Become a Project Manager, Accountant, Executive and more.

Whether your interests lie in the realms of manufacture, retail sales, the service industry, finance, utilities, transportation or some other field, the most common route to a great career is to first obtain a good education. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 15 of the 20 fastest-growing careers over the next decade require a post-high school certificate or degree. One of the most popular and useful degrees in the business world is the MBA (Master of Business Administration), relates essential business techniques and how to apply them to the practical necessities of the work environment.

Business as a general field can be divided up into numerous types, areas, and concentrations, each with its own specific focus and further specializations. Among the most common divisions and most popular categories of business are:

Accounting and Finance
Accounting is an administrative function in which the overall financial performance of a business is tracked and analyzed in order to guide decisions regarding the efficient and profitable management of the company. Accounting specialties can include bookkeeping, systems design, and the analysis and interpretation of financial information, among others. Finance is the branch of economics that deals with managing money in all its forms, and a degree in this subject prepares the student to manage the finances of businesses effectively.

Advertising
The goals of advertising are to increase awareness of a product and to inform an audience of its benefits, thereby increasing sales of the product. Advertising can use a variety of media to communicate its message, including print, radio and television, and the Internet.

Business Administration
Business Administration concerns the management of business assets in an effective manner. A degree program in general Business Administration teaches essential management and business techniques that can be applied to virtually any business.

Financial Planning
Finance experts can work with clients or with businesses. Individuals who need advice in planning for their financial future call on financial planners to assist them. Financial analysts work for businesses like banks, helping the business and its clients with investment decisions.

Human Resources
"HR" is the department of a company responsible for managing employees. This includes recruitment, hiring, payroll, administration of benefits, and numerous other personnel issues.

Management
In general, management refers to the upper level of an organization responsible for establishing, organizing, and guiding available resources to attain their goals. Training in management covers both the theory and practice of topics like decision-making, resource utilization, tracking and evaluating success, motivation and delegation, effective communication, and other skills necessary for overseeing a complicated business or organization.

Marketing and Sales
Both marketing and sales involve getting products or services into the hands of consumers. While sales focuses mainly on wholesale and retail transactions, marketing concentrates on the techniques of creating an image of the product that will attract consumers and inspire purchases.

Public Relations
Where advertising involves communicating a company's message to a public audience, public relations typically involves communicating that message to the press. PR professionals speak on behalf of their client, writing press releases and creating press kits, among other tasks.