Why should you choose a career in business administration?

For anyone looking to establish themselves in a challenging and fast-paced professional environment, a career in business administration is ideal and can lead you to a range of varied and exciting jobs. In addition, the demand for skilled business administrators has seen an increase in recent years, encouraging more students to take up a career in the field. This article explores why choosing a career in business administration can be a valuable and worthwhile option. 

What is business administration?

One of the best aspects of a career in business administration is that you will probably never just focus on just one part of an organisation. A career in the field means you will be overlooking different business operations ranging from marketing to finance. It requires familiarity with some of the following business fundamentals:

• Marketing principles;
• Law and ethics;
• Economics and finance;
• Business research;
• Global business strategies;
• Principles of accounting;
• Computer applications;
• Management theory.

A career in this field will require you to perform a variety of tasks such as analysing data and market trends, managing an organisation’s finances as well as developing policies to improve the efficiency of business operations. Business administrators work in a variety of sectors. Some of these sectors include:

• Schools, hospitals and banks;
• Government agencies;
• Non-profit organisations;
• Real estate firms;
• Manufacturing industries;
• Transportation agencies and distribution centres.

Career opportunities in the field of business administration:

• HR Director (Average annual salary:£79,206) – Human resource (HR) directors are responsible for managing resources, ensuring compliance with employment law and the happiness of their employees. In addition, HR professionals oversee the recruitment process which will involve sourcing and vetting candidates. Other responsibilities also include managing employee relations and resolving disputes, together with developing and implementing training programmes to support employees. The ultimate goal of the HR department is to retain qualified employees by promoting teamwork and collaboration as well as ensuring the successful implementation of internal processes. The earning potential of HR Directors depends upon their work experience and qualifications. Usually, there will be opportunities to complete further study on the job to help increase an employee’s skills and income.

• Financial Controller (Average annual salary:£56,067) – Financial controllers are responsible for overseeing financial and accounting procedures within an organisation. They will also work towards maintaining positive revenues and financial growth. Daily tasks will include overseeing accounting operations and auditing processes, managing company transactions as well as preparing budgets and financial forecasts. A successful financial controller will be able to achieve financial targets by developing plans that align with an organisations strategy.

• Operations Manager (Average annual salary:£57,500) – Operations managers are an integral part of any management team and work to improve the quality, productivity and efficiency of an organisation. They oversee advanced-level HR operations such as attracting talent, setting training standards and hiring procedures. They are also involved in making strategic decisions and implementing operational policies and procedures.

• Market Research Analyst (Average annual salary:£25,145) – Market research analysts help companies market their products and services by gathering data on customer demographics. They primarily look at market conditions and collect information about customers using interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, public opinion polls and literature reviews. Analysts are expected to understand business objectives and design surveys based on customer preferences. In addition, they evaluate results of market research to identify market trends, business models, sales, potential markets, product demand and pricing.

• Advertising Executive (Average annual salary:£21,123) – An advertising executive is the key point of contact between clients and media agencies. Their main responsibility is to understand a client’s advertising and business needs.

They work to maintain customer satisfaction, manage their accounts and ensure continuous development of business activities. Their customer-oriented approach helps them comprehend the needs and specifications mentioned by their clients. Some of their day-to-day activities include organising promotional events and designing creative campaigns or projects, negotiating budgets with clients, making detailed presentations to perform pitches to win new work. 

Why is choosing a business administration course a good choice?

Business administration is a smart choice for securing a successful future as it can open doors to a variety of career options. It helps students obtain roles that have long-term prospects. Students can develop career-specific skills that improve their employability and can help them enter many different fields ranging from healthcare administration to corporate management. 

Below are a number of reasons why business administration courses are becoming increasingly popular among students:

• Provides a broad business perspective, exposure to a variety of disciplines and multiple career pathways;
• Helps in acquiring management skills that are essential to leading a business or becoming an entrepreneur;
• Paves a way to earning a higher education qualification such as an MBA;
• Prepares students for the workplace setting by developing interpersonal skills;
• Improves communication skills and collaborative learning.

If you are highly organised, goal-oriented, and enjoy working in a team, then a career in business administration could be the right choice for you. London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) offers students a wide range of programmes that can help them boost their career in the field of business and administration.

 This article was written by Deblina Dam and edited by Emma Chadwick.