Think Outside the Box: 10 Exciting Jobs Outside of Business for MBA Graduates - Geneva College
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Think Outside the Box: 10 Exciting Jobs Outside of Business for MBA Graduates

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Graduate Studies

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree can open a lot of doors in terms of a career. However, you might not realize that MBA graduates don’t necessarily have to look for jobs in traditional business roles. In fact, there are many exciting types of careers available for those who have this degree. Learn more about some of the rewarding careers to consider outside of business.

  1. Human Resources Manager

Human resources managers are responsible for overseeing a company’s administrative functions. This usually involves recruiting prospective employees, conducting job interviews, and hiring new employees. They also handle disputes and other issues that come up in the workplace. Other tasks human resources managers might carry out include overseeing employee benefits programs, supervising support staff, and educating other managers and employees on certain issues, such as workplace discrimination or harassment.

Human resources managers have a median salary of around $116,720 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The job outlook for this career through 2029 is 6 percent, which is faster than average compared to other careers.

  1. Healthcare Manager

Healthcare managers play an important role in ensuring medical and other healthcare services are delivered efficiently. Some of these managers are responsible for whole facilities, while others manage medical practices or certain departments within a facility. Healthcare managers have several tasks and duties on the job, including staying compliant with healthcare regulations and laws, setting up work schedules, supervising staff, and managing patient billing and other finance-related areas. These managers might also be expected to develop goals for their department or facility, meet with investors, and organize facility or department records.

Healthcare managers make an average salary of roughly $100,980 annually, according to BLS. The job outlook over the coming decade this kind of job is 32 percent, which is significantly higher than average.

  1. Data Analyst

Data analysts combine business and technical skills in order to analyze data for specific purposes, such as to determine pricing for new materials or coming up with estimates for market shares. In addition to gathering and analyzing data, data analysts identify trends in a specific industry, look for new data sources or ways to improve data analysis, and provide analytical results in a comprehensive way. Overall, these analysts are typically responsible for helping businesses find ways to improve decision-making and reduce spending where needed.

Data analysts have an average pay of around $122,840 per year, according to BLS. With a job outlook of 15 percent through 2029, which is much higher than average, there are expected to be plenty of job opportunities available for this kind of career.

  1. Nonprofit Manager

For those who choose business administration as a major, nonprofit management is a career path to consider. Nonprofit managers are in charge of overseeing and directing organizations that focus on supporting communities or providing services to benefit the public. These managers are responsible for coordinating programs and services, coming up with new programs and services as needed, and supervising nonprofit staff members. They might also plan outreach activities to raise awareness of an organization’s programs, analyze data from these programs to determine how successful they are, and seek additional funding.

According to BLS, social and community managers, which includes nonprofit managers, make a median salary of roughly $67,150 a year. The job outlook for nonprofit managers by 2029 is 17 percent, which is considered much higher than average.

  1. IT

IT (or Information Technology) careers with an MBA degree allow graduates to combine their technological skills and business skills for use on a regular basis. This field includes a wide range of job options. MBA holders can find opportunities in IT careers ranging from computer research scientists and computer network architects to computer systems analysts, computer systems administrators, and information security analysts. IT professionals generally work with computer systems and other technology in various businesses, such as corporations, medical facilities, or government facilities.

According to BLS, the median pay for IT jobs can range from $54,760 to $122,840 per year, depending on the type of job and other factors. The job outlook for IT jobs is also much higher than average. For example, information security analysts have a job outlook of 31 percent.

  1. Medical Director

Medical directors are often physicians with an MBA who manage and provide guidance to medical facilities and medical departments. These directors are responsible for supervising healthcare staff, directing new policies and procedures, and monitoring finances for the facility or department. Medical directors also represent the facility or department during meetings with investors or governing boards. They also maintain facility or department records, stay up to date on healthcare law changes, and modernize technology and equipment as needed.

Salaries for medical directors come in at $208,000 or higher per year, according to BLS. The job outlook for medical directors is 4 percent, which is considered average when compared to other career fields.

  1. Public Relations Director

Public relations directors are responsible for upholding and enhancing a client or company’s public image. These directors usually come up with a public image for a company or client, determine the most effective ways to reach a targeted audience, and choose spokespersons to interact with the media as needed. Public relations directors might also supervise staff, develop promotional or advertising programs, and prepare news and information about a client or company for the media.

Public relations directors make an average salary of around $116,180 a year, according to BLS. The job outlook for public relations directors through 2029 is 9 percent, which is much faster than average.

  1. Product Manager

Product managers play an important role in ensuring the sale of a company’s goods or services. These managers are typically responsible for identifying the audience for a certain product or service, determining the demand for it, and developing marketing strategies. They might also update marketing strategies or campaigns as needed, such as when a new version of a product comes out. Product managers usually work with other departments in a company, such as sales or research and development.

Product managers have a median pay of around $135,900 a year, according to BLS. The job outlook for product managers from 2019 to 2029 is 6 percent, which is slightly higher than average.

  1. Social and Community Service Manager

Social and community service managers oversee organizations or programs that aim to provide support or assistance to certain populations, such as the homeless or veterans. These managers collaborate with communities and stakeholders in order to come up with services or programs that benefit those in need. They might also work on getting funding to support these programs or services, coordinate activities that focus on making the public aware of what they offer, and evaluate how much of an impact these services and programs have had.

Social and community service managers make an average salary of roughly $67,150 per year, according to BLS. The job outlook for social and community service managers is 17 percent, which is much higher than average.

  1. Sports Management

Sports managers handle the business aspect of sports for athletes or other clients. This typically involves negotiating contracts, coming up with promotional events, and overseeing a client’s schedule. Sports managers might be responsible for one athlete or an entire team or organization. These managers also usually act as a spokesperson for their client and sometimes travel with an athlete or team to games or other competitions. Sports managers also work on helping clients gain endorsements or other deals.

Sports managers have a median pay of around $85,250 per year or higher, according to BLS. The employment rate for sports managers is around 12.4 percent.

If you’re interested in pursuing one of these careers or any other careers with an MBA, please contact Geneva College today. We offer a flexible MBA program, along with concentrations, such as marketing, finance, and operations management.

Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.

Feb 24, 2021

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