We have all had the experience of yearning for more in our jobs. Perhaps you are feeling stalled in your career, you have already climbed the promotion ladder for your current role, or you are ready for a new professional challenge.
Whatever is driving you, it is a common feeling to want more from your professional life and to seek out ways to develop your skills and experiences. If you are not sure what to do but you know that you want something more, why not consider a career in business administration?
What is business administration?
Business administrators are the glue that holds companies together. In companies both large and small, administrators work as professional problem-solvers and are always on hand to help with projects, rollouts and company efforts.
The role of an administrator changes constantly and they are always learning more, which makes it a great career path for individuals who want to continually improve their skills and develop their professional experience.
Administrators may work on hiring new staff, researching company competitors and industry trends, assisting with the implementation of new tech or marketing tools, helping to design company strategy, and working with teams to solve problems, finish projects and deliver presentations. They may also work on budgeting and managing finances for the company.
Choosing the right course
One of the best ways to prepare for a career in business administration is through education. There are many courses that specialize in training professionals and giving them the skills they will need to be successful in business administration.
For example, one course is the online MBA from Aston University. This course is fully online to accommodate professionals and it is designed to give professionals the edge they need in a competitive marketplace. The MBA curriculum covers essential topics such as measuring financial performance, organizational strategy, global economics and client success.
These courses are not just for professionals looking to upskill – they are also open to recent graduates and young people who are interested in hitting the ground running. Some programs require a few years of management experience, while others have GPA requirements.
When choosing a course, it is important to look at the curriculum and the various projects that you will be completing as a student. Research projects and dissertations are particularly exciting prospects for individuals who want to pursue a very specific area that they are already interested in.
Prospective students should also look for the support available to students, the connections that the university has to companies, and the employment rate of graduates.
Flexible schooling options
It can be daunting to go back to school if you have not been in a classroom in years, much less written an essay or worked in a group project. However, there are a number of different schooling options that can help you ease back into education and make the transition easier for yourself.
There is in-person traditional education, there are also courses that are in person but only take place in the evening or on weekends, and there are hybrid and fully online courses available. Depending on your career goals, timelines and commitments such as work and family care, you may be more attracted to one style of learning than another.
In years past, online learning was dismissed as being in some way inferior to learning in person in classrooms, labs and seminars. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced all education to transition from in-person to online. While many students found this transition very challenging, one positive result was that schools and universities found ways to teach all of the same content online.
The rise of online learning
Online education is much more accessible because many people cannot afford to be a full-time student and instead need a course that they can fit to their own work and family schedule. Now that all courses can be taught online, there is much greater acceptance of online education and employers realize the benefits of online education.
If you have never tried online education and are not sure that you have the time management and self-discipline to get through an online course, there are a number of steps you can take to find out whether or not it would be a good choice for you.
Firstly, you can try taking a few free or inexpensive online courses that are offered by platforms such as Coursera. Secondly, you can get in touch with the recruitment teams at the universities you are interested in and ask for additional resources regarding online education – most will be able to direct you to information and individuals who can answer your questions.
Planning ahead for the career you want
If you are not sure what you want for your career, it can be very challenging and demoralizing – if not totally overwhelming – to consider what you should be doing next to get ahead. You can spend thousands of dollars on life coaches and leadership seminars and still end up in roughly the same spot with the same questions, but with less money.
When planning ahead, take it slow and try to go back to basics. Think about what you value, what your strengths are, what aspects of your previous roles you have liked and disliked, what naturally interests you, and what you would like to do long-term.
One of the benefits of business administration is that it teaches you skills that can be applied to many different aspects of corporate work. The business administration career path also means that you work with individuals and project teams from many different departments in the company and can get a feel for the work they do.
Regardless of the decision you make for your career, you should take the time to research, speak with professionals who are already in the role, and consider what will make you happy in the long run – or at least provide you with job satisfaction.