Accounting Career Map

Awareness

First Year

• Explore Academic Pathways: Use your first year to research the diverse business disciplines included in the General Business major, such as management, marketing, and finance.
• Enroll in Introductory Courses: Take BUS 150 (Intro to Business and Mgt) to gain a survey of the business field, including profit-seeking firms and international issues.
• Identify Core Skills: Begin recognizing the key career readiness skills required for business, such as communication, teamwork, and ethical decision-making.
• Understand Degree Requirements: Review the Mitchell College of Business (MCOB) bulletin to understand the 122-semester-hour requirement and the specific 200-level business core GPA standards.

Middle Years

• Tailor Your Curriculum: Identify specific upper-division electives in areas like Digital Marketing (MKT 350) or Real Estate (REA 344) to align with your specific career interests.
• Engage with Faculty: Build relationships with faculty in the Department of Management & Entrepreneurship to learn about advanced academic development and research applications.
• Attend Professional Workshops: Participate in BUS 201 (Professional Experience II) to engage in networking, speed branding, and learning "Dress for Success" standards.
• Monitor Academic Progress: Ensure you maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA in both the 200-level and upper-division business cores to remain on track for the BSBA degree.

Last Year

• Apply Comprehensive Knowledge: Recognize how your coursework in accounting, finance, and marketing integrates to achieve corporate goals through senior-level analysis.
• Verify Graduation Readiness: Confirm you have completed the required 24 hours of major-specific coursework, including Cost Accounting for Managers (ACC 380) and Services Marketing (MKT 385).
• Analyze Business Trends: Stay aware of current global economic issues and total quality management principles through final elective choices.

Exploration

First Year

• Join Student Organizations: Get involved with campus organizations or honor societies related to business to begin building a professional network.
• Utilize Accelerate South: Build your profile on Accelerate South to track your growth, add volunteer roles, and research potential industry paths.
• Shadow Professionals: Use the "Career for a Day" shadowing opportunities introduced in the professional experience course series to see business operations firsthand.

Middle Years

• Secure Internships: Work with Career Development to find meaningful internship or co-op opportunities to gain hands-on experience in the business world.
• Practice Interviewing: Use resources like Big Interview and scheduled appointments in Navigate South to practice your interview techniques.
• Attend Career Fairs: Participate in MCOB career fairs to meet with regional and national employers looking for versatile business generalists.

Last Year

• Conduct Industry Research: Use the resource library in Accelerate South to finalize which specific industry (e.g., banking, retail, or government) fits your generalist skill set.
• Network with Alumni: Engage with the Mitchell College of Business alumni network to explore diverse career paths taken by previous General Business graduates.
• Finalize Professional Brand: Polishing your "speed branding" and personal story to clearly communicate the value of your multi-disciplinary business background to employers.

Preparation

First Year

• Develop a Foundation Resume: Start a resume that includes part-time jobs, campus involvement, and class projects to be ready for early opportunities.
• Master Career Tools: Complete BUS 101 to take personality and career interest inventories that help align your degree with your goals.
• Build Early Experience: Seek out part-time roles or volunteer positions that allow you to practice basic guest interactions and work hierarchy navigation.

Middle Years

• Refine Professional Documents: Develop a polished resume and tailored cover letters specifically for the business internships you are pursuing.
• Gain Technical Proficiency: Build skills in Data Analytics (BUS 245) to prepare for data-driven decision-making roles in business.
• Apply for the Professional Program: Ensure all prerequisites are met to move into the upper-division business courses required for the major.

Last Year

• Finalize Job Search Strategy: Schedule regular appointments for job search assistance to transition from student to professional.
• Execute Advanced Projects: Use project-based learning in courses like Data Analytics II (BUS 304) to build a portfolio of solved business problems.
• Prepare for Launch: Focus on closing deals and building strategic relationships if pursuing sales-heavy roles, or business plan creation if launching a venture.