Be the boss’s boss. Or, at least, be a boss. And while you may not be the boss’s boss on day one, organizational gurus with stellar people skills and a head for business will flourish in business administration/management. Creating and perpetuating a successful business has always been a challenge. And in the only-the-strong-survive world of modern business—rampant with new, ever-advancing technology—managers need unshakable knowledge, top-notch training, and a serious set of skills. Management, according to Penn State University, involves “the coordination of human, material, and financial resources to accomplish organizational goals.” A major in business administration/management will provide that goal—focused training. You’ll get a thorough grounding in the theories and principles of accounting, finance, marketing, economics, statistics, human resources functions, and decision-making. You’ll come away a whiz on how to budget, organize, plan, hire, direct, control, and otherwise manage various organizations. As a major in business administration/management, expect to work in small groups—no room for wallflowers here. Count on problem-solving, theorizing, and math-heavy number-crunching, too. You’ll have your choice of areas in which to concentrate; many colleges and universities require you to focus on one, while others allow you to sample several. Options might include operations management, human resources management, and general management. This major will also get you thinking about issues such as diversity, ethics, politics, and other dynamics that play a role in every work environment. As a manager-to-be, you’ll also be required to develop a balance between sensitivity and fairness. You’ll need to be innovative, creative, and a good problem-solver. These qualities (and your winning personality) will put you on a path to successful management in any number of fields.

Preparation

Good businesspeople have great communication skills, so take your English courses seriously. You should also try to take as many advanced math and computer courses as you can. If your high school offers any business-related courses (such as business law) you should take them, too. Keeping up with a foreign language will also help, particularly for a career in international business.