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Job outlook for business administrator managers in the United States
Business administrator manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected business administrator manager job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 21,800 new jobs for business administrator managers are projected over the next decade.
Business administrator manager salaries have increased 13% for business administrator managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 103,367 business administrator managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 118,977 active business administrator manager job openings in the US.
The average business administrator manager salary is $67,784.
Are business administrator manager jobs in demand?
Business administrator manager job and salary trends over time
Business administrator manager jobs over time
Business administrator manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 103,367 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 92,211 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 92,742 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 74,947 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 71,979 | 0.02% |
Average business administrator manager salary over time
Business administrator manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $67,784 | $32.59 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $65,572 | $31.52 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $64,282 | $30.90 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $62,838 | $30.21 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | $60,185 | $28.93 | +4.6% |
Business administrator manager jobs by state
Most common states for business administrator managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 260 | 35% |
| 2 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 916 | 30% |
| 3 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 279 | 27% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 495 | 26% |
| 5 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 722 | 25% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 758 | 24% |
| 7 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 210 | 24% |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 166 | 24% |
| 9 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,375 | 22% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,628 | 21% |
| 11 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,366 | 20% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,364 | 20% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,183 | 20% |
| 14 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 598 | 20% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 392 | 19% |
| 16 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,073 | 18% |
| 17 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,762 | 18% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 994 | 18% |
| 19 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 892 | 18% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 784 | 18% |
Most common cities for business administrator managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amherst | 1 | 1% | $82,293 |
| 2 | Palo Alto | 1 | 1% | $79,956 |
| 3 | Thousand Oaks | 1 | 1% | $76,562 |
| 4 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $60,799 |
| 5 | Las Vegas | 1 | 0% | $69,532 |
Business Administrator Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of business administrator manager experts
Catawba College
Pennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Landmark College
Northwestern Michigan College
University of West Georgia
Tiffin University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University
American Jewish University
Walsh University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Davenport University
California Baptist University
Aquinas College
Fairleigh Dickinson University
The University of Texas Permian Basin
University of Illinois - Chicago
Pennsylvania State University
What general advice would you give to a Business Administrator Manager?
Dr. Kim Roberts: Business-related occupations offer attractive salaries and offer a variety of disciplines, such as accounting, contract management, cybersecurity, finance, human resources, logistics, marketing, management, operations, sales, and more. However, business careers are often demanding, requiring long work weeks and travel.
Skills
leadership
communication
innovation
adaptation
critical thinking
problem solving
emotional intelligence
empathy
teamwork
cultural competence
conflict management
ethics and social responsibility
What Business Administrator Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kim Roberts: Business professionals lead organizations by focused efforts that revolve around products/services, processes, and people. Business professionals work to ensure the firm's products and/or services meet customer expectations, with an eye toward an ever-changing market. They manage processes that produce or support the firm's products. This requires the ability to analyze data to make informed decisions, to drive continuous improvement, and to solve problems through critical thinking. Successful business professionals must also create climates that promote teamwork and foster collaboration.
What will help Business Administrator Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kim Roberts: Now is a good time to enter business professions because of the projected growth of employment opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Overall employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032." Furthermore, the growth of online learning and online degrees means a full-time job and family commitments are not roadblocks to earning a business degree.
Dr. Elizabeth Homan Ph.D.
Professors, Department ChairCatawba College
Theatre Arts
What soft skills should all Business Administrator Managers possess?
Dr. Elizabeth Homan Ph.D.: Networking, networking, networking. And being a nice, friendly, honest human being. Flexibility and a level head in the face of persistent change. Resilience and an ability to work with the conditions in which you find yourself. Working with what you have, not what you wish you had.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Administrator Managers?
Dr. Elizabeth Homan Ph.D.: Organization, written and oral communication, adeptness at social media. Ability to use and manipulate data.
What skills will help Business Administrator Managers earn the most?
Dr. Elizabeth Homan Ph.D.: Being someone others want to work with again and again. The industry is small, and your reputation will either sink you or get you lots of work.
Bernie Cerasaro
Assistant Teaching ProfessorPennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Business Department
What skills stand out on Business Administrator Manager resumes?
Bernie Cerasaro: Skills employers would be looking for would be functional skills and interpersonal skills. Functional skills should stand out on a resume and be aligned to the business job in question. For example, if focused on marketing positions, marketing skills such as data analytics, market research, consumer behavior, global marketing, and professional selling skills would be areas for which employers would be looking. If the job market is looking for someone in accounting, then functional skills that would stand out would be intermediate financial accounting skills and courses on taxation and auditing. For those seeking positions in project management or supply chain management, skills that would stand out would encompass subject matter such as project management, portfolio management, operations planning and control, purchasing and materials management, and knowledge of ERP type systems and other business processes.
Skill sets can be enhanced via various types of certification. For example, those interested in accounting might pursue a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) license, which requires 150 credits. As most universities require 120 credits for a bachelor's degree in business, a CPA would require just an additional 30 credits, which students can start accumulating while still at college. Project management certification is also an opportunity to enhance the aforementioned skills and would certainly stand out on an applicant's resume. The Project Management Institute (PMI) promotes PMP certification, which validates that you are highly skilled in soft skills to lead project teams and have the required technical aspects of managing projects. Some universities are working with the PMI to have PMI-approved courses. Approved courses are used toward the PMP training hours required to sit for the exam. For example, Penn State University has received approval for two such courses, Portfolio Management and Organizations and Project Planning and Resource Management.
Due to the high rate of interaction with the global marketplace and the complexity of international business, managers are looking more closely at applicants who have some familiarity with global markets and international culture, such as applicants who may have study abroad experience, traveled internationally, speak a foreign language or have lived or worked in another country.
What soft skills should all Business Administrator Managers possess?
Bernie Cerasaro: Soft skills or conceptual skills are critical in today's business world. Lack of such interpersonal skills is a major reason highly qualified professionals are not promoted (Lee, n.d.)
As a former recruiter for Xerox Corporation, I looked for problem-solving, decision-making, and time management skills. Problem-solving supports creativity allowing workers to evaluate and prioritize options to determine the best solution. Much time and money can be wasted in selecting the wrong option.
Proper decision-making allows companies to quickly react to internal problems, customer concerns, changing market trends, and the use of ever-advancing technology in the workplace. The increased use of empowerment in the workplace, which has been enhanced due to the pandemic, has allowed employees to make more decisions, which requires strong decision-making capability. In addition, the pandemic has caused many businesses to use alternate work structures such as working from home, leading to less direct supervision. Consequently, employers are looking for people who are self-motivated, self-directed, and who employ good time management skills.
Teamwork is one of the most commonly required skills in the work environment. The ability to work together is essential. Due to downsizing, there are fewer managers within companies. Since few individuals possess all the knowledge and skills needed, teamwork has become essential. Getting along and working together to achieve objectives and meet deliverables is critical to project completion. Managers are also looking to teams to provide a greater range of ideas and innovation. Teams can also motivate each other for the timely completion of tasks.
Conflict management enhances decision-making abilities and increases creativity which produces innovative solutions for ongoing problems. The ability to handle conflict productively helps solve problems resulting in demoralization, absenteeism, and turnover. Productive resolution of such problems leads to increased trust and increased employee involvement.
For those aspiring to management positions, leadership is key. Leaders need to promote the company's mission and vision among their subordinates. They need to influence employees to achieve goals by motivating them, resulting in a higher level of performance. This type of leadership is paramount in today's marketplace for company advancement, expansion, and survival.
Other important soft skills include verbal and written communication, persuasive skills, negotiation, and listening skills. Communication is vital to company performance. The ability of company personnel to communicate clearly, succinctly, and accurately will increase productivity. Good communication requires being observant of both verbal and nonverbal signals.
Persuasion and negotiation, two other soft skills, require good listening skills. In today's work environment, employees are no longer subject to a hierarchical structure, a structure of non-questioning of their manager's requests. This requires managers to be more persuasive. Negotiation is practiced by all of us on a day-to-day basis, and more so in business. Strong negotiation skills are essential internally (managers and employees) and externally (sales negotiations, contract negotiations, etc.).
We often forget the skill of listening, as most of us prefer to talk rather than listen. However, it is essential to understand what your company and customers want. This is not just "hearing" but actually practicing listening skills by asking questions, confirming content heard, and providing feedback. Listening requires effort; it requires concentration and attention to what is being said.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Administrator Managers?
Bernie Cerasaro: Most technical skills required in today's marketplace are associated with task requirements in specific functional areas. However, some skillsets can be considered general, such as using Word, Excel, or Zoom. Technical skills relevant to social media are also critical. The ability to construct a web page and post on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is essential. For [CBC1] functional areas, examples of needed technical expertise would be Microsoft Project for project management and SAP for supply chain management.
What skills will help Business Administrator Managers earn the most?
Bernie Cerasaro: Some of the same skills as indicated above are important as the person works their way up the ranks and increases their salary. Prominent skills include strong leadership, superior performance, handling conflict, and creating a trusting and productive work environment.
The choice of a functional area can also impact one's earnings depending upon the market's needs. Areas such as corporate accounting and finance, project management, supply chain management, and entrepreneurship can command higher earnings due to a higher demand for such individuals in the marketplace. However, the higher salaries for some of these positions might require a master's degree.
As a concluding note, even though we are amid a pandemic, which has resulted in certain industries/companies being unable to find sufficient employees, this does not imply that this will be the situation for all industries or that the graduate can relax as to developing a strong skill-oriented resume. Graduates still need to focus on functional, technical, and soft skills in order to design impactful resumes that clearly indicate their strongest skills and experience.
What skills stand out on Business Administrator Manager resumes?
Dr. Jeanette Landin: Skills that stand out on contemporary business manager resumes are soft skills. Business managers indeed need insight and knowledge about the business and hard skills, including financial and other technical skills. What stands out on contemporary, successful business manager resumes are their soft skills. Interpersonal skills are atop the list because business is all about people working with other people to achieve a common goal: The business's mission. The people skills of communication, collaboration, and delegation are a vital part of the manager's ability to influence colleagues, delegate work, and achieve the company's mission.
What soft skills should all Business Administrator Managers possess?
Dr. Jeanette Landin: The most important soft skills have a common denominator: Communication. Communicating effectively across various media and with widely varying personalities is the key to being an effective business manager. Another critical soft skill is time and information management. The amount of information business managers process on an everyday basis has grown at an increasing rate during the last couple of decades. Business managers must manage multiple priorities, meetings, written and verbal communications, and social media efficiently. Therefore, handling multiple commitments and massive amounts of information is another essential soft skill.
What skills will help Business Administrator Managers earn the most?
Dr. Jeanette Landin: The skill that will help you earn the most is inspiring other people to increase company productivity and high employee morale. An engaged and productive employee is the most important product of an effective manager. Managers who possess the ability to inspire colleagues and drive company objectives are invaluable.
Kristy Berak McDonald
Experiential Learning Institute DirectorNorthwestern Michigan College
Business Academic Area Faculty
What skills stand out on Business Administrator Manager resumes?
Kristy Berak McDonald: I asked a local HR expert for this question- Jennifer Ewing. She told me, "Ability to lead and motivate, financial acumen and a strategic thinker."
I would add that experiential learning (internships, work/study, relevant class projects) any real-world application of business skills stands out!
What soft skills should all Business Administrator Managers possess?
Kristy Berak McDonald: This is what I teach, so I love this question. Soft skills are the hard skills to teach because they really should be taught from a young age, and many times the student has never heard of soft skills. I think all soft skills are the most important, but in terms of being a business student, Dependability, life-long learner, strong communicator, attention to detail, adaptability, and empathy are my top priority.
What skills will help Business Administrator Managers earn the most?
Kristy Berak McDonald: As the soft skills instructor, I believe you can teach skills, but you hire for effective human relations. Technical skills are not enough - interpersonal skills have to be strong. This means the student has been taught personal qualities like treating others with respect, making the right ethical decisions, emotional control, and the ability to work as a team. It also means that the student show thinking skills like creative problem solving, critical listening, and making effective decisions.
Thomas Gainey Ph.D.
Chair and ProfessorUniversity of West Georgia
Department of Management in the Richards College of Business
What skills stand out on Business Administrator Manager resumes?
Thomas Gainey Ph.D.: Given the recent pandemic, many employers are looking for employees who can easily adjust to changing conditions and adapt to working online if necessary. Thus, resumes that demonstrate a candidate is flexible, creative, and self-disciplined are going to be attractive. Additionally, the extent to which a candidate can show excellent time-management skills will likely create more opportunities in the job market.
What soft skills should all Business Administrator Managers possess?
Thomas Gainey Ph.D.: Soft skills are critical as many workers continue to work from home or at least work more of a hybrid schedule. The ability to work effectively with other individuals, sometimes from a distance, has never been more critical. Those individuals who exhibit excellent communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills will likely be in high demand.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Administrator Managers?
Thomas Gainey Ph.D.: With the recent pandemic and the growing reliance on technology to perform many jobs, individuals have been forced to quickly develop or strengthen their technical skills. And these technical skills are in high demand by employers. Individuals with knowledge and experience with enterprise systems, Microsoft Office applications, and popular programming languages will have a significant advantage.
Dr. Bonnie Tiell
Professor of Sport ManagementTiffin University
School of Business
What skills stand out on Business Administrator Manager resumes?
Dr. Bonnie Tiell: Experience and proven record of accomplishments, achievements, and added value to an organization (e.g., demonstration of increasing market shares, sales quotas, membership acquisition, etc.).
What soft skills should all Business Administrator Managers possess?
Dr. Bonnie Tiell: Interpersonal skills (communication), character development, effective decision making.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Administrator Managers?
Dr. Bonnie Tiell: Direct occupational knowledge: Negotiating and understanding contracts | agreements, staff management, informational technology, budget, and financial reporting.
What skills will help Business Administrator Managers earn the most?
Dr. Bonnie Tiell: Skills helping managers earn the most are those that impact the bottom line - it depends on the organization's needs, but those that can produce or increase revenue will earn more --- sales!
Hagit Weihs Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Accounting in the Brandeis International Business School and the Undergraduate Advising Head to the Business ProgramBrandeis University
International Business School
What skills stand out on Business Administrator Manager resumes?
Hagit Weihs Ph.D.: Students who gained experience in summer or part-time internships doing business analysis, financial analysis, data analytics, and business development tend to stand out. Students who served as either teaching assistants or research assistants also have an advantage. In addition, working on a school team and field projects on real companies provides students with both experience and networking opportunities that the market values.
What skills will help Business Administrator Managers earn the most?
Hagit Weihs Ph.D.: Students who specialize in a certain discipline will earn a higher initial salary. Examples are accounting or finance, marketing, real estate - having a deeper understanding of the discipline and internship and/or field project experience in that discipline. Networking, drive, and creativity, as well as the willingness to continue to learn and grow, will all continue to increase salary down the road.
Aldo Musacchio Ph.D.
Professor, Program Director of the MBABrandeis University
Brandeis International Business School
What soft skills should all Business Administrator Managers possess?
Aldo Musacchio Ph.D.: When we talk to employers, they usually tell you they want students who know how to listen and drive. They want someone who is going to be happy to be in the company, who is going to participate actively in meetings and teams, and who is going to be good at listening and the following guidance.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Business Administrator Manager job market given the pandemic?
David Groshoff: Depending on the industry, of course, one of the biggest trends in the job market will be a smaller reliance on geographic location, whether from an employer's or employee's standpoint. COVID-19 has confirmed many long-held suspicions that productivity doesn't decline despite a remote workforce. This flexibility may also spill into the time of day employees' work, beyond the traditional workday.
However, since many employers have materially cut compensation as a result of COVID-19, recent graduates who are entering the workforce will likely face depressed starting salaries that may trail them for years or careers, similar to what many of the newly hired MBA grads from 2009 experienced.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Business Administrator Managers in the next 3-5 years?
David Groshoff: Robust virtual meeting technology, such as Zoom, will become increasingly crucial for workforce productivity. While Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms have provided much-needed capabilities during this time, they-and WiFi providers-could not fully keep up with the demands. Over the coming years, the technology will likely develop to engage in virtual meetings just as fully via mobile technology via desktop, including screen share functionality.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
David Groshoff: I firmly believe we will experience an increase in demand for MBA graduates over the next five years. Although our most recent recession this year was uniquely short by formal definitions, we're still experiencing economic shock during this challenging time. Depending on how Congress and the Federal Reserve choose to act, we may experience a double-dip recession or worse. Either way, MBA enrollments tend to increase materially at the front-end of economic recessions, with hiring demand for MBA graduates increasing following the subsequent economic recoveries.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Julie Szendrey: Those in marketing can pretty much work anywhere, if they have good online connectivity.
Marketing tools (analytics, SEO, email, blogs, content development) rely on technology. These tools will continue to evolve in the years to come.
The discipline of marketing is based on building relationships with customers. Marketers will need to continue to develop creative ways of building those relationships in a virtual space. It will be exciting to see what new platforms evolve.
What type of skills will young Business Administrator Managers need?
Dr. Julie Szendrey: Hard skills: Those graduates skilled in digital marketing and analytics will have an advantage in the workforce. Using analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Tableau, and marketing automation will be a differentiator. And of course, being savvy in Excel is a big plus.
Soft skills: Emotional Intelligence (EQ), or the ability to manage your own emotions and the emotions of others, is essential. It's good to know how your role fits into the function of the overall organization.
Additionally, handling and navigating ambiguity is beneficial - knowing how to figure things out and when to ask questions.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Business Administrator Managers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Julie Szendrey: The industries that will have more demand for marketing graduates provide products/services that have increased demand because of the pandemic.
It would help if you looked at those organizations that have done well over the past few months. The "place" to find work as a marketer is now less of a physical location and more of a virtual location/website as the workforce has gone virtual at an accelerated pace.
Patrick Scott Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of EconomicsLouisiana Tech University
Economics and Finance Department
What type of skills will young Business Administrator Managers need?
Patrick Scott Ph.D.: I think the importance of critical thinking and reasoning skills cannot be overstated enough. In this area, economics shines. Additionally, analytical and quantitative skills are more important than ever. Businesses continue to make the shift towards data-driven decision making. The ability to quickly analyze data and correctly assign an interpretation or meaning to that data is an important job market skill. With just a little bit of economic intuition, combined data science skills, business economics majors are uniquely positioned for success in the job market of tomorrow.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Patrick Scott Ph.D.: I'm so glad you asked this question. COVID-19 has structurally changed the economy we knew. Technology will continue to drive these changes at a faster rate than we have seen in previous generations. While the cost of analyzing data and making fast business decisions will likely drop in the coming years, due to increased efficiency, the need to have someone interpret what the numbers mean to business leaders and policymakers will continue to remain strong. Business economics majors are poised to be able to capitalize on these opportunities for the foreseeable future.
Patrick Scott Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of EconomicsLouisiana Tech University
Economics and Finance Department
What type of skills will young Business Administrator Managers need?
Patrick Scott Ph.D.: I think the importance of critical thinking and reasoning skills cannot be overstated enough. In this area, economics shines. Additionally, analytical and quantitative skills are more important than ever. Businesses continue to make the shift towards data-driven decision making. The ability to quickly analyze data and correctly assign an interpretation or meaning to that data is an important job market skill. With just a little bit of economic intuition, combined data science skills, business economics majors are uniquely positioned for success in the job market of tomorrow.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Business Administrator Managers to find work opportunities?
Patrick Scott Ph.D.: We have had success in placing our candidates from the College of Business at Louisiana Tech University in all portions of the country. Small towns, to large cities, to graduate programs, and beyond are all able to benefit from the skills learned by these majors.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Patrick Scott Ph.D.: I'm so glad you asked this question. COVID-19 has structurally changed the economy we knew. Technology will continue to drive these changes at a faster rate than we have seen in previous generations. While the cost of analyzing data and making fast business decisions will likely drop in the coming years due to increased efficiency, the need to have someone interpret what the numbers mean to business leaders and policymakers will continue to remain strong. Business economics majors are poised to be able to capitalize on these opportunities for the foreseeable future.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Marjolijn Van der Velde Ph.D.: Strange as it sounds, the one constant we can count on changes. While we may not know exactly what tech skills will be necessary, knowing that we need to be continuous learners will help us keep up with the rapid rate of change we can expect over the next five years.
What type of skills will young Business Administrator Managers need?
Marjolijn Van der Velde Ph.D.: While technical skills will always be necessary, "soft skills" such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and strong communication abilities are playing an increasingly important role, and depending on the position, having experience working and managing teams can be a requirement. Many employers are taking the approach where they "hire for attitude and train for skill," knowing that fit in the workgroup and the organization are key to retention and performance.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Business Administrator Managers to find work opportunities?
Marjolijn Van der Velde Ph.D.: Most state's product information on their job outlook over a 5-10 year period. The State of Michigan's "Hot 50" features the 50 most high demand, high wage careers through 2028. The report identifies the highest need jobs requiring a bachelor's degree as general and operations managers with 5,460 expected openings every year. The highest growth rates over the ten year period 2018-2028 are for speech-language pathologists and physician assistants. Both positions require a master's degree and are expected to grow 18% over the ten year period. I have attached a copy of Michigan's Hot 50 report.
What type of skills will young Business Administrator Managers need?
Wayne Fletcher: Interestingly, as you speak to employers, this has not changed over the last 20+ years. I had a conversation with my advisory board last week and discussed this question. Employers, generally speaking, are seeking students with good soft skills. By soft skills, I am referring to the ability to effectively communicate across different mediums, the ability to critically think through situations, and the ability to demonstrate self and situational awareness (emotional intelligence).
However, additional elements our advisory board identifies are personal integrity and decision making from an ethical perspective. Employers expect that an accounting major, or a finance major, or (fill in the blank) will possess the knowledge and technical competencies to perform entry-level professional work. And, if a graduate is smart, they can be trained to work in a specific business. However, soft skills take a long time to develop - and employers often don't believe they have the time or capability to focus on that specific aspect of new employee development.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Business Administrator Managers to find work opportunities?
Wayne Fletcher: As a mid-sized university operating in the Southern California market, my answer incorporates a geographic bias. Although the pandemic has certainly dampened immediate opportunities for some students, aggregately, the Southern California market provides a multitude of new graduate opportunities. California has the largest economy within the U.S., and if it was a sovereign nation, it would be ranked the fifth largest economy in the world. Therefore, opportunities are ample. That said, one constant in securing the best opportunities relates back to networking. People like to hire people they know. To that end, the Jabs School of Business, working with our Career Center, intentionally creates opportunities for students to network in our community through events, job fairs, and internships. However, it still is incumbent on students to engage those opportunities.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Wayne Fletcher: Business is ubiquitous and touches every sector of our economy. As such, technological developments will impact all business graduates as they pursue their respective careers. The guidance I would give students is two-fold. First, never stop learning. Read a variety of publications from different perspectives and on different subjects. By becoming an intelligent consumer of information, young professionals can intentionally seek to develop themselves in order to maintain currency within their areas of interest. Second, expect change.
Life, business, and professions are not linear. We cannot plan for tomorrow simply by observing what occurred yesterday. Those professionals that hunker into one area of their profession, anticipating that they can cruise through until retirement, are the least prepared to engage new norms - which are often driven by new technology. Most businesses and professions are not on the cutting edge of change and technology, which may lead to employee complacency. Those that thrive as things change are the professionals that anticipate and embrace directed and intelligent change. Those that resist change become obsolete.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Business Administrator Managers to find work opportunities?
Dana Hebreard: Connections count. Many of the graduates found their positions through networking and through previous experiences. Here are two examples: One student accepted a Business Consultant position with the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which was where she completed an internship. Another student was offered a position as Staff Accountant at Schmidt, Koning, Villarreal & Associates, LLC, where he completed an internship.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Business Administrator Managers?
Dana Hebreard: Given the scope of the pandemic and its effect on everyday life, students who graduated this year and head to the job market should expect to get questions in a job interview about how they adjusted. I have been telling everyone to think strategically. How did you use your time effectively? Did you volunteer in the local community? Take a part-time position? Learn a new skill? Responses have a strong indicator of character and how a student stayed motivated during challenging circumstances.
Domenick Celentano
LecturerFairleigh Dickinson University
Department of Management and Entrepreneurship
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Business Administrator Managers?
Domenick Celentano: The Coronavirus Pandemic was a shock to everyone's life, and students were no exception. Students have been impacted in many ways.
Students pivoted over spring break 2020 from traditional on-campus face to face courses to courses delivered 100% to the remote learning modality. In my discussions with students, remote learning online was new to most students, along with a substantial learning curve in transitioning to self-directed study; for many, it was a difficult transition given the short notice over spring break. Many faced difficulties in their home lives, with parents also dealing with interruptions in their careers and incomes. Many students took advantage of the technology offered by the university to support on-campus classes, but the same technology was not immediately available to them at home; fast Internet access and reliable WiFi are but two examples.
The enduring impacts for the future:
-Students are recognizing that "adapting" will become part of their life and profession.
-Resiliency goes hand-in-hand with adaptation because there will not be a straight-line path to ways to deal with future life and work scenarios.
-The ability to learn methods and techniques to successfully work remotely, as many corporations realize employees find an appeal to remote work and the reduction/elimination of their commute. Corporations will have a segment of their workforce working remotely, either full or part-time.
-Collaborating with colleagues remotely will be a necessary skill set to succeed in a future career.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Domenick Celentano: Remote work will become the norm for most organizations. Currently, we are relying on synchronous video (Zoom, for example) for team collaboration, which is limited in replicating in-person collaboration. Advances in both Artificial/Augmented Reality will lessen the need for in-person collaboration of all sorts because the technology will provide the look and, most importantly, the feel of face-to-face contact. Additionally, 5G technology will allow broad access to high-speed video and data that far exceeds what remote workers currently have via cable and telecom providers.
What general advice would you give to a Business Administrator Manager?
Wayne Counts: I think there will be an impact, both visible and invisible, for years to come. One of the big changes will be in how we do things. The change to remote and virtual business will probably never be fully reversed.
What Business Administrator Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Wayne Counts: Accounting is a field where there is almost always a demand. Regardless of whether a business is booming or in decline, someone has to keep track of it and report it. With the steady increase in the public sector, there is always an increased demand to make sure the taxpayers are getting what they are paying for, so assurance services seem to keep rising in demand.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Business Administrator Managers?
Wayne Counts: Accounting has always been one of the earliest adopters of technology. This makes sense, if you think about it, as the accounting function for everyone, but public accounting firms, are an expense that doesn't directly generate revenue. Accounting adds value by finding ways to cut costs and identify high-profit margin opportunities. As machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other technologies mature, the role of the accountant will change. It is pretty safe to say, the job a graduate starts with, won't be the job they are doing in 10 years.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Business Administrator Managers?
Christopher Westland: There will be, but it won't result in immediate and dramatic change; rather, it will accelerate changes that are currently being debated -- in particular, the value of a physical workspace. The informed opinion exists on both sides: Reed Hastings of Netflix feels that workplaces are needed for productivity, innovation, and community; Jack Dorsey of Twitter and Square feels that they are overrated and is willing to let his employees work at home forever (among them, my daughter, who is a senior engineer at Square and U of I graduate).
The most successful US firms (the FANGs) are team and project-based, rather than being organized into traditional Sloan-type stovepipes. As labor markets become more and more efficient, it is likely that actual work will coalesce around expertise, previously successful teams, and teams and individuals with reputations. People will change employers often, and periodically take sabbaticals. Maternity and lifestyle leave will be expected. As long as universities recognize this evolution of workplace and career opportunities in their program offerings, a university degree will continue to be an important asset for commanding the best jobs.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Christopher Westland: We will continue to see the evolution of trends that we only started paying attention to during the dot-com boom. Information technologies will increasingly substitute for the physical plant in chemistry, biology, medicine, aerospace, and manufacturing. This will make work both transportable and increasingly indistinguishable from what we, today, would call information systems and computer science.
Computer speed, data storage, and network bandwidth are all growing exponentially, every passing year, opening up new fields for virtual modeling and transcending geography. My predictions: in the coming five years, we will begin to see the wholesale replacement of blue-collar jobs by robotics (e.g., truck and taxi drivers, retail salespersons, and security, surveillance, and law enforcement). Universities will see an urgent new demand for programs, but will need to be on their toes.
As the workplace changes, universities will need to add programs that are "fast and filling," allowing students to study hard for short periods, enter into the workforce, and come back for "top-ups" (e.g., executive programs, certificate programs, short degree programs) perhaps every five years as the world and the workplace change. Many of these new offerings will be online, perhaps in an immersive "gaming" format, and will be vastly different from the "lecture hall" courses that have defined university classes in the past.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Business Administrator Managers to find work opportunities?
Christopher Westland: Yes, it's increasingly in the largest cities, which have become the world's centers for innovation, productivity improvement, and access to capital and expertise. Global studies have shown an 8% improvement in productivity when firms move from towns of less than 1 million to cities of more than 1 million population. These benefits will accelerate in the future. Additionally, despite some of the negative press, cites are becoming safer, better managed, and offer a higher quality of life than rural and suburban locations.
In the US, cities such as Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles have concentrations of capital and expertise that make them competitive and ideal places for the talented to work. New centers such as Dallas, Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix offer modest cost of living, less congestion, with vibrant, talented workforces. Globally, Shanghai, Shenzhen, London, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore all offer fantastic opportunities for work, development, and growth, and are attracting some of the best talents in the world.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Business Administrator Managers?
Michelle Gordon: Yes, definitely. Our new graduates are entering a job market with an unprecedented level of turbulence. In addition to added difficulty in finding career-appropriate work, the uncertainty of job security is possibly at an all-time high. This means that our upcoming graduates will need to start their job searches early and invest more time in researching the organizations to assess their ongoing viability.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Business Administrator Managers to find work opportunities?
Michelle Gordon: The good news is that business is everywhere! Students graduating in business can build solid careers wherever they choose, as opposed to some sectors such as BioTech or Software Development, where jobs tend to be clustered around certain centers of innovation. Realtors are reporting a trend of individuals and families moving out of big cities into less-densely populated areas. This means that business graduates have great geographic flexibility in their job search efforts.
How do you envision technology impacting Business Administrator Managers in the next 5 years?
Michelle Gordon: Technology constantly propels business innovation and vice versa. Technology will continue to create exponential improvements in production, logistics, communication, and customer relationship management. The business embraces continuous improvement, and savvy business graduates need to embrace the concept of life-long learning to position themselves for ongoing success!