Economics

A degree in Economics prepares you for an analysis of industry and finance and an understanding of production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services.

Before you begin to look at the different types of opportunities available to Economics majors, you must look at yourself and ask yourself a few basic questions:

What am I good at?

Understand your major strengths, skills and accomplishments. Some examples of skills and qualities employers look for are:

Ability to conduct & explain scientific research
Written & oral communication
Ability to explain complex concepts
Statistical knowledge
Ability to collect & organize data
Attention to detail
Decision making
Problem solving
Computers

What do I like to do?

Examine your interests. What kind of life style do I want to lead? Examine your values...is money what you're after, job security, challenging work?

If you are having trouble answering these questions, you are not alone. Make an appointment with an advisor in the Career Center. We want to help you!

POSITIONS

Once you know yourself, you are ready to decide where and how you want to apply this knowledge.

A bachelor's degree in Economics and the appropriate skills and/or experience can lead to positions as:

Buyers
City managers
Financial planners
Foreign service officers
Geographers
IRS agents
Labor relations specialists
Market research analysts
Banking trainees
Securities analysts
Stockbrokers
Underwriters
Urban planners

Experience in the field or an advanced degree could lead to certain positions as:

Statisticians
Economists
Historians
Political scientists
Sociologists
Actuaries
Controllers
Personnel managers
Bank executives
Teachers

For information on graduate schools, consult Peterson's.

EMPLOYMENT

Typical places of employment are:

Corporations
Health maintenance organizations
Universities
Government
Banks
Financial institutions
Insurance companies
Non-profit organizations, etc...

LEARN MORE

To help you decide which area to pursue you must do in-depth research into each area of specialization and/or industry you have an interest in.

Places to begin:

Join the Career Centers COACH Program

The Occupational Outlook Handbook

Talk to people in the field, talk to your professors, write to and/or join one of the following associations:

American Economic Association 2014 Broadway, Suite 305 Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 322 - 2595

National Association of Business Economists 1233 20th Street, NW #505 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463 - 6223 www.nabe.com

International Health Economics Association, 3rd Floor, Abramsky Hall, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario K7L3N6 Canada (613) 545 - 6000

For additional lists of Associations consult the Encyclopedia of Associations.