The US economy is gathering strength. As of late 2017, the economy has grown in the 3% range for the year, and there are signs that it is getting stronger. Employment in all business and financial occupations is expected to increase by 9% by 2026, with a total of 750,000 new jobs added.
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To get in on the growing economy, it is important to get an education, such as an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business, so that you can attain an entry level business job. By getting in on the ground floor and working hard, you have the possibility of moving up the career ladder and enjoying a great career.
The best entry level business jobs to consider today include:
Entry Level Analyst
Business analysis has become one of the most important core business practices in the modern business world. Business analysis is a key link between information technology and the objectives of the organization.
Entry level analysts in businesses are typically responsible for helping a company to use technological solutions effective on the most cost effective manner to meet business objectives. Some of the common duties of analysts in businesses include:
- Planning and monitoring new business objectives and strategies
- Organizing requirements for new business proposals and efforts
- Managing communication between business departments and stakeholders
- Developing businesses cases through proper analysis of data
The median salary for business analysts is $65,973, with a range between $50,000 and $93,000.
Another common type of entry level analyst is data analyst. This professional translates the large amounts of data that companies have today and help to organize it in such a way that it is useful to make business decisions. Some of the data that entry level data analysts may work with include sales figures, market research, logistics, pricing information and transportation costs.
The median salary for data analysts is $76,419, with a range between $49,000 and $110,000.
Financial analyst is another common job in the general area of analyst. They are responsible for offering guidance to companies and individuals who need to make critical investment decisions. They are typically responsible for assessing the performance of stocks, bonds and various other investments. Entry level financial analysts will typically be paired with a senior financial analyst and work on client accounts jointly.
The median salary for financial analyst is $81,700, but starting salaries in this role are approximately $50,300.
Budget analyst is another type where you may find an entry level position with a bachelor’s degree in finance or a related field. Budget analysts assist private and public companies to better organize their finances. They are largely responsible for preparing budget reports and performing monitoring of institutional spending.
The median salary for budget analysts was $73,800 in 2016, but entry level analysts earned a salary of $48,300.
For salary and jobs detail for the most popular analyst positions choose your path:
- Data Analyst
- Business Systems Analyst
- Compensation Analyst
- Financial Analyst
- Investment Analyst
- Logistics Analyst
- Management Analyst
- Marketing Analyst
- Budget Analyst
Sales Representative
One of the best and most flexible career options to get started in business and sales is sales representative jobs. They sell retail goods and services to customers and other businesses. They also work to locate new sales leads via referrals, business directories and cold calling in some cases.
Sales representatives are often entry level workers for many companies; they often do not need to have a bachelor’s degree, although that is helpful. To continue growing in this position, however, you will eventually need a bachelor’s or even master’s degree if you hope to work in management someday.
US News and World states that the median salary for all sales representatives in 2015 was $55,700. However, it also noted that sales representatives in the 25th percentile made $38,300 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS reports that the median hourly wage for retail sales workers, which is related to sales representative, was $14.32 per hour.
Business Development Representative
Self-starters who possess entrepreneurial skills and enjoy looking for new business may enjoy working in business development. A business development representative often works in the sales or marketing team for a company.
The role involves looking for new business opportunities by contacting potential customers and developing relationships with potential customers.
Some of the common responsibilities of business development representatives include:
- Qualify sales and marketing leads from various marketing campaigns
- Contact possible clients through emails and cold calls
- Present the company’s products and services to possible clients
- Identify the needs and wants of the client and suggest possible appropriate services and products
- Seek new business opportunities through various marketing practices
- Set up calls and meetings between account managers and potential new clients
Salary.com reports that the median salary for business development representatives is $45,487, with a range between $33,329 and $69,672.
Marketing Assistant
Marketing assistant is a good entry level business job because you get plenty of exposure to business, marketing and how to build winning marketing campaigns. Marketing assistants can do everything from leading and nurturing marketing campaigns to planning marketing events.
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An advantage of a marketing assistant role is that you can determine what it is you like and do not like about business and marketing. Also, marketing departments are becoming more driven by data than ever. So you will receive a lot of exposure to advanced software systems that track sales and customer preferences.
Some of the possible job responsibilities of marketing assistant include:
- Assisting in the monitoring of current marketing programs and devising new ways to improve the performance of such campaigns
- Create new ideas for new marketing programs that many improve sales and enhance the brand of the company
- Work with other sales and marketing staff to create new programs that can attract new customers
- Support sales and marketing staff through the assembling proposals, quotes, product demonstrations and account and competitor analysis.
- Manage marketing events, book venues and order materials for marketing purposes
Payscale.com reports that the median salary for marketing assistants is $37,200 with a range of $28,868 to $49,288.
For detailed salary profiles on marketing positions choose your path:
- Marketing Analyst
- Marketing Communications Manager
- Marketing Coordinator
- Marketing Executive
- Marketing Manager
- Marketing Specialist
Retail Sales Associate
A retail sales associate assists customers to find and purchases the products they want and to process the payments of customers. There are two major types of entry level retail sales associates: retail salespeople and parts sales people.
Retail sales associates have the following job duties:
- Greet the customers and offer them with advice and assistance about product offerings
- Recommend the type of merchandise to purchase based upon their wants and needs
- Explain the benefits and uses of merchandise to potential clients
- Talk to customers about current promotions, sales and policies
- Process payments
Retail sales associates work in stores that sell a variety of goods, including, clothes, books, cosmetics, electronics, lumber, furniture, shoes and cars.
Some of the most common entry-level retail sales positions are in car sales. To sell cars, you must go through a training program that is offered by the dealership. If you show a strong sales record, you may eventually become a management trainee.
Parts sales associates sell replacement equipment and parts. Most often these sales associates sell car parts.
BLS reports that the median salary for all retail sales associates was $22,900 per year in 2016.
Customer Service Representative
Customer service representatives work with customers to deal with problems, complaints, new orders and to offer information about the services and products for the company. Typical duties may include:
- Listen to the questions and concerns of customers, and offer ways to address their concerns
- Offer information about services and products that the customer may want
- Take their orders, determine charges, and process payments and billing
- Handle any complaints and returns
- Refer clients to supervisors who have more experience and higher level of authority to address serious issues
Customer service representatives’ duties will vary considerably based upon the industry. For instance, customer service representatives who work in banking institutions may need to answer questions about their bank accounts. Representatives who are employed by utility companies will help customers to deal with problems with their service.
Customer service positions are an excellent entry level business position and can eventually lead to management and supervisory roles. Typically a business administration degree would be required for anything management related.
BLS reports that the median salary for customer service representatives was $15.53 per hour in 2016. Per year, this is a median salary of $32,300.
Financial Clerk
Financial clerks are responsible for working in many types of industries and organizations. They are primarily responsible for keeping records, assisting customers and carrying out various financial transactions. Common duties for financial clerks are as follows:
- Keep financial records up to date
- Computer the charges and bills that customers need to pay
- Offer advice and assistance to customers
- Carry out various types of financial transactions
Financial clerks are responsible for providing a variety of clerical and administrative support in many financial settings. Their exact duties will vary depending upon the specialization. Some of the common types of financial clerks include:
- Billing and posting clerks: Responsible for calculating charges and bills, and preparing them to be sent to customers. They are also responsible for reviewing document
- Gaming cage workers: Working in casinos and related gaming organizations. They work in the cage where the main depository is for gaming chips and cash.
- Payroll clerks: Compile and post the payroll data and time that employees work. They are responsible for the verification of attendance, the number of hours worked and adjustments in pay.
- Procurement clerks: Collects requests for materials, prepares purchase orders, tracks supplies and purchases, and handles any questions about orders.
- Brokerage clerks: Assists with tasks that are associated with various investments and securities, such as bonds, stocks, and commodities.
- Loan interviewers: Also may be referred to as loan clerks or loan processors, they verify personal and financial data that is needed to complete applications for loans.
- New accounts clerks: Conduct interviews of people who want to open new accounts for various financial institutions.
BLS reports that the median salary for financial clerks in 2016 was $38,080. The bottom 10% with the least amount of experience earned a median salary of $25,700.
Insurance Sales Agent
Insurance sales agents are responsible for contacting possible customers and selling them various types of insurance, such as life, homeowner’s or casualty. Sales agents are responsible for explaining the various options for clients and helping them to select policies that work best for them. This is still an in demand entry level position in the business world because there are many complex insurance products available. While many consumers research online, it often takes an insurance professional to fully explain the options.
Some common job duties are:
- Contact potential clients to expand client base
- Interview possible clients to obtain information about the type of insurance they need
- Explain the various features of insurance policies
- Perform an analysis of the customer’s current policy
- Help the customer to renew their policy
- Keep track of clients and policies with accurate electronic and paper records
The median salary for insurance sales agents in 2016 was $49,900 with entry level workers earning a median salary of $27,400.
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References
- 8 Best Entry Level Jobs By Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.jobs.net/article/cb-174-talent-network-retail-8-best-entry-level-jobs-by-industry
- Insurance Sales Agents. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/insurance-sales-agents.htm#tab-5
- Sales Representative Salary. (2015). Retrieved from https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/sales-representative/salary
