsatisfied with the career path we’ve chosen? Something is terribly wrong.
We at University Bound believe in the American Dream. We believe that every person has the right to do something they love. Beyond that, we believe that with dedication, smart choices, and hard work, every person has the ability to succeed. You may not be the next Bill Gates; you may be too old to go to astronaut school, and unfortunately, “pirate” is not a legitimate profession, but it’s not too late to have an exciting and rewarding career in the private sector, as renewed economic growth stimulates job opportunities for qualified candidates across the board.
These are results-oriented, desirable jobs in growing markets: most of the careers in our business school subcategories (accounting, finance, etc) have healthy growth rates, significantly higher than the 8.2% expansion for all civilian jobs forecasted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2008-2018. The BLS predicts that accountant positions will expand by 22%,communication and public relations positions by 24%, management analyst positions by 24%, and so on. There are a growing number of good jobs available, but openings are expected to be competitive.
For the professional interested in boosting his or her career or to the newbie entrepreneur who is just starting out, online business school is practical solution to earning an education and a living at the same time. The flexibility provides an invaluable way of learning on the job AND in the classroom. This can work for you both ways – contribute to the conversation in the classroom based on your experience and contribute to the conversation in the workplace based on your classroom conversations. This tandem learning advantage will help your grow professionally and allow you to reach your career goals quicker.
