Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
You've got your power suit, your power tie, your power haircut, your power briefcase, and your power armor. Maybe not that last one. (Hurry up, Stark Enterprises—we want that armor.) You're entering the field of international business, which sounds pretty darn high-powered. So when you're walking through the doors of your multinational corporation, it can look a little monolithic. As in, it looks like everyone's doing the same thing. Not like if you touch it suddenly, monkeys know how to use tools.
Each corporation has a ton of different positions that make it function. It's sort of like a hive, and you need all kinds of different insects to make it. Wow, that metaphor got away from us there for a bit. The point is, while you might think of your degree as qualifying you for this nebulous pursuit called "business," there are different careers within that you might want to think about.
Common Career Fields
International Marketing. Hey, you took a class in this. You're all set here. So, in short, your products, whatever they may be, don't sell themselves. Well, they do, or at least that's what you tell people. Your goal is to sell them, but not look like you're selling them. Sell casual, as a certain starship pilot almost said.
Financial Controller. No one said supervillainy was going to be part of this major. It's not. Or at least, not directly. We talked earlier about making sure that more money is coming in than going out. A big part of that is budgeting, which is a financial controller's primary responsibility. When someone wants to build a champaign pool or a hippo garden, you have to step in to show that the money isn't in the budget for that. Well, unless you're selling champaign pools or hippo gardens, in which case you do need floor models.
Multinational Manager. You know what a manager is, right? This one adds on the ever-important "multinational" to the title. What this means is that you will be managing sections of your company that cross borders, but have the same purpose. It's dizzying, but also very important in modern business.
Business Development Director. Standing still isn't really an option for companies. They're always looking for new sources of money and ways to more efficiently get their stuff into the hands of consumers. This means that corporations are pretty much always changing, like a werewolf who can only turn into money. Business development directors are the ones who help the company grow and evolve.
International Trade and Customs. Getting things across borders isn't as simple as moving them a few feet. There are tons of laws governing that, in every country you pass through, then additional ones for the borders themselves. Don't forget the exchange rate, either. It's very, very complicated, but that's why there's a whole college major and career based on it. Handy, right?
Foreign Policy Advisor. This makes it sound like you'll be working for the government. Truth be told, you might be. If you don't like the private sector, someone with international business experience will likely have the skills and contacts that could find a nice home in the State Department. Corporations also need foreign policy advisors, since in a lot of ways, corporations are their own tiny countries. Kind of. There's a lot of gray area here, but the good part is you get paid.
Translator or Interpreter. Maybe you're not so keen on the "business" part of your major. Maybe you finished it up and really fell in love with some languages or customs you studied, but have no patience for wringing profit from them. The good news is that you don't have to. With all you've studied, you're in a prime position to serve as a translator or interpreter. You will be able to get more than just the simple words. You'll understand connotation and nuance, which all great translators need.
Current unemployment of the major
8.0%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
28%Stats obtained from this source.