So, you’re interested in becoming a Business Administrator…
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Academy College can help you achieve your goals through our Business Administration Bachelor of Science Degree program.
What’s the job all about?
Business Administrators lead team members to success in a variety of industries such as:
Administrative services managers plan, coordinate, and direct a broad range of services that allow organizations to operate efficiently. They might, for example, coordinate space allocation, facilities maintenance and operations, and major property and equipment procurement. They also may oversee centralized operations that meet the needs of multiple departments, such as information and data processing, mail, materials scheduling and distribution, printing and reproduction, records management, telecommunications management, security, recycling, wellness, and transportation services. Administrative services managers also ensure that contracts, insurance requirements, and government regulations and safety standards are followed and up to date. They may examine energy consumption patterns, technology usage, and personal property needs to plan for their long-term maintenance, modernization, and replacement.
Specific duties for these managers vary by size of company or office and degree of responsibility and authority. In small organizations, a single administrative services manager, sometimes called an office manager, may oversee all support services. In larger ones, however, there may be several layers of administrative services managers that may specialize in different areas and report to directors of administration, or vice presidents of administration who oversee all administrative services.
The nature of these managerial jobs varies as significantly as the range of administrative services required by organizations. For example, administrative services managers who work as contract administrators oversee the preparation, analysis, negotiation, and review of contracts related to the purchase or sale of equipment, materials, supplies, products, or services. Other administrative services managers handle the acquisition, distribution, and storage of equipment and supplies, while others oversee the disposal of surplus or unclaimed property.
Administrative services managers who work as facility managers plan, design, and manage buildings, grounds, equipment, and supplies. Increasingly, they develop and implement plans that incorporate energy efficiency into a facility’s operations and structures. These tasks require integrating the principles of business administration, information technology, architecture, and engineering.
Marketing managers work with advertising and promotion managers to promote the firm’s or organization’s products and services. With the help of lower level managers, including product development managers and market research managers, marketing managers estimate the demand for products and services offered by the firm and its competitors and identify potential markets for the firm’s products. Marketing managers also develop pricing strategies to help firms maximize profits and market share while ensuring that the firms’ customers are satisfied. In collaboration with sales, product development, and other managers, they monitor trends that indicate the need for new products and services and they oversee product development.
Promotions managers direct promotions programs that combine advertising with purchasing incentives to increase sales. Often, the programs are executed through the use of direct mail, inserts in newspapers, Internet advertisements, in-store displays, product endorsements, or other special events. Purchasing incentives may include discounts, samples, gifts, rebates, coupons, sweepstakes, and contests.
Public relations managers plan and direct public relations programs designed to create and maintain a favorable public image for the employer or client. For example, they might write press releases or sponsor corporate events to help maintain and improve the image and identity of the company or client. They also help to clarify the organization’s point of view to their main constituency. They observe social, economic, and political trends that might ultimately affect the firm, and they make recommendations to enhance the firm’s image on the basis of those trends. Public relations managers often specialize in a specific area, such as crisis management, or in a specific industry, such as healthcare.
In large organizations, public relations managers may supervise a staff of public relations specialists. They also work with advertising and marketing staffs to make sure that the advertising campaigns are compatible with the image the company or client is trying to portray. In addition, public relations managers may handle internal company communications, such as company newsletters, and may help financial managers produce company reports. They may assist company executives in drafting speeches, arranging interviews, and maintaining other forms of public contact; oversee company archives; and respond to requests for information. Some of these managers handle special events as well, such as the sponsorship of races, parties introducing new products, or other activities that the firm supports in order to gain public attention through the press without advertising directly.
Sales managers direct the distribution of the product or service to the customer. They assign sales territories, set sales goals, and establish training programs for the organization’s sales representatives. Sales managers advise the sales representatives on ways to improve their sales performance. In large multiproduct firms, they oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs. Sales managers maintain contact with dealers and distributors, and analyze sales statistics gathered by their staffs to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and to monitor customers’ preferences. Such information is vital in the development of products and the maximization of profits.
Office and administrative support supervisors and managers plan or supervise support staff to ensure that they can work efficiently. After allocating work assignments and issuing deadlines, office and administrative support supervisors and managers oversee the work to ensure that it is proceeding on schedule and meeting established quality standards.
Business Administrators can also be found in all sectors of industry including, but not limited to: healthcare, Retail, Hospitality, Education, Aviation, etc. Many managers obtained their experience by specializing in one area at first, then augmenting their qualifications by acquiring work experience in other specialties before assuming managerial duties. Whatever the educational background, it must be accompanied by related work experience reflecting managerial and leadership abilities
What type of skills do I need to be successful in this career?
- Written and oral communication skills
- Leadership skills
- Interpersonal relation skills
- Analytical skills
- Multi-task skills
- Detail-oriented
- Flexible
- Decisive
- Computer proficient
- Knowledge for learning
What’s the job market like?
Administrative services managers employed in management services and management consulting should grow as companies increasingly look to outside specialists to handle a myriad of administrative tasks that have become increasingly complex and expensive. Administrative services managers specializing in contract administration will also be in demand as outsourcing of administrative tasks becomes increasingly prevalent for activities such as food and janitorial services, space planning and design, energy, telecommunications, and grounds and equipment maintenance and repair. Other areas that administrative services managers will increasingly plan and coordinate include information technology, data and personal security, records management, wellness, and energy conservation.
Employment of administrative services managers is projected to grow by 12 percent over the 2008-18 decade, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Continued downsizing by companies and increasing use of office technology may result in a more streamlined organizational structure with fewer levels of management, reducing the need for some positions. Demand should be strong for facility managers because businesses increasingly realize the importance of maintaining, securing, and efficiently operating their facilities. Cost-cutting measures to improve profitability, streamline operations, and compete globally will continue to be addressed by many organizations, resulting in more firms outsourcing facility management services or hiring qualified facility managers who are capable of achieving these goals in-house.
Most advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales management positions are filled through promotions of experienced staff or related professional personnel. For example, many managers are former sales representatives; purchasing agents; buyers; or product, advertising, promotions, or public relations specialists. In small firms, in which the number of positions is limited, advancement to a management position usually comes slowly. In large firms, promotion may occur more quickly.
Computer skills are necessary for recordkeeping and data management, and the ability to work in an Internet environment is becoming increasingly vital as more marketing, product promotion, and advertising is done through the Internet. Also, the ability to communicate in a foreign language may open up employment opportunities in many rapidly growing areas around the country, especially cities with large Spanish-speaking populations.
Employment of office and administrative support supervisors and managers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2018. Continuing advances in technology should increase office and administrative support workers’ productivity and allow a wider variety of tasks to be performed by people in professional positions.
What type of earnings should I expect?
Wages of administrative services managers vary greatly depending on the employer, the specialty, and the geographic area. In general, however, median annual wages of salaried administrative services managers in May 2008 were $73,520. The middle 50 percent earned between $52,240 and $98,980. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,430, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $129,770. Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of these managers were:
| Management of companies and enterprises | $85,980 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $77,870 |
| Local government | $74,860 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools | $72,460 |
| State government | $65,690 |
In the Federal Government, industrial specialists averaged $82,169 a year in March 2009. Corresponding averages were $78,995 for facility operations services managers, $79,457 for industrial property managers, $70,386 for property disposal specialists, $78,562 for administrative officers, and $71,049 for support services administrators.
Median annual wages in May 2008 were $80,220 for advertising and promotions managers, $108,580 for marketing managers, $97,260 for sales managers, and $89,430 for public relations managers.
Median annual wages of advertising and promotions managers in May 2008 in the advertising, public relations, and related services industry were $105,960.
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of marketing managers were as follows:
| Computer systems design and related services | $127,870 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $115,650 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | $111,130 |
| Insurance carriers | $103,210 |
| Depository credit intermediation | $98,510 |
Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of sales managers were as follows:
| Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers | $125,130 |
| Wholesale, electronic markets, and agents and brokers | $114,670 |
| Automobile dealers | $107,500 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $106,980 |
| Department stores | $54,560 |
Wages vary substantially, depending upon the employee’s level of managerial responsibility, length of service, and education; the size and location of the firm; and the industry in which the firm operates. For example, manufacturing firms usually pay these managers higher salaries than nonmanufacturing firms. For sales managers, the size of their sales territory is another important determinant of salary. Many managers earn bonuses equal to 10 percent or more of their salaries.
Median annual wages for office and administrative support worker supervisors and managers were $45,790 in May 2008.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, [accessed November 10, 2011] [http://www.bls.gov/oco/].
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