employability

[Berkshire_Bull]

it seems to me that a lot of the guys on this board tended to be in business/management positions during their working days. i am a finance major and i am trying to decide on a minor to accomplish in my next 3 semesters. what would give me the most employability: marketing, accounting, or management?

 

[CJ]

Whatever that most sparks your interest since your time probably would be best spent enjoying the classes. Recalling our corporate intern/college recruitment weedings, we don't much pay attention to the minor. During the closed door meetings, it was all about skill proficiency and people interactions.

If your major is in B.S. perhaps it would be beneficial to balance it out with a minor in a B.A. discipline. Communication and people skills have always been the thru-the-door advantages; whether or not you willl survive and advance will depend on them in additions to proficiency, luck and a whole lot more sometimes not necessarily in that order.

 

[brewer12345]

I have found accounting to be an extremely valuable addition to finance.

 

[windedhare]

Unless you have demonstrated work experience in that space, I see the marketing/management minors as purely academic. For entering the job market, I think accounting is a practical compliment to just about any major.

Whether you are in services, manufacturing, health care, government, it's the bean counters who control the purse string.

just my 2 cents...

 

[Nords]

Accounting.

You can always learn how individual companies do marketing or management, since the styles & practices vary tremendously. College courses of profs telling "business stories" could be a colossal waste of money.

OTOH there's a standard rulebook for GAAP accounting that can easily be converted to college classes. You'll actually learn concrete information that's fairly standard across the corporate world, and you'll need to know the rules before you start breaking them.

Take this handy quiz and see if you have an aptitude for accounting:

Q: What's 2+2?
A. 4.
B. Sometimes 4, sometimes 3, sometimes 5.
C. What do you want it to be?

 

[REWahoo]

B_Bull, go with accounting.

Bean counting is a universal skill set required by every industry and is difficult (but not impossible) to outsource to Bombay.

 

[soupcxan]

I would throw my vote in for accounting as well...I work in finance but spent a fair amount of time making journal entries.

As for Nords' question, definitely have to go with B...managers have far too much discretion with accruals/deferrals/reserve accounts.

 

[John Galt]

Ditto the accounting idea............

John Galt

 

[yelnad]

I'm an academic advisor to undergraduate business majors at a top business school. On the advice of recruiters, we always tell Finance majors to take as much accounting as they can, and we tell Accounting majors to take as much finance as they can. Also, information systems courses are good.

I'll second what CJ said. Recruiters don't care if you have a "minor" in an area. They just want to see that you have the skills and can apply them. Having a minor means nothing unless you can back it up. Too many students today are focused on collecting credentials without really developing the necessary skills to succeed in the job market.

Also, recruiters want problem solvers and strong communicators, who are comfortable in front of different audiences and who are knowledgable and appreciative of the global workplace.

Last piece of advice: Get an internship, even if it extends your studies an extra semester. They often lead to repeat internships and job offers. For a recruiter, an internship is really a 6 month training program and interview to see if you fit the company culture and have/can learn the skills they need.

 

[azanon]

Given your major, go with accounting. (just in case you haven't gotten enough recommendations already).

 

[daystar]

Once you get 24 semester hours in accounting, you can be a government accountant or auditor. You can see what jobs are available for you at this website:

http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/

Click on the location you want and then select "Accounting, Budget, and Finance." If you have a BS, you can start at GS-5 or GS-7 (outstanding scholar). If you're getting an MBA, you can start at GS-9. Most of the accounting and financial management jobs have automatic promotions, so you may start as a GS-7 and be promoted to GS-12 over three years.

 

[John Galt]

I think a government career can be a good choice.
It would never have worked for me, obviously.

My son works for the USDA. This is his first
federal government job and I am not expecting he
will stay long term, based on his history and his genes

John Galt

 

[Berkshire_Bull]

thanks for all the advice guys... how are the twin cities for finance and/or business jobs, is the atomsphere good? any other cities that anyone particularilly enjoyed?

 

[Martha]

Re: employabilityMinneapolis/St. Paul are excellen

thanks for all the advice guys... how are the twin cities for finance and/or business jobs, is the atomsphere good? any other cities that anyone particularilly enjoyed?

Minneapolis/St. Paul are excellent for finance/banking/business job opportunities and the economy for the twin cities area is strong. Go to www.bizjournals.com/twincities/. The cities are pretty, there are an amazing number of parks, and if you don't mind winter, great places to live.

 

[soupcxan]

I would highly recommend one of the finance-specific "management training programs" that many large companies offer. I'm in one now, we do several rotations in a few years so we are exposed to different segments of the business, different cities, different bosses, etc. It is not for everyone but it is a great way to start with a diversity of experience (you get to try several different jobs rather than just doing the same job for your first 1-3 years) and a solid network of people who can support you. Plus, it gives you credibility inside the organization.

Note: I am NOT talking about Enterprise Rent-A-Car's "management" training program.

 

[Brat]

My daughter was a finance major, after graduation she joined a public accounting firm so that she could earn her CPA. This is an important credential in the field. Contact a couple public accounting firms in your area, with your transcript, and ask for feedback.

If you don't need more finance or accounting courses I HIGHLY RECOMMEND public speaking courses. This comes under the umbrella of "communication skills" that other have talked about. The ability to present & defend your thoughts in a meeting is the difference between becoming a manager or a staffer (not that a staff position is worse than that of a manager). The other critical skill is the ability to understand how to handle difficult people (and each of us are difficult from time to time).

My daughter mastered all of the above and is doing nicely.

 

[John Galt]

I agree about the public speaking. Super valuable in almost any venue. I never had any training until I was
in the workplace a long time. Obviously when I was a
CEO I had to do a fair amount. Like a lot of stuff,
most of the "tricks of the trade" need to be learned
and then practice practice practice. The best training
I had was with heavy use of videocams. What an eye opener! The best presentations were when I had total
command of my subject and/or real passion about it.
Almost any audience can tell if you really know/believe your stuff.

John Galt

 

[FlowGirl]

Definitely agree about the public speaking. Although I was a computer science major and never took a formal couse in speaking I did get a lot of experience giving talks and demos to clients during my two internships in college.

I listed this public speaking experience on my resume and it was without fail the first thing a potential employer would comment on. I think it was a big help in getting my first post college job since in addition to the technical work, my group did a lot of conference chairing, presentaions, and such. In any case, its a valuable skill for any field.

 

[Berkshire_Bull]

thank you very much for the advice everyone. i had a meeting with the department chair this afternoon to discuss what classes i have remaining to graduate, as well as obtain an override for a class, so it basically boils down to 3 semesters remaining, which would put me out at 4 years, not done by too many anymore it seems. is one able to begin the job hunt before graduation, so i can get a job as soon as i graduate? i think i may only have 6 months of health insurance after graduation. i can't believe i'll have my degree and hopefully a career in only 18 short months, not to mention my own cubicle!!! i'm really starting to get excited they're going to miss me at wal-mart

 

[windedhare]

is one able to begin the job hunt before graduation, so i can get a job as soon as i graduate?  

I began the hunt before graduation, and would recommend starting early. Especially as the market is tougher now, the earlier you start the better you can hone in those interviewing skills. Start your job search in the second half of your second to last semester. You can get some practice with interviewing skills from your college's placement office. I was able to enjoy spring break haven already accepted a written job offer. When I graduated, I took a 5 day road trip to from East coast to west coast and started my job upon arrival.

Good Luck to you.

 

[yelnad]

My top finance graduates have a job offer (or 3) during the fall semester of their senior year. It's never too early to start looking.

 

[Brat]

I agree that it is never too early to start looking. Informational interviews can be better than a job interview. A good informational interview requires the same preparation. The advantage is that in that setting you are interested in learning about what the job holder does, that is flattering. The second advantage is that you can learn what the job holder doesn't enjoy about their job, that can be revealing.

 

[soupcxan]

Do you still have a free summer left before graduation? If so, do an internship...I had a full-time offer in October 2003 to start in July 2004 based on my internship.