From guest contributor Matthew R. Kerchner, Associate Academic Advisor, Advising and Major Exploration Services.
No matter what business pathway you choose at IU, there are two strategic opportunities you can take advantage of to significantly enhance your professional profile and make you a charismatic and distinctive candidate on the job market: the selection of General Education courses and minors.
When choosing either General Education courses or deciding to do a minor, you might want to find one that would allow you to write on your resume “I have used my electives (or “…chose to do a minor”) to educate myself on issues and challenges facing 21st century businesses, specifically (insert topic of the courses/minor you’ve chosen).
Employers in the business sector are seeking candidates with backgrounds in: technology and innovation, environment and sustainability, diversity, and developing a global perspective on business, the economy, and politics. IU has many courses and minors that can arm you with knowledge of these areas, including Global Media, Merchandising, Media and Diversity, Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Information Technology, International Relations, and many more.
You can also take advantage of Gen Eds and minors to complement the skill sets you will be learning in your major. For example, if you are studying Media Advertising, minoring in Studio Art, Illustration, Creative Writing, or Creative Technologies in Art + Design would demonstrate hands-on innovative competencies and dexterities other job candidate may not have. Depending on the role you wish to play in a company or the niche you wish to specialize in, there are a wide range of options for you to choose from.
IU has over 650 General Education courses and almost 200 minors and certificates that you can utilize to transform your professional profile into one that will attract the attention of employers in your field. Set up a meeting with your Academic Advisor and share your “big picture” hopes and dreams to find out how you can synergize your major with a minor and align your General Education courses with your academic and career goals.
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