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Introduction to Business

17.1 Learn the Basics of Business

Introduction to Business17.1 Learn the Basics of Business

You might want to pursue a career as a physician, florist, game warden, systems analyst, or any of a thousand other opportunities. One thing that all careers have in common is that you need to have a basic understanding of business. We hope that you will consider a career in business, but if not, your success in whatever you choose will partially depend on your basic business skills. And that is why this text is so important.

A park ranger, wearing an official uniform and badge, sits at a picnic table outside.
Exhibit 17.2 Finding one’s dream job requires combing through job descriptions, researching salary information, taking career-assessment tests, and shadowing others in the workplace. But sometimes people need some career advice or mentorship to “pivot” to a new career or to fine-tune their current job skills. That’s where Pivot Planet comes in—the company connects people around the world for a reasonable fee with advisors who offer one-on-one video and phone sessions to answers questions and provide insights about their particular profession. How can this type of advice and mentorship help individuals longing to change their career paths? (Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region/ flickr/ Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0))

Choose a Career

Because this introductory business course gives you a detailed overview of all of the areas of commerce, it will guide you in selecting a major should you elect to get a degree in business. Choosing a major in college is one of life’s true milestones. Your major essentially determines how you will spend the next four decades of your life. A marketing major will find a career in sales, marketing research, advertising, or other marketing-related fields. An accounting major will become (you guessed it) an accountant. Never take selecting a major lightly. If you work 40 hours a week for the next 45 years (less vacations), you will put in about 90,000 hours on the job. Don’t you think you should choose something that you will enjoy?

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