What Can I Do With a Career in Business, Accounting, and Finance? 

There are a variety of career options available to those in the Business, Accounting, and Finance industry. Focus areas in Business, Accounting, and Finance include: 

• Accounting – compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.
• Customer Service – interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services. May handle and resolve general complaints. Excludes individuals whose duties are primarily installation, sales, repair, and technical support.
• Finance – conduct quantitative analyses of information involving investment programs or financial data of public or private institutions, including valuation of businesses.
• Human Resources – compile and keep personnel records. Record data for each employee, such as address, weekly earnings, absences, amount of sales or production, supervisory reports, and date of and reason for termination. May prepare reports for employment records, file employment records, or search employee files and furnish information to authorized persons.
• Marketing -plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors, and identify potential customers. Develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm’s profits or share of the market while ensuring the firm’s customers are satisfied. Oversee product development or monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services.
• Operations – plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.
• Sales – Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.

For more info on the variety of career pathways available in the Technology and Cybersecurity industry, check out the “Accounting, Advertising, Business Analytics, Business Studies, Economics, Finance, Human Resource Management, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Sport Management, and Supply Chain/Logistics” majors categories within What Can I Do With This Major.

Gaining Experience in Business, Accounting, and Finance 

Devote time outside of class to internships where you can gain practical experience related to any industry that interests you.  For example, if you enjoy Accounting, maybe you will complete your first internship in a private accounting firm, and a second internship in a public accounting firm.   If you are interested in volunteering your time, you can ask your place of worship or a local non-profit organization if you can use your time and skills to provide assistance to their organization at no cost. 

Resources for Careers in Business, Accounting and Finance