(Archive March 2006) The Bottom Line

By Jack Wilson | Advertising Manager

A business career is one of the best ways to make cents but unfortunately business doesn’t always make sense. That’s why the Mount Observer has created “The Bottom Line”. Every month I will write an article pertaining to the latest news in business. Each one of my columns will be geared directly toward you, the reader, tying in the important issues of today with how they affect you.

In February CNN reported the top ten most lucrative careers in 2006. Four out of the top ten were careers in business. Accounting was highest on the list coming in fifth followed shortly by economics and finance re­lated professions. These two fields were also the fastest growing, not in popularity but in the dollar amount of initial salary. Accounting jobs have increased in salary 6.2 percent to $45,723 and Economics and Finance grew at a higher rate of 11 percent to $45,191. The remain­ing two business careers in the top ten were Business Administration and Marketing which were 8th and 9th earning $39,850 and $36,260 respectively.

The same report also wielded more valuable infor­mation, including the fact that employers have hired 14.5 percent more college grads already in 2006 than they had in 2004 or 2005. Terri LaMarco, the associate director of the University of Michigan’s career center, said that “Recruiting activity is up and job fair atten­dance (by employers) has certainly increased”.

How can you cash in on these opportunities? Well, if you’re a student at Mount Wachusett Community Col­lege you’re starting in the right place. One of the most important factors in earning a generous salary is hold­ing an important document. That document is an MBA. According to another survey by CNN and the Gen­eral Management Admissions Council (GMAC), MBA graduates increased their signing bonuses to a record $106,000. Signing bonuses of that size, combined with the starting salaries of the professions listed earlier, lead to what most people consider financial stability.

After reviewing the facts my advice to business stu­dents is to keep these figures in mind when planning your future. Where will you go after MWCC? Hopefully the answer is some place where you can earn an MBA!