Career Cluster

Business Management & Administration

The business management and administration career cluster contains critical occupations that help keep businesses booming regardless of industry or occupation. It is important to prepare individuals for employment in the career pathways related to the field. It is also necessary to note the specific areas that apply to business management and administration and the skills needed within its pathways. This publication hopes to accomplish just that.

There are a wealth of occupations across numerous industries in the business management and administration career cluster, many of which prove to be crucial to the state's economy as well as to national and global success. This includes occupations such as human resources specialists, chief executives, receptionists and information clerks, facilities managers, and so much more. Workers in these occupations have the opportunity to make a large impact for their respective companies.

The business management and administration career cluster allows individuals a wide range of tasks in which to focus, but there are basic skills needed that encompass most of the occupations in the field. These include skills such as computer proficiency, software knowledge, and much more. Basic skills also include those that are important in everyday life including oral and written comprehension, deductive reasoning, monitoring, and more. Along with these general skills, workers in the business management and administration field will also be expected to acquire specific skills corresponding to their respective occupations such as skills involving particular softwares, possible mathematics and accounting knowledge, and more. In the business management and administration industry, there are five pathways one can take. An individual can go through the general management pathway, the business information pathway, the human resources management pathway, the operations management pathway, or the administrative support pathway. These various pathways require different core courses, skills, and knowledge. It is important that these individuals make their decisions about which part of the business management and administration industry they would like to be a part of in order to enter the pathway that will most interest them.

For example, if an individual wants to venture down the path of human resources he or she will need to take the proper courses to gain the appropriate skills, abilities and certifications in order to be successful in the field.

Individuals working in the business management and administration career cluster typically require at least a high school diploma, although there are specific cases in which it that might not be necessary, or cases in which it might be more beneficial to possess a higher degree.

Occupations in this cluster include data entry keyers, chief executives, human resources specialists, purchasing managers, and many more.