From Theory to Practice: Making the Most of Your Business Degree

If you’re completing a business degree like an Australian online MBA, you’ll no doubt be interested in learning how you can make the most of it once you graduate. 

For the best results, there are certain steps you can take while you are still studying to help set you up for your future career path in the real-world professional environment. 

These include selecting and focusing on a specific area of study specialisation, ensuring you engage with your professional network, and above all, staying committed to your end goal.

Here’s how to get it done.

Before You Graduate: Select Your Study Specialisation

The best thing about a business degree? It doesn’t lock you into one specific area of study.

Business degrees are versatile, and they allow you to specialise in a wide range of different study disciplines that fall under the umbrella of business. 

The hardest part? Choosing which business study specialisation you want to focus on. Some of the areas of study you can select to specialise in during your business degree can include:

Business Entrepreneurship

If you’re keen to get into business, you surely have lofty ambitions. You may even be planning to become an entrepreneur and start a business of your own. A word of advice: if entrepreneurship is your end goal, make sure to have an action plan in place – one that covers contingencies in case things go awry. It pays to have a backup option in the event your business venture fails.

But just like Showpo CEO Jane Lu, if your business plan doesn’t work the first time, don’t give up. Her first failed venture only propelled her to further success. Famously, she took on the lessons she learnt from her first failed attempt to set up her now multi-million dollar global fashion business.

Commerce, Consumer Behaviour, and Marketing

Marketing concepts are essential to business – whether you’re setting up shop as an entrepreneur, or joining an established company. 

By focusing on elements of commerce and consumer behaviour, you can ensure that you remain competitive in the cut-throat business world.

Accounting, Finance and Book-keeping

If the thought of crunching numbers makes you snore, accounting is not for you. But if you’re keen to learn about finance, this is certainly a fiscally savvy study selection. 

The best part? This area of study specialisation will not only help you stand out in business, it will also support you in your personal life.

Business Management and Organisational Communication

Is entrepreneurship not for you? Perhaps you’re instead planning to join the upper management echelons of someone else’s company.

If that’s the case, you’ll need to be well-versed in organisational communication, as well as how to manage business operations.

Throughout Your Studies, and Thereafter: Engage with Your Social and Professional Networks

You’ve selected and focused on your selected study specialisation. You’ve basically become an expert in your chosen field of business. So, what’s next? Now, you have to network. 

Networking is essential for uncovering professional opportunities and maximising your employability as a business grad. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your existing contacts, attend in-person events, and also, harness the power of social media to build your professional network.

After You Complete Your Course: Stay Focused and Committed to Your End Goal

So, you’ve graduated with your business degree. Don’t forget to back to the reasons why you started in the first place. What are your career objectives? What are your end goals in terms of your professional growth? It may help you to journal these or to make a 5-year plan to map out your intended career path. 

Whatever you do, ensure to make the most of the business degree you’ve made so much effort to complete. Draw on the skills you’ve learned throughout your studies, and be sure to highlight these on your professional resume. You could even develop some personal branding around these skills and attributes.

In the end, business degrees are some of the most popular undergrad courses out there. So to stand out from the many business grads coming up through the education system, you’ll need to stay focused and committed to your career goals. 

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Interesting Related Article: “Do You Want a Business Degree?“