Management and Business Studies

Management and Business Studies

One of the most important areas in one’s life is one’s employment status. Aside from the obvious – making a living – employment bestows one other benefits, such as social, medical and dental benefits, and a sense of purpose. For instance, even after reaching the age of retirement or comfortable financial stability, some individuals continue working because it keeps them occupied or because they simply enjoy what they do.

Of course, professions and occupations vary almost as much as people themselves. Psychology textbooks will often name 16 to 24 years old as formative years for youngsters, likewise indicating that college and university years are among the major life stressors in a person’s life. Also, psychologists often notice that most changes are perceived as stressfull by the living organism desiring to maintain the status quo (homeostasis not to be confused with osmosis; biology).

Romantic redhead. Woman with bright red hair, smiling. Image: Copyright Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Still, a question arises: Is is worth it to spend all that time and money on higher education? After all, sociological theory states that while the manifest function of higher learning institutions is to educate the new generation, their latent functions constitute keeping youth out of the job market, and aiding in matchmaking or finding a suitable life partner. Furthermore, news articles have at times showcased interviews with CEOs and other high-ranking officials as maintaining that degrees are not the most important factors to them when making a hiring decision.

Still, the value of degrees, diplomas, certificates, certifications, designations and other academic and professional accreditation can hardly be overestimated. For example, many practice licenses and occupational curricula require a college or university degree. Notwithstanding, relevant experience is also often taken into consideration and at times may even replace the academic criteria.

La douleur. Employees often complain of how demanding their superiors can be. Also, it has been said in irony that the key to success is to find someone else to blame for one’s own mistakes. Image: Copyright Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Finally, a trend one often notices when looking for jobs, is that business administration qualifications seem in demand. Thus, it is understandable that when asked, most academic advisers will agree that a BCom (Bachelor of Commerce) or BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) likely lead to gainful working positions. Also, the professional degree most often associated with the field is the MBA or Master of Business Administration, consists of a graduate credential requiring both scholar and practical (work experience) backgrounds for admission. 

Copyright © 2011 Megan Jorgensen. All rights reserved.