Business Management and Administration careers use your organizational and leadership skills to prepare for careers where you plan, direct and evaluate operations to run a successful business.

This career cluster is divided into five pathways:

• Administrative Support

• Business Information Management

• General Management

• Human Resources Management

• Operations Management

Administrative Support

Administrative Support facilitates business operations through a variety of administrative and clerical duties including information and communication management, data processing and collection, and project tracking.

Sample occupations include:

• Administrative Assistant

• Court Reporter

• Customer Service Representative

• Data Entry Specialist

• Management Analyst

• Medical Transcriptionist

• Order Processor

• Paralegal

• Receptionist

• Records Processing Assistant

• Shipping and Receiving Clerk

Business Information Management

Business Information Management is an umbrella term covering those careers that provide a bridge between business processes/initiatives and IT. Employees in this area help to align business and IT goals.

Sample occupations include:

• Account Executive

• Budget Analyst

• Chief Executive Officer

• Computer Support Specialist

• Cost Analyst

• Database Analyst

• Desktop Publisher

• Executive Assistant

• Maintenance Technician

• Management Analyst

• Operations Research Analyst

• Software Test Engineer

• Systems Analyst

• Technical Writer

• Word Processor

General Management

General Management focuses on careers that plan, organize, direct, and evaluate all or part of a business organization through the allocation and use of financial, human, and material resources.

Sample occupations include:

• Administrative Services Manager

• Billing Manager

• Business and Development Manager

• Contract Administrator

• Credit Manager

• Director

• Entrepreneur

• Franchisee

• General Manager

• Meeting and Convention Planner

• Office Manager

• Payroll Manager

• Project Manager

• Sports and Entertainment Manager

Human Resources Management

Human Resources Management focuses on the staffing activities that involve planning, recruitment, selection, orientation, training, performance appraisal, compensation, and safety of employees.

Sample occupations include:

• Compensation and Benefits Manager

• Compliance Officer

• EEO Specialist

• Human Resources Manager

• Occupational Analyst

• Personnel Recruiter

• Public Relations Manager

• Training and Development Manager

Operations Management

Operations Management focuses on planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling the resources needed to produce/provide a business's goods and/or services. Examples of activities in Operations Management are quality control, scheduling, procurement, and warehousing.

Sample occupations include:

• Chief Operating Officer

• Facilities Manager

• Master Scheduler

• Media Planner, Buyer

• Operations Manager

• Procurement Specialist

• Purchasing Manager

• Sales Manager

• Salesperson

In order to make a plan for your future career goals, you need to know how to get there and make sure it is a good fit for you. There are several tools that can be used for career research. These tools can give you a description of the career, skills needed, tasks involved, wage range, and education/training needed.

Here are a few career research tools:

• Xello

• Onet-Use the "Occupation Search" features

• My Next Move

• CareerOneStop-Use "Occupation Search" or "List of Occupations"

• ASVAB-Career Exploration Program