Frustrated
hi. I'm very frustrated when it comes to my job search. I earned my bachelors degree last August in Business Administration and I have yet to find an ideal job based on my degree and that pays me based on it. I have worked since I have been 18 and have a very good work history for various types of jobs. (fastfood/thruway, to a college bookstore, to a deli in a grocery store, to my current job working retail) Where I live (Upstate NY) it's almost impossible to find a good paying job. I'm willing to move anywhere for a well paying job that fits my degree. The few interviews that I have been on around here, I have done well and have been offered jobs, but they fear my lack of manager experience, so they offer me a job, but they don't offer me the higher type position that I'm looking for. So I guess I have a few questions. What type of jobs are college graduates getting with a Business Administration Degree? I have been mainly looking at Assistant Manager Jobs, but around this area it is very tough. is this the type of job I should be looking at? What other Entry-Level jobs are out there? My ideal job would be a 9-5 monday-friday office type job somewhere down south where I would move or anywhere for that matter, but right now beggers can't be choosers and I'd be willing to do whatever, just as long as I get paid right. I mean honestly, right now I'm 25 and I make $10 dollars an hour working fulltime in retail and I have to live at home because I'm not financial secure yet and it's straight up embarassing for both myself and my parents. Maybe I'm wrong but this just seems like I'm getting underpaid for having a 4-year degree. Any help would be appreciated. Also my second question is, do you have any pointers on getting a job out of a state? Everyone I have applied for, they have never contacted me back and I'm sure it's because I live far away.
Do you have a general Business Admin. degree? What area of business are you interested in pursuing? Have you thought of being a buyer's assistant? Since you are in the retail industry it could be a easy transition. I know Macy's and Nordstroms have buyer assistant programs for recent grads. Or another option is to apply for admin, assistant level and post-grad internship positions to gain more related experience. Getting an entry-level job in another state is not an easy task. And probably not even a realistic one. You really need to live in the state the job is located for entry-level. Business Administration would seem like a very broad area unless your degree is specialized like, Hotel Business Administration. If your ideal job is Monday - Friday 9-5, then retail and hotel is not going to be for you. Maybe an office job in a real estate firm, cpa firm, law office. or the like. Entry-level is generally receptionist or data entry. If you are looking for a position in Human Resources, the bigger companies hire HR assistants, who are really glorified receptionists. But they do most everything, from contacting candidates for interviews to coordinating schedules with hiring managers of other departments. But, no matter what it is you land, you are not going to get the "higher paying" jobs until you have proven experience with that particular industry. If the company wants someone with managerial experience and you don't have it plus have not worked in that field, they aren't going to hire you for the job. But, they might hire you if you have proven experience in that field even though you have not managed anyone. Kudos to you on your ambition, but I cannot imagine an employer hiring you for a management position in a corporate setting without prior management experience. In other words, a Business Admin degree does not automatically lead to a management role. If you are getting job offers, great!! I think you would do well to accept a lower level position in a company where there is a lot of growth and room for you to move up. Then it's simply a matter of you showing that you are worth promoting. And I definitely would talk to your university's career placement office. Thanks everyone for your various feedback. Yes my bachelors degree is just a general business administration degree. At the college I went to, they didn't have specialized degree tracks like Hotel Business Administration or anything similiar to that matter. I took basically a mixture of everything accounting, marketing, hrm, with more of an emphasis on various forms of management and leadership as the college's catalog said it would prepare me for an entry level management position. I was actually one class short of being qualified for the human resource bachelors degree as well, because I took all of my electives in that area, (i even took the capstone class) but I was told that even though I would be qualified for both I would have to pick one or the other, because they didn't allow duel majors from their school of business, so my resume just lists business administration. As far as the job search goes, I am pretty open minded when it comes to any business related job. I did say my ideal job would be 9-5, but a higher paying check to me at this point is more important, so working on the weekends is fine. I never considered being a buyer's assistant, but after doing some research I would be willing to give it a shot. When it comes to getting a entry-level job out of state, I always thought that it would be easier to get, because I would be willing to move to whereever that company or business is located. As far as the retail job I work at now, I just got hired for it a month and half ago. The regional manager hired me on the basis that after 90 days I would automatically become shift-supervisor and then I would start on their assistant manager training program that lasts 2 months. He started me off at shift-supervisor pay from the beginning because of my degree and told me that after the training program I would be able to become an assistant manager at one of their various stores throughout the country. I don't think this is going to be guarenteed to me now, because I just got handed multiple write up sheets because my cash drawer was short a few times and I haven't talked to the manager about it yet, but the sheet I signed said the next one could be grounds for termination so that's not good... :/
Not sure how much help this will be but..... Are there any large employers near you that would have management trainee programs? If you are willing to relocate, check out progressive insurance- I think they have a management trainee program. Also, I think some of the larger banks have programs for college grads with business administration degrees. Look into MBNA/ Bank of America. Also, check out some of the other larger insurance companies to see if they have a management trainee program. Also, look into places like Enterprise rent a car, Avis, etc. Another option would be to try to get into management at car dealerships- although the hours will be different than 9 -5, but you would be getting some good experience. Are there ary companies with corporate headquarters reasonably close to you? If you can find either a large enough company with a structured training program or a small company, that is at or just past start-up phrase, you can probably get some good experience. A smaller company may not pay as much, but you will get to wear many hats and aquire a lot of experience quickly.
I agree--grow where you're planted. Moving is expensive, stressful and time-consuming, and chances are if you move to a place you can afford with your savings, chances are the pay won't be too good. Very few companies pay moving expenses. Let the company move you because you're climbing the ladder within the company, and they need you in another state. | |
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