Business Career Guide
Tips & Strategies to Grow Your Career
From industry growth and job stability, to competitive salaries and a versatile range of positions, careers in business have mass appeal. Getting the opportunity to work with cutting edge technology or innovative products and services is exciting and attracts motivated professions in every industry and setting.
It’s easy to understand why people want to break into and get ahead in this career, but mapping out the steps it takes to nurture your career is a process—one that doesn’t get quite as much attention and is critical to your professional development.
That’s where we can help.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
• Building a Business Career Plan
• Closing Gaps & Build Skills
• Spotlight Industry-specific Opportunities
• Strategic Advantages of Education and Training
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Business Industry Profile
Career Paths Within Business
• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Emergency Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Human Resource Management
• Leadership
• Management
• Marketing
• Nonprofit Management
• Professional Communications
• Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics Management
• Technology Management
Types of Businesses
• Small Businesses
• Mid-Sized Companies
• International Corporations
• Nonprofit Organizations
Industry Outlook
Job Growth
Overall employment in business and financial occupations are projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2023 to 2033.
About 963,500 openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupations permanently.
Higher Average Salary
In May 2023, professionals in business and financial operations earned a median annual wage of $79,050, which is about 64.5% higher than the median wage of $48,060 for all occupations.
Source (Visited April 2025) Bureau of Labor Statistics: Business and Financial Occupations
Aura ‘18, M.S. 2020
Building a Business Career Plan
Whether you’re seeking career change, pursuing a lateral move within your organization, or aspiring toward career advancement, starting your journey with a solid plan is essential. By building a career plan, you can break down your goal into smaller, more manageable steps that will keep your job search strategic. Through the Career and Professional Success (CaPS) Office at UNH College of Professional Studies, you can access many expert resources to help you plan, including free interest inventories.
Getting Started in 3 Steps
Step
1: Self-Exploration
You may know exactly which business career path to pursue but if you’re unsure, consider taking a career assessment or aptitude test. A career advisor at a college can suggest assessments.
Step
2: Analyze Career Requirements
Once you’ve determined your future career path, analyze the qualifications and education these roles require. This process is surprisingly easy: simply search for jobs that align with your ideal role.
Step 3: Gap Analysis
Once you’ve analyzed the requirements and have a strong sense of what employers are looking for, compare this information alongside your own skills, experience, knowledge, and background. Examine the gaps and identify patterns. Are you routinely missing certain qualifications for your ideal career?
Use your preferred job search engine to find job descriptions and identify the following:
Job-Specific & People Skills
Hard skills may include proficiency in a software or technique, while soft skills consist of qualities such as teamwork, communication, time management, and problem-solving abilities.
Requirements will vary based on each employer’s needs, so review job postings carefully to find themes and commonalities.
Gap Analysis
Example & Template
Research career requirements and note the ones that appear most frequently. This example includes just a few for each area—job seekers are encouraged to be as thorough as possible. Then, note how your experience aligns with the qualifications. This analysis will spotlight the areas where you should invest your time to build skills and experience necessary to become a qualified applicant for your desired career. Below is a sample gap analysis for a Sales Manager. Access the template on page 9.
Career Requirements
Develop and deliver sales presentations, coordinating the various teams and resources High skilled—I have a leadership role in this area
Assign sales territories and set sales quotas
experience yet.
Track and analyze data in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform I currently enter data into the CRM, but I’m not responsible for analyzing it.
BA/BS degree in an analytical field (Business, Marketing, Economics, Statistics,) In lieu of degree, 4 years relevant experience
in Business with
® Closing Gaps & Building Experience
As you map out your career plan, it’s quite common for gaps to arise. Don’t let these gaps deter you. Instead, find ways you can address these areas by strategically building skills and knowledge. Remember: the goal is not to become an expert in these new areas where you lack experience. You’re simply gaining experience in the critical areas to narrow the “gap.”
Not sure where to start? Here’s a collection of ideas to gain exposure to the responsibilities, experience and knowledge, education and training, and hard and soft skills needed to qualify for your next role.
Strategies to Build Experience by Career Path
Accounting
• Take a course in Microsoft® Excel or Quickbooks®
• Volunteer and receive training as an AARP® Foundation Tax-Aide to help low-income families understand and file their taxes for free
• Seek Certification: Accounting Training Unlimited (ATU), CPA Exam, or CMA Exam
Business Administration
• Get involved in creating or updating your company’s strategic plan, or other key initiatives
• Take project management training
• Earn a degree to demonstrate your commitment to your career path
Emergency Management
• Take free online courses through the FEMA Emergency Management Institute’s Independent Study Program
• Volunteer for the American Red Cross and participate in disaster drills and exercises
• Complete the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program through ready.gov
• Identify leaders in the field and request an informational interview
Entrepreneurship
• Join organizations for startup entrepreneurs, such as local Business Incubators and Makerspaces
• Seek free and confidential business mentoring through your local SCORE chapter
• Subscribe to entrepreneurship podcasts
• Take a business law course
Finance
• Explore how AI tools like predictive analytics and machine learning are used in financial forecasting, risk analysis, or fraud detection
• Gain an understanding of the financial documents of an organization
• Learn key indicators of financial health
• Share your expertise by teaching an adult education course on personal finance Leadership
• Offer to take the lead on a project
• Take free professional development courses online through LinkedIn learning
• Experiment with AI tools that support leadership decision-making, such as sentiment analysis in team feedback or AI-generated performance insights
• Mentor students in your community
• Pursue a passion project such as blog, selling hobby or craft projects, or organizing a meet-up focused on your personal interests
• Consider joining the International Leadership Association
® Management
• Enhance soft skills such as active listening, problem solving, and more
• Create training materials or documentation for new team members
• Mentor for interns or other less experienced staff members at your organization
• Gain budgeting experience at work or through a volunteer role
• Learn how AI is used in workforce management systems for scheduling, performance tracking, and workflow optimization
Marketing
• Earn your free Inbound Marketing Certification from HubSpot® to increase your knowledge of digital marketing
• Write and publish blog posts or pages with WordPress, the popular content management system
• Explore AI-driven marketing tools such as chatbots, predictive customer analytics, or content generation platforms like Jasper.ai
• Volunteer to help a nonprofit with their marketing efforts
• Join a professional organization, such as the American Marketing Association (AMA) or the Social Media Association (SMA)
Nonprofit Management
• Manage volunteers at an event
• Use AI-powered donor management tools to analyze giving trends, improve outreach, and personalize fundraising campaigns
• Contribute to fundraising efforts
• Join Toastmasters® to polish your public speaking skills
• Network with both business and community leaders through your local Chamber of Commerce
Supply Chain Management
• Get involved in building relationships with vendors for purchasing, warehousing, or supply ordering
• Use LEAN or other project management practices in your current role to increase efficiency and improve quality
• Join and become active in the Association for Supply Chain Management (APICS)
• Seek credentials such as Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), or Certified in Logistics, Transportation, and Distribution (CLTD)
• Study how AI is used for demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and real-time logistics tracking
Technology Management
• Identify opportunities to improve technology processes or systems in your workplace
• Lead or support a digital transformation or software implementation project
• Explore professional certifications such as Certified Technology Manager (CTM), or Certified Information Systems Manager (CISM).
• Join a professional group such as the Association for Technology Management and Applied Engineering (ATMAE), or Society for Information Management (SIM)
• Investigate how AI can be leveraged to automate IT operations (AIOps), manage data centers, or optimize digital workflows
Strategic Advantage: Education
While some positions in business can be obtained without a degree, most require some level of formal education. The good news is that earning your degree will help you earn more and be more competitive in the workforce.
Adding to your educational credentials sends a powerful signal to an employer: I value the challenge of continuous learning, seek skill development, and I’m invested in helping our organization succeed.
Furthermore, adding education to your career advancement strategy in business can offer you many benefits, including the ability to advance to higher positions and earn a better salary. There are many educational options that can help you reach your goals. Review the options listed below to determine which will work best for you.
Options for Continuing Your Education
® Professional Development
Professional development can vary from a short online or in-person training, to a longer multi-week or month course. Courses can be taken through an institution of higher education, professional association, or through other online skill and knowledge-building platforms.
Examples:
• Study.com
• LinkedIn Learning
• Continuing Education through local College or University
Professional Certification
Certification is granted by private organizations to recognize an individual as having advanced knowledge or skills in a certain area. Mastery is usually determined by an assessment and certifications often have beginning and end dates and may need to be renewed regularly. Certifications are completely voluntary, however there may be positions that desire this credential prior to employment.
Examples:
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI®)
• Google Career Certificates
Degree Programs and Certifications
A degree program will include associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs in various disciplines. All are offered through institutions of higher education and can be completed in-person, online, or in a hybrid format depending on the institution and degree program. Many institutions of higher education will also offer the ability to take a number of courses to earn a certificate of advanced learning.
Gap Analysis Template
This analysis will spotlight the areas where you should invest your time to build skills and experience necessary to become a qualified applicant for your desired career.
Desired Career:
Career Requirements Your Experience Gap (Y/N)
Responsibilities
Experience & Knowledge
Education & Training
Job-Specific & People Skills
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About UNH College of Professional Studies
The University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies brings together students, faculty, and private and industry partners to create life-changing opportunities and innovative solutions in our neighborhoods and across the world.
Exclusively Focused on Adult Students
Designed for working professionals, parents, and lifelong learners, our associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees—along with post-baccalaureate programs for teachers and credit for prior learning—are built with adult learners in mind. Courses are fully online and align with your schedule, so you can achieve your goals while balancing work, family, and other responsibilities.
What Sets Us Apart
• Top Ranked & Trusted
Consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report, we’re proud to be ranked among the best for online bachelor’s programs and for supporting veterans.
• Accredited and Affordable
As a public, nonprofit college accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, we offer a high-quality education with some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation.
• Credit for What You Know
Gain credit for college-level knowledge earned outside the classroom, whether through workplace training, volunteer service, military experience, or self-study.
• Complimentary Career Advising Plan your business career with support from our online advising team. You’ll also have access to online tools like LinkedIn Learning, which offers more than 16,000 courses to help you upskill and stay competitive.
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Our Featured Business Programs
Associate Degrees
• A.S. Business Options in:
• Accounting
• Digital Marketing
• Emergency Management and Strategy Planning
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Leadership Change, and Social Responsibility
• Management
• Organization and Business Administration
Bachelor’s Degrees
• B.S. Accounting and Finance
• B.S. Business Management Options in:
• Accounting
• Data Analytics
• Digital Marketing
• Emergency Management and Strategy Planning
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Finance
• Leadership Change, and Social Responsibility
• Management
• Nonprofit Management
• Organization and Business Administration
• Project Management
• B.S. Health Care Management
• B.S. Human Resource Management
• B.S. Marketing
• B.S. Operations, Supply Chain, and Logistics Management
• B.S. Professional Communication
• Options in:
• Business and Strategic Communication
• Interpersonal and Organizational Communication
• Visual Communication and Social Media
• B.S. Public Administration
• B.S. Technology Management
Undergraduate Minors
• Accounting
• Business and Strategic Communication
• Computer Information Technology
• Data Analytics
• Digital Marketing
• Emergency Management Strategy and Planning
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation*
• Finance
• Health Care Management
• Interpersonal and Organizational Communication
• Leadership, Change, and Social Responsibility
• Management
• Nonprofit Management
• Organization and Business Administration
• Operations, Supply Chain, and Logistics Management
• Public Administration and Policy
• Visual Communication and Social Media
• Writing for Visual Media
Master’s Degrees
• M.S. Health Care Management
• M.S. Human Services Administration
• M.S. Leadership
• M.S. Leadership: Information Technology Management
• M.S. Leadership: Human Resource and Organizational Development
• M.S. Project Management
Graduate Certificates
These programs allow you to specialize your knowledge through a shorter, focused sequence of courses. The credits earned in our certificate programs can also be applied toward their corresponding master’s programs, allowing you to earn a certificate on the way to a degree.
• Health Care Management
• Nonprofit Leadership
• Operations Management
• Project Management
855-472-4255 | cps.unh.edu/online