To land a job as a Business Administrator, or a specialized role, candidates will need a blend of educational qualifications, relevant experience, and specific skills. Before anything else, you will want a strong foundation that can only be gained through formal training, whether that’s a degree program or a certificate from a reputable training center. Technical skills and relevant, hands-on experience are more important to most employers. As such, having proficiency in specific tools, such as Microsoft Excel, Project, and Outlook, is preferred. In addition, it may be necessary to have data analytics and project management skills as well as an understanding of financial concepts. Moreover, you will want certain soft skills such as communication, organization, time management, and leadership. Overall, having a combination of education, experience, and personality-relevant skills will help you succeed as a business administration professional.
What is a Business Administrator?
A Business Administrator is a business professional who is tasked with managing and optimizing various aspects of an organization to ensure smooth operations and success. This role requires a blend of skills ranging from financial management and project management to communication and adaptability. In this position, a Business Administrator will often monitor projects to achieve certain objectives. For instance, they will often promote products through different marketing techniques and manage resources to help develop the project in less time and with maximum efficiency.
Moreover, Business Administrators work in all kinds of industries, including healthcare, finance, retail, technology, education, and tourism. They are also hired in different departments across the organization, so they are virtually everywhere. This career path is highly desirable and requires learning several skills that are preferable to Hiring Managers. Mostly, companies look for Business Administrators who can use tools like Microsoft Project or Trello. They may also prefer candidates who are familiar with Agile and Waterfall methodologies. All in all, the skills you’ll acquire will directly impact the organization’s ability to manage their projects and reach their goals.
An average work week for a Business Administrator may differ based on what’s going on in the organization. Typically, they’ll complete a variety of tasks aimed at monitoring project success, improving organizational processes, and increasing profits. Business Administrators may also handle finances by compiling reports, allocating resources, and budgeting for new projects. They will also plan projects, make sure everyone stays on task, and meet with teams and department leaders to confirm with them that the project is running smoothly. Additionally, they will handle staff duties like conducting and planning meetings, resolving employee concerns, and preparing for the next day.
Education
University Programs
To pursue a career as a Business Administrator, you may want to explore different degree programs that align with your end goal. For instance, many enroll in classes at an accredited university to earn a Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or economics. Some may choose to continue their education by enrolling in Master’s programs, such as a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) or even Doctorate degrees. These programs are typically incredibly thorough, covering everything from financial management and project management to marketing and communications. Additionally, this requires completing prerequisites, major projects, and elective classes.
Training Centers
However, university programs are not accessible to everyone, either due to expense, schedule, or location. In this case, training centers are the best option. Many of these centers provide hands-on training opportunities in the form of workshops, classes, bootcamps, and certificate programs. These are typically much shorter, far less expensive, and focus on practical skills. Training centers, such as Noble Desktop, offer training in financial analysis, project management, generative AI for business, and specific software such as Microsoft Excel. These programs can help individuals gain industry-relevant experience in a particular subject or field while gaining credentials suitable for professional development. Plus, many come with career services such as resume assistance, one-on-one mentoring, and job acquisition help.
Do I Even Need Formal Training?
Regardless of the educational path you choose, formal training is necessary to become a Business Administrator. Self-taught methods are insufficient for building career-readiness skills as they don’t provide the interaction and feedback that an instructor can. On the other hand, university programs are not entirely feasible for one reason or another. You may wonder if you have the option to enroll in classes if you live far away from a training center, and you are in luck. Live online classes can be accessed from anywhere, which is why they are so appealing to busy professionals or those who live in more rural areas. For an in-depth understanding of business administration, you will want to choose a formal training option that helps you develop the skills needed to excel in business administration and advance in your career.
Experience
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Why Does Experience Matter?
Before applying for business administration jobs, you will want to show that you are confident and competent enough to handle all the different challenges and responsibilities that the job throws at you. As such, it’s necessary to gain some practical, hands-on experience in the field. You will want to learn how to manage business operations effectively and help others in the field solve problems and navigate the complexities of their daily tasks. This may involve scheduling, budgeting, planning, and communicating in various ways. Regardless, you will want to find an outlet for experiencing the business administration field before you apply for a job. You can do this through internships and apprenticeships, but these may be highly competitive and hard to come by, depending on your location. Training through a hands-on program or bootcamp will be the best way to not only gain relevant experience but also build a professional portfolio that will serve as your proof of expertise while searching and applying for jobs.
What Counts as Experience?
Experience is essential when applying for any job, but also when working as a business administration professional. Your time spent working in the field will add up over the years. You can include internships and volunteering in addition to paid work, as every little bit counts. Furthermore, entry-level jobs will usually require a few years or at least experience through a training program. Once you have built up years of experience, you can obtain a mid-level and then a higher-level job that will likely pay more as a result. No matter which way you choose to obtain your relevant experience, it is absolutely essential to become an accomplished and knowledgeable business administration professional through practice, persistence, and dedication.
Skills
Technical Abilities
As a Business Administrator, you will have to acquire a wide range of skills to effectively perform your job responsibilities. Among the technical abilities you will have to learn include financial management, as much of the job revolves around budgeting, predicting trends, and analysis. Moreover, you will likely learn how to manage projects effectively, handling everything from the budget to the timeline. This will likely require you to delegate tasks, handle multiple departments at once, and handle problems as they arise. It will also benefit you to have strong marketing abilities since you will occasionally work on and approve of different campaigns. This may also include learning how to conduct research and data analytics on previous campaigns. Overall, you will have to manage the daily operations of the business and learn how to optimize the regular processes, allocate resources, and improve efficiency through different processes, techniques, and tools.
Specializations
Business administration offers different specializations to choose from, so you can tailor your skills to suit your career goals. For instance, if you want to work as a Financial Analyst, you will have to learn specialized skills like financial reporting and investment strategies. Further, if you want to learn marketing in more depth, you will learn different Adobe Creative Cloud applications, search engine optimization strategies, and ways to connect with consumers. Human Resources Managers will learn the recruitment process as well as how to monitor and adjust the progress of their employees. Each specialization requires a unique set of skills that is tailored to the position, so it’s essential to check which skills will be necessary based on your goals.
Soft Skills
Regardless of which specialization or business administration job you acquire, you will need soft skills that help you work more effectively in an office setting or even just with others in the department. Leadership is a key skill that business administration professionals must learn. It’s important to guide teams effectively and inspire them to work more productively towards the company's goals. Plus, you want to foster a strong, positive work environment built on mutual respect. Communication is one way to do this. By listening to your colleagues intently, and conveying ideas in a genuine, kind, yet honest way, you are more likely to garner more respect from your employees. You may need strong presentation skills too, since you will often have to share information, interact with stakeholders, and discuss disagreements. Being able to adapt to challenges and fix problems as they arise is essential too, which is a skill that can be built over time.
Portfolio
What Is a Professional Portfolio?
A professional portfolio is a collection of works that displays your accomplishments, skills, and abilities. This can include research, projects, products, reports, and other types of achievements. Depending on the job you apply for, you will submit a professional portfolio with your resume and application to see if you align with the company and would fit the role. For a Business Administrator, you may include marketing campaigns, research presentations, policies you have written, projects you have overseen, and other similar tasks. The purpose is to provide an easy place to view all your capabilities and see how you can fit into the real-world, day-to-day work as a business administration professional.
Who Needs a Portfolio?
Most creative professionals will have a professional portfolio. Any type of designer, writer, artist, developer, or marketing expert will have a portfolio that shares their different completed projects. Likewise, Project Managers will have a list of different projects they’ve managed to show they are capable of taking on multiple tasks at once and seeing them through to completion. Business Administrators will show their efficiency and ability to manage different business processes. A portfolio is especially important for a freelance professional as they may otherwise not have a way to share their successful projects. All in all, a professional portfolio is valuable and sometimes necessary, and not having one can put up a barrier between you and the job you’d like to land.
What If I Don’t Have a Portfolio?
If you don’t have a portfolio, it may be worthwhile to enroll in a professional training program that will help give you experience. First, you’ll complete different projects rooted in the job you are applying for. For example, if you want to become a Project Manager, you will complete a hands-on project with different software and methodologies and add those to your portfolio. You may create case studies or use any previously created material to add to a portfolio. Many creative professionals use Adobe Portfolio as an easy way to showcase their skills, but there are other websites and software that help you develop a portfolio as well.
Resume & LinkedIn Profile
Do I Need Both?
Generally, it is considered a good and useful practice to have both a resume and a LinkedIn profile. In fact, you can put your resume on your LinkedIn profile and vice versa. They serve similar purposes but are used in different ways. Specifically, you will create a resume to serve as a formal document that is designed to serve as proof of your skills for job applications. Many employers will require you to upload your resume with your online job application, but some prefer a printed copy. On the other hand, LinkedIn is used more as a networking tool. It is a more professional form of social media that gives others in your area and within your field a look into your experience, skills, and capabilities. This can lead to new job opportunities but is typically used to engage with industry professionals and share job-specific content.
Best Resume Qualities
The best kinds of resumes are straight to the point, clear, and highlight your achievements. You’ll want your resume to include all the skills and tools relevant to the job you are applying for. This may include work, volunteer opportunities, or certain aptitudes. You can organize your resume in multiple ways, such as with bullet points, headings, and shortened language to avoid having a clunky document filled with long pages. Typically, your resume should be no longer than two pages; otherwise, a potential employer may feel compelled to toss it aside due to lack of conciseness. Moreover, your resume should use professional-style text, formatting, and spacing. Overall, it should look polished, include all the essentials, and state why you’re perfect for the job without overdoing it.
Best LinkedIn Practices
LinkedIn, on the other hand, can be a little more free-form. Still, you will want to have a few key elements included. First, your LinkedIn profile should be complete. You will want to fill out all the sections, have a professional photo (perhaps even a headshot), provide a summary of your experience and skills, and include any accolades and endorsements you may have. Unlike a resume, your LinkedIn profile can be a bit more descriptive and share more of your personality as well. You can use industry-specific phrases to help others in your network connect with you far more easily and actively engage with others by sharing content, links, and pictures that would interest others in your line of work. This increases your visibility but also establishes you as someone with authority and a strong presence in your field.
References
What Are References?
When you apply for a new job, your potential employer will likely ask for a list of references. If you are unsure what this is, references are individuals and groups who can vouch for your qualifications, work ethic, and suitability for a position. Someone who serves as a reference can offer an additional perspective on your skills, experiences, and professional behavior, which can help an employer decide whether you are fit for the job. Hence, you will want to choose a list of references that is relevant, applicable for the position, and honest yet complimentary about your abilities. Employers will contact your list of references to ensure that you performed adequately in your previous role and that you are qualified, friendly, and knowledgeable. Having a strong list of references can increase your prospects exponentially, which is why you want to be intentional when you choose who to ask to provide a reference.
Who Should Write a Reference?
As stated, you will want to be intentional with who you ask to serve as a reference. Of course, you will want to ask those who you have had positive experiences working with. Beyond that, you will want to ask people who can speak to your work ethic positively and at length. They don’t need to be people working in business administration specifically, but it certainly helps if they do. Above all else, your references should be people who have supervised you and have direct experience with your work style. However, if a colleague knows your work better or would be more positive, you can include them as well. If you are a new student, teachers are acceptable references as well, since they have a direct connection to your education, have spent time with you at length, and can ultimately vouch for your performance. There are limits to who you will want to use as a reference. For example, never use friends or family since they have a certain bias and will not have the same objectivity as an outside party.
Learn the Skills to Become a Business Administrator at Noble Desktop
If you want to learn essential skills that will help you become a Business Administrator, Noble Desktop has numerous programs, bootcamps, and classes to help you prepare yourself accordingly. For example, the 132-hour “MBA” Business Certificate program gives you insight into all the necessary tools and concepts to help you excel in the business world. You’ll build strong project management skills and learn how to handle financial reports, accounts, and other budgeting concerns. Moreover, you will learn to develop marketing strategies that help connect the business with consumers and improve visibility, engagement, and profits. The instructor will even show you how to leverage generative AI to become a more productive workplace. Overall, you’ll gain a basic understanding of daily business operations and take your business acumen to the next level. By the end, you will feel confident enough to work in a business setting and benefit from a plethora of resources such as a free retake, additional mentoring sessions, and a digital certificate of completion.
Throughout the ChatGPT and AI for Business Bootcamp, students will learn how to use generative AI and ChatGPT to improve business operations and make otherwise menial or time-consuming tasks much easier. As a student in this bootcamp, your instructor will guide you through real-world applications of ChatGPT such as task automation, project management, and data analysis. You will also learn how to use ChatGPT to improve your communication and write prompts that generate the most meaningful and useful responses. Through completing hands-on projects and reviewing real-life case studies, you will see all the different ways AI can be used in a business setting. After 12 hours of instruction, you will feel confident using generative AI and will earn a certificate of completion.
If you want to sharpen your writing skills, the six-hour Advanced Business Writing class will help you do just that. You will prepare complex business documents and feel more confident communicating different concepts to others. Through an easy-to-follow four-step process, your instructor will teach you how to write out schedules, proposals, project plans, and contracts. Likewise, you will learn how to outline and format different business documents as each will have different requirements. You should complete the Effective Business Writing course or have equivalent knowledge before enrolling in this course, as it is an advanced-level class. Once you complete the course, you’ll be able to retake it for free within one year and will earn a certificate.