Exploring Career Fields
Career Paths and Degree Options
There is plenty to consider when it comes to choosing a direction to take with your career field. This page will help you explore career paths in business, technology and health services to give you a sense of what opportunities exist and if they might be a fit for you.
The Business Field
If you’re a strategic thinker who likes to take on new initiatives and direct teams to make an impact in a high-tech business environment, you might find that growing your career in the broad field of business is a great choice for you. Moving ahead in business often means gaining specialized skills as well as managing people, resources and operations to drive organizational results.
Accounting & Finance
Human Resources
Project Management
Accounting & Finance
Today's accountants work across a variety of vibrant environments recording, analyzing and managing financial records and plans. Almost every growing business will need to rely on accountants, and those with a depth of understanding of the corporate environment can bring valued communications and problem-solving skills to the table. Opportunities in this field may be found at the senior level in a range of industries, from financial and investment planning, to entertainment and advertising, to and information technology and consulting.
Human Resources
Human Resource (HR) professionals often demonstrate core traits like leadership, fair-mindedness, discretion and lifelong learning, which can help them stand out in their fields. Employers typically search for capable individuals in HR to join their organizations with knowledge of current best practices for talent acquisition and development, benefits management and more. A human resources administrator might provide services that include employee support, labor relations, employment law, training, staffing or management of HR systems.
Project Management
While project managers can help companies operate faster and more efficiently, directing the management of projects for an organization is another level of responsibility for experienced associates in the field of Project Management (PM). Selection and oversight of project management systems and applications, approaches to budgets and cost control, contracts and bids, risk assessment, and reporting to executive boards may all be part of the job descriptions for a business administrator in the PM field.
The Technology Field
When you love the processes, devices and products that make businesses smarter – and life easier – then moving ahead in the technology field can be a pursuit of passion. Managers, administrators and analysts of technology and information systems are an important part of the dynamic field of technology fueled by cloud computing, big data, mobile computing and the interconnection of devices, commonly referred to as the “Internet of Things”.
Information Systems
Networking & Communication
Information Systems
The proliferation of information systems across industries has given rise to a need for professionals with a broad range of competencies to meet the business, management and technical demands in this area. Corporations, government agencies and healthcare institutions will turn to leaders who can prevent computer networks from being compromised and sensitive information from being lost or damaged. Upgrading systems, selecting new software and deploying new technologies are also key functions in information systems management.
Networking & Communication
Because networks form the backbone of companies’ operations in today’s business world, managing the networks of the future could be a vital role for years to come. New technologies are delivering more ways to stay connected – from holographic communication to mobile investing – giving rise to organizational strategies to invest in growing their business systems and global communications capabilities.
The Healthcare Administration Field
The broader field of healthcare administration includes roles in management and technology across the healthcare spectrum. Career paths in this industry may be fueled by passions for science, service and problem-solving. The use of technology and data in healthcare applications is a factor in the need for administrators who can manage growing systems and networks today’s healthcare institutions rely on.
Health Services
Health Services
Professionals in this field need to be prepared with an understanding of integrated health systems and the complex medical services industry, as well as the objectives and processes of healthcare providers, insurers, suppliers and regulatory bodies. Whether as a hospital administrator, financial analyst, or health information officer, individuals on a career path in health services may become well-versed in legal and ethical issues in healthcare, healthcare economics and public policy.
Moving Ahead on Your Path
Many people travel more than one single career path in throughout their life, and may explore and adapt their goals along the way as students. These days, education options exist that build upon each other, allowing credentials to be stacked over time. These stackable programs support increased proficiency, quick transitions to the next career phase, or a focus on lifelong learning. Here’s a look at some available options.