Business, Management & Administration:
Skills & Job Outlook for this Career Cluster
On The Job:
- Most business workers are in an office or cubical setting, working set shifts of 40-hour weeks. Managers are often expected to work until the job is done — even if that means working more than 40 hours per week.
- Many companies like to promote business workers to higher positions. Advancement comes with increased knowledge about the company's operations and upgraded or specialized skills. Advanced degrees are desired for some business positions.
- Workers in clerical positions often juggle dozens of tasks to make an office run smoothly. Some work mainly on the phones. Others greet customers, schedule meetings and assist managers with projects. Many do research, organize and maintain paper or computer filing systems, write letters or e-mails and more.
- Most business management positions require significant related work experience and formal education. Some restaurant and retail management positions require only previous experience.
What Skills Do You Need?
- Computer skills to use relevant software and technology.
- Critical-thinking skills for problem-solving and generating new ideas.
- Customer service skills to work with coworkers and the public on a daily basis.
- Leadership skills to be willing to do extra tasks and make timely decisions.
- Cooperation skills to work on projects with coworkers.
- Speaking skills to effectively relay information to customers and coworkers.
- Time-management skills to coordinate all the necessary elements of a project.
Job Outlook: GOOD
The overall outlook for business workers is good.
Organizations and corporations in almost every industry require good office and administrative support. People with management skills are needed to lead staff teams, departments and projects. As a result, these jobs are plentiful.
Even if the overall demand for workers in some occupations is low, there are many openings to replace temporary workers, retirees and people who have been promoted.
As office technology continues to change, so do the skills office employees are expected to have. Workers must be ready for on-the-job learning to update their computer and software skills.
Highly developed communication skills are mandatory for most positions. Experts report that interpersonal skills are as important as solid writing and verbal skills.
Competition increases with specialized and higher-level positions. Openings and salaries vary substantially by industry and business size, but the computer, health care and hospitality industries are expecting to hire a lot of new employees, especially managers.
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