Let’s get down to business. So sorry. Moving on.
Business is an incredibly popular and competitive major these days, and you need to start diving deep into this interest now so you can set yourself up for success down the road. Sure, you can join clubs and become Student Body Treasurer, but what about that sets you apart from the crowd? Not only do you need to get into the weeds of business to know what you want to do within the field, but you also need to be able to answer “why?” So, have you developed your “why?” yet? If not, keep reading.
Reading
One of the quickest and easiest ways to learn what you like (or don’t like) about business is through reading. There are a zillion (no, seriously) books about business and leadership and investing and real estate and international business and everything in between. We recommend starting with bigger books and concepts and whittling down after – The Intelligent Investor for our future finance bros and Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead for the future girlbosses. Maybe that’s reductive, but it’s a place to start.
Online Classes
The internet has so much stuff on it, you may not even realize you can learn literally anything in the world for free or relatively no money. Besides books, online classes should be your best friend in your quest to learn as much as you can about the business world. Coursera, The Great Courses, Yale Open Courses, and LinkedIn Learning are all great places to start. You can also get certified for things like Bloomberg Terminal if you really want to get a move on that portfolio.
Summer Programs
Now that you’ve hopefully narrowed down your niche a bit, it’s time to apply it. Summer programs are a great way to go in-depth on a business topic that you enjoyed and learn more about the ~*college experience*~, which should help you with the ever-annoying college list. Pick a summer program that is adequately challenging. It’ll look weird if you’re super advanced and taking an intro course.
Research
Research is the proverbial golden egg – it’s crazy valuable to have on your resume but super hard to get. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try though. Email professors who are working in the business areas you’re interested in and pitch them on your idea. Maybe you want to understand market trends better, or why people make riskier investments around a certain time of year, or how different styles of leadership impact employees. Find a professor who also cares about that thing and just, like, go for it.
Intern
“Really, an internship? For a business major? Uhh, no-doy.”
Ok, cool it there, teen. Internships are great, and we love seeing relevant and useful internships on our kids’ resumes. However, we warn you to thoroughly vet your internship options. If you show up and end up becoming a glorified sandwich girl or gopher, that’s not the kind of experience you need. Find something that fits both into that niche you’re developing and gives you real, valuable experience.
Get a Job
Yeah, you can intern, but can you also get paid?? Getting a job, even something part-time or over the summer, is a great way to show that you’re developing skills people want! If marketing is your business niche, maybe you got Google Ads certified and got a part-time gig helping sell paid media.
Start a Business
This is the hardest, and probably coolest, option on this list. The number one way to show interest in business? Start one yourself. The options are limitless. You could become a suburban lawn magnate (i.e. start a lawn care company) or run an online store selling the crafts you do in your free time. If you’re stuck on ideas, we encourage you to think of a problem in your neighborhood or community, the smaller the better, and then think of solutions you could provide.
You’re on your way to becoming a boss, boss. Like we said, business is competitive and it’s also suuuper broad. There are so many subfields within a business degree, so learning and specializing now is the best way to give you that edge. Plus, by doing this work now, you’re going to find out if you actually, really, truly, want to study business.
If you need help developing your extracurriculars and strategizing for college admissions, reach out to us today.