GENERAL RESOURCES

We're glad you're interested in the field of business! While you may liaise with any member of our team, Liz Wilson is the key advisor for this field and is eager to support you in your search. You may book an appointment with her, or any advisor in our office today!

Business is a field with diverse opportunities and can be a good fit for students seeking to work with numbers and research or people and problems. This guide gives a general overview of various career paths within business along with general career resources.

Business Career Paths

Accounting

Simply put, accounting is the language of business. An accounting system tracks all the financial activities of an organization showing when and where money was spent and made. Many accountants work at the Big Four firms: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC. They can also work for public accounting firms, corporate accounting, government accounting, or for non-profit organizations. Some accountants own their own firms, while others teach accounting and auditing. 

Accounting is often ranked as one of the most desirable professions available due to the strong salaries and job security. Many accountants will earn a Masters in Accountancy and take the CPA exam before starting their careers. 

Consulting

Consultants offer advice and recommendations to other companies to help them improve their business performance, usually in the areas of operations, profitability, management, structure, and strategy. Consultants rely on strong communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, making Davidson students a natural fit for this industry.

Most Davidson students interested in Consulting will choose to enter the field under the umbrella of Management Consulting, working for a mid- to large-sized firm. There are also speciality areas of consulting, including environmental, healthcare, and technology consulting. Read our Consulting Career Guide for more information.

Economics

The study of Economics involves wealth, finance, and banking over time. Studying historical data allows economists to form predictions for the future. There are business economists, government economists, and academic economists who specialize in certain studies, such as microeconomics or macroeconomics, banking systems, international trade procedures and laws, public finance, or labor economics. There are also market research analysts, who study market conditions for products and services. These positions often revolve around research, analysis, and modeling skills. 

Finance

The field of finance has many paths, including Investment Banking, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Sales & Trading, and Asset/Wealth Management. Roles within these industries often require strong quantitative skills, however students can choose between roles that are people-focused or ones that are transaction-focused. See our Finance Career Guide for additional information. 

Hospitality & Tourism Management

Opportunities within the realm of hospitality exist at hotels, resorts, restaurants, and food/beverage groups worldwide. Within these organizations, jobs in management, HR, marketing, finance, operations, and accounting exist. Working in HTM offers the chance to live in exotic locals and explore new parts of the globe. Often, employees can stay working for the same company and earn longevity and benefits, while moving around to different locations. 

Human Resources

HR is the division of a company that manages all aspects related to its personnel, including recruiting employees, training and career development, overseeing compensation packages, managing benefits plans, and other duties that serve to maximize a company's business and its employees' satisfaction with their jobs. HR professionals generally work either within large or medium sized companies or personnel staffing firms that help other companies find qualified employees. Opportunities exist within HR to work in more outward facing, relationship-based roles or in behind-the-scenes more technical roles. 

Logistics, Operations, & Supply Chain Management

The field of operations and logistics focuses on making sure the right amount and quality of materials and goods are produced and delivered to the correct recipients according to schedule. Logisticians can work for corporations, the government/military, and large manufacturing operations. Students who are organized, detail-oriented, and enjoy creating and following processes to maximize efficiency would make excellent logisticians. 

Management

Businesses in every sector require strong managers skilled at problem-solving and relationship building. Students typically enter management careers either through a Manager-in-Training program or a Leadership Development Rotational Program. MIT roles exist within retail, food/beverage, and hospitality based businesses. Large, worldwide corporations often offer Leadership/Management Development programs that will usually feature a rotational component. In this setting, students agree to an overall time period of work (usually about 2 years), and within that timeframe, they rotate through various departments within the company for a shorter period of time (maybe 3-6 months per rotation). At the end of the overall time period, students are able to discuss with the company which division they would like to enter on a permanent basis. Rotational programs give students the opportunity to try out several aspects of work and business in a short period of time, learning what they like and don't like to do, without a long term commitment. 

Marketing

Marketing is an interdisciplinary field that often coincides with other roles in advertising and public relations. Roles in marketing exist within companies of all sectors or at marketing agencies that are hired out by companies to manage a specific marketing rollout. Jobs can tend toward the more creative side of things, including developing logos/brands, commercials, and an overall strategy. Other jobs can be more analytical and research focused including analyzing the audience for a product and determining an appropriate pricing strategy. View our Marketing Career Guide for further information.

Real Estate

Real Estate is a wide ranging industry split into two major areas: residential or commercial real estate. Residential real estate involves the buying and selling of private homes, townhomes, condos, and land. Commercial real estate (CRE) focuses on the buying and selling of commercial/retail spaces and the (re)development of commercial spaces, including large scale projects. Real estate businesses can be one person shops or a part of a large commercial lending bank.

This field involves interdisciplinary work with a wide variety in day-to-day responsibilities. Students who are driven, hardworking, and goal-oriented are a good fit for real estate. Those who are successful are often able to set their own hours, have an unlimited earning potential, and be their own boss.

Sales

Students who have strong interpersonal skills and get along with many types of people are a natural fit for sales roles. The industry can be divided into two sectors: B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer). Sales workers are often paid some combination of salary plus commission, leading to high compensation for those who are driven and dedicated. Due to the competitive orientation of sales positions, companies often target scholar-athletes for these positions. 

General Business Career Resources

Davidson Recruiting Partners: a complete list of employers related to Finance and Consulting can be found in those respective industry career guides. Below is a list of employers who have hired Davidson students recently into other business-related career roles. This list is not exhaustive and students should explore all opportunities.

Belk

Gartner

CREW CLT

Delta

Flores & Associates

Ingersoll Rand

JELD-WEN

Lippe Taylor

McMaster Carr

Oxeon Partners

Precisely

Precision Xtract

Revenue Analytics

Rocket Companies

Rodgers Builders

TOMS Shoes

Rotational & Leadership Development Programs: Almost every large corporation has a rotational leadership development program, and many have more than one program! These offer college students an excellent opportunity to try out several roles within a short period of time. Below is a list to get you started, but is not exhaustive. In addition, this spreadsheet is a vast list of rotational programs, separated by industry.

Capital One: Multiple Leadership Development Programs

CarMax: Business Analyst Rotational Program

Enterprise: Management Trainee Program

ESPN: Digital Media Associate Program

GE: Early Career Leadership Program

Hilton: Management Development Program

JELD-WEN: Rotational Programs

Johnson & Johnson: Multiple Leadership Development Programs

Marriott: Voyage Leadership Development Program

McMaster Carr: Management Development Program

NFL: Junior Rotational Program

Target: Management & Finance Leadership Development Programs

Truist: Leadership Development Programs

Venture for America: Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program

Walmart: Multiple Development Programs

Student Clubs & Organizations: 

Actively participating in student clubs on campus can give students insight into various business career fields as well as practical experience. Consider joining:

Davidson College Venture Capital (DCVC)

Davidson Impact Fund (DIF)

Davidson Investment & Finance Association (DIFA)

Davidson Pre-Consulting Society (PCS)

Davidson Real Estate Club (DREC)

Entrepreneurship Club

Pre-Business Society

Women in Business (WiB)