Colorado Technical University

Business Administration major...is it for me?

I'm currently in community college and am going to a university in the fall to pursue a BA in Business Admin. but I don't know if it's the right major for me. I've been taking accounting, econ, and business law courses and am certain that I don't want to pursue any of those concentrations. The only thing that interests me is marketing, but I don't know much about it and I don't think I'm the kind of guy that is suited in that field. I feel this way because I am a VERY quiet guy, kind of shy, and usually doesn't have much to say. When I think of marketing, I see the complete opposite. I see a guy who is extremely energetic, a people person, and a guy who is certain of what he wants out of life. Is this just a misconception? I'm very lost and just need some advice. Also, marketing was the most attractive concentration because it doesn't sound boring. All the others sounds very repetitive and/or uninteresting. I do plan on taking a marketing course in the fall. Thanks "neniaf" for the great answer. I did take a course that was aimed to help me decide what appeals to me; it said that I would be best suited for accounting or a computer programmer, but after taking a computer science and 2 required accounting courses, I find that it was definitely a bad fit for me. Maybe I should take the test again. That said, I will follow your advice and take that marketing course and talk to an adviser about the career options with a marketing major. Thanks! Any additional advice is welcome!

Public Comments

1. My advice is continue on with business administration. It will provide a broad background in business. Take a wide range of subjects from different areas including math up to at least calculus level and some programming subjects. This will provide a solid foundation for whatever you decide to do later. When you are finished sit back and think about what you want to do with the rest of you life and do a post grad qual such as a masters that will get you there. Thanks Bill
2. What are more of your interests? Perhaps the BA in Bus. Admin wouldn't be for you because the remainder of your courses will be in accounting, econ, and bus law (maybe marketing if you can have a concentration in it.) Before you waste your time and money on a degree you won't want a job with, meet with an adviser at your new school and ask them to do a career aptitude test, maybe that will help gear you in a better direction on what you would like to do for a job. Something you might like, since you are a guy, and I have studied before, is Entertainment and Sports Promotion. It's not a very strong program yet, but there are many schools that offer it. It's pretty much PR targeted for sports. It's similar to marketing, but you don't have to really sell anything! I'd check it out...you can make a fun career out of it, especially if you like any sport (major, minor, city).
3. I'm a marketing professor, so maybe I can help. It is good that you realize that accounting, econ, and business law aren't representative of what you would get in marketing - that is exactly what I have been telling our freshmen at orientation this week! Now, as to your personality, I often tell people that there is a marketing job for every kind of person. Given that you are shy, I would guess that sales jobs would not be the best option for you, but there are a lot of other kinds of jobs that would be more appropriate. You would probably do better in planning kinds of jobs, where you are using creativity to develop marketing programs for some company (since you don't like accounting, I'll assume that analytical jobs and jobs in marketing research won't appeal to you either). I see a fair number of those, for all kinds of companies. Not all marketers are outgoing, and my guess is that as you mature, you will probably become at least a little more that way. Take the marketing course, and get a sense of whether or not it is right for you. You can always make a switch to some other area if it doesn't appeal. You might want to talk to someone at your school's career center too. They usually can give you some tests to see what careers might make sense for you.
4. If you really wanted BS BA major in Marketing Management, well its not that I'm being rude but that course is not for you.Because that course is all about meeting different kinds of people and learning how to deal with them. If you don't have the the confidence well i advise you not to go for it. In that particular field or any business related courses "CONFIDENCE" is a major necessity.