Fancy yourself a born businessman or woman? Perhaps you imagine yourself in a high-powered decision-making position or even starting your own business one day. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind if you want to go into business.
Go to business school
Becoming a business person is not like becoming a lawyer or doctor. You don’t need to pass a particular type of exam to be qualified to work in business. That being said, unless you are Richard Branson you will find it difficult to progress in your career without studying business first. First of all, there are certain skills you need to acquire and, secondly, employers will look at your qualifications before hiring you.
Should you go where the money is?
Gauteng is the business heart of South Africa. If you really want to jumpstart your career you may want to attend business schools in Johannesburg or even just relocate there after you graduate. That being said, this doesn’t mean you can’t succeed elsewhere. Living in Johannesburg is something to consider but you can get a good job just about anywhere business is being done. However, spending a few years in a fast-paced environment especially early on in your career would be great experience that will look good on your CV.
What experience will you have?
You have probably heard people lament how difficult it can be to get a job without experience, but how you can’t get experience without a job. That is why it is a good idea to start interning while you are still studying. In business, real work application is very important. Sure, you can learn a lot of knowledge in the classroom, but practical experience is going to be the real teacher.
Practice starting your own business
Interning isn’t the only thing you can do to get experience on your CV. Why not even start your own business? It doesn’t have to be a million dollar idea. It can be as simple as offering essay writing lessons in school or painting people’s homes.
Starting a small business while still in school will give you practical experience and make you stand out from the crowd.
Narrow down your path
Going into business is a very broad plan. A good idea is to narrow down your objective a bit. Perhaps you would like to get into the tech side of things? Then take extra computer courses to make sure you qualify. Similarly, maybe you are interested more specifically in marketing, managing people or entrepreneurship. It is a good idea to start thinking about how you want to specialise as soon as possible so you can start directing your footsteps in the right direction.