Career Options

Example Companies

Firms in the sector include automotive companies such as Ford, Tesla, Rolls Royce, Toyota, and General Motors, leaders in aviation such as American Airlines, Delta, and Boeing, logistics firms like UPS and FedEx, and manufacturing firms such as Cargill, Corning, Whirlpool, 3M, Danaher, and Cummins.

Corporate Finance

Business students find opportunities in corporate finance within manufacturing and transportation companies. These roles typically involve financial planning, developing business plans for capital investments, evaluating labor contracts, creating and tracking financial performance plans, developing strategies, as well as pricing and competitive analysis.

Data Analytics

Data analysts work with data to help their organizations make better business decisions. Using techniques from a range of disciplines, including computer programming, mathematics, and statistics, data analysts draw conclusions from data to describe, predict, and improve business performance. They form the core of any analytics team and tend to be generalists versed in the methods of mathematical and statistical analysis.

Human Resources

Human Resources is responsible for the development and delivery of business-focused HR strategies that attract, develop, motivate, and retain employees. HR partners with business leaders to deliver process, programs and services that drive business results and meet the needs of employees. Candidates should have an interest in change management, training and development, benefits, organizational and cultural change, and “people” development. An ideal skillset includes strategic thinking, resource management, recruiting, compensation modeling, policy development, flexibility, and the ability to be an agent for change. An understanding of varying communications and work styles is beneficial. There is a moderate availability of opportunity for human resources roles, and a moderate availability of exit opportunity.

Leadership Development Programs

A number of transportation and manufacturing employers offer leadership development programs for those with business degrees, designed as rotational programs where participants complete several assignments across multiple functional areas over the course of approximately two to three years. Participants benefit from structured mentorship from corporate leaders within the company, while gaining exposure to the diverse business practices across the enterprise. This is a great opportunity to gain a holistic insight into an employer’s brand and business, while cultivating skillsets across a range of functional areas.

Logistics, Supply Chain and Operations

In transportation, logistics personnel manage the movement of people and goods—they make sure the plains and trains arrive and leave on time. At the field level, dispatchers schedule pick-ups and deliveries. In more strategy-intensive positions, logistics people use computer systems to track shipments around the globe or to limit the amount of time products stay in warehouses or distribution centers. Jobs in logistics generally require a college degree or military experience; some positions require an MBA. Some roles in manufacturing relate to the sourcing and supply of materials and supply chain management; previous experience/knowledge of supply chain can be advantageous.

Marketing

In transportation, marketers promote their company to current and potential customers and investors. Most often, marketers cite either the efficiencies their company can bring to shipping processes or their lower prices. An insider stresses the importance of imagination, strategic thinking, and keen perception for people in these jobs. In manufacturing, particularly in automobile manufacturing, marketing and design are particularly critical. In other types of manufacturing, such as chemicals and metals, marketing takes place within a business-to-business environment, so technical or engineering backgrounds are valuable.

Global Opportunities

Many U.S. companies in the transportation and manufacturing industry have globalized teams and opportunities to work in offices located worldwide.