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Posted: 3/2/2006 8:35:00 PM EDT


I'm at the point where I have to decide, It has to be between these three:


Accounting

Marketing

International Business



I really have no idea which to pick.
I'm leaning away from Accounting though, I don't like to sit at a desk all that much.
But it looks like the FBI/CIA picks those guys up quite a bit, so I don't know.





Link Posted: 3/2/2006 8:39:51 PM EDT
[#1]
MArekting is teh gay

accounting will get you a lot of diff. places,  upper level classes can be a bitch though
Link Posted: 3/2/2006 8:42:15 PM EDT
[#2]
Accounting. You'll get a decent job right off. Also, get aquainted with derivatives in your finance classes. You'll be pleased with the results.
Link Posted: 3/2/2006 8:43:04 PM EDT
[#3]

Which of these Business degrees should I get?


Whichever one prints the easiest!

Link Posted: 3/2/2006 8:43:56 PM EDT
[#4]
if yer lookin to go to the fbi, when i took my exam, they only wanted disciplines in accounting, foreign language, computer science and/or law degrees.  otherwise we couldnt even take an exam
Link Posted: 3/2/2006 8:44:48 PM EDT
[#5]
Don't get a marketing degree.
Link Posted: 3/2/2006 8:44:59 PM EDT
[#6]
i hsould also add.. they also want aoot of experience.  the fbi is hard to get in.  there are so many other options, even though their written exam is not the hardest
Link Posted: 3/2/2006 9:11:34 PM EDT
[#7]
i have a marketing degree, and i make more than a doctor.  i'd love to know the bias against the discipline, particularly from people who undoubtedly don't understand what they are talking about.
Link Posted: 3/2/2006 9:17:29 PM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:

I'm at the point where I have to decide, It has to be between these three:


Accounting

Marketing

International Business



I really have no idea which to pick.
I'm leaning away from Accounting though, I don't like to sit at a desk all that much.
But it looks like the FBI/CIA picks those guys up quite a bit, so I don't know.




Accounting.  I've been an engineer for twenty+ years and the pay is good when you can find a job, but there are *always* accounting jobs.  Times get tough in the engineering business, but there's not a business on the planet that doesn't need accounting services.

I'll have my second degree in accounting in 5 months.  Take my word for it, if you have a head for numbers and don't mind occasional bouts of hard work, accounting is the way to go.

Link Posted: 3/2/2006 9:18:24 PM EDT
[#9]
I've had a few marketing classes, it dosn't float my boat.

Most of the shit the teacher spews out is common fucking sense to someone who understands people and business.  I just don't see them uncovering any vast secrets of marketing

BTW I'm glad you make more $ than a doctor, it adds a lot more credibility to your post
Link Posted: 3/2/2006 9:28:28 PM EDT
[#10]
of course, i work on the more technical side of marketing.  in the direct response industry, we don't just throw some copy on a page and cross our fingers---we selectively target specific customers based on sound database feed back using criteria such as recency, monetary value and order frequency.  by using this highly targeted approach, we can save millions of marketing dollars and increase not only overall customer response to offer, but lifetime value and subsequently acquisition costs.  

i have a BBA and an MBA --both with marketing emphasis.  i understand what you are saying about the common sense thing because i thought that early on too, but once you get past the point of no return you start to realize that it is quite a complex science.  of course that won't help the guy that wants to get in the FBI.

btw, sarcasm doesn't smell good on you.
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 5:37:32 AM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:
of course, i work on the more technical side of marketing.  in the direct response industry, we don't just throw some copy on a page and cross our fingers---we selectively target specific customers based on sound database feed back using criteria such as recency, monetary value and order frequency.  by using this highly targeted approach, we can save millions of marketing dollars and increase not only overall customer response to offer, but lifetime value and subsequently acquisition costs.  

i have a BBA and an MBA --both with marketing emphasis.  i understand what you are saying about the common sense thing because i thought that early on too, but once you get past the point of no return you start to realize that it is quite a complex science.  of course that won't help the guy that wants to get in the FBI.

btw, sarcasm doesn't smell good on you.



That almost sounds like a research position - is there marketing research?  

I'm taking a research and presentation class right now and, just as you described, it is a LOT more complex and in-depth than I would have thought.  It's fun, like a cross between marketing, algebra, and statistics, and I enjoy writing business reports.  I just never put a great deal of thought into it, so it was a surprise to see just how detailed it actually is.

As for the degrees, I don't know what's best.  I think marketing would be the most fun, but like another said, accountants are always going to be in high demand.  You might want to try an emphasis area in HRM along with ACC, as they are interchangeable roles in many middle-sized corporations.

But if you don't like being behind a desk, I can't for the life of me think you'd enjoy accounting.  Don't concentrate on the money - what good is the money if you hate your job so bad you want to quit?  At least in marketing you mix it up and get some field time in.  

My .02
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 5:41:55 AM EDT
[#12]
""i have a marketing degree, and i make more than a doctor. i'd love to know the bias against the discipline, particularly from people who undoubtedly don't understand what they are talking about.""



That is not saying much.  Many people make more than Doctors these days.  With malpractice insurance, lawsuits and low paying insurance companies, many Doctors do not bring home what they use to.
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 5:43:23 AM EDT
[#13]

Accounting or Finance are the only two that will be the most promising.  Seriously
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 6:02:27 AM EDT
[#14]
Accounting
a.  there are always jobs
b.  you can do anything in business if you understand how the numbers work
c.  You can invest, because you understand how to read the numbers.  (you would amazed at how little people know about accounting)

no, i'm not an accountant, but I understand accounting and had a good # of classes in it in school
A marketing degree is like business lite
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 6:53:41 AM EDT
[#15]
I'd do accounting. I didn't have the personality for accounting and had to get a degree in economics.
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 7:19:10 AM EDT
[#16]
Surprisingly, the accounting degree is the most versatile and you will not necessarily be restricted to doing just "accounting" (ie. bean counting). With an accounting degree you can be a business manager, or fill some other management function. For some reason, companies think accountants are smart business people.

You can make good money in marketing with the right job and personality but being a marketer doesn't necessarily make you a manager and starting pay can be really low.

Int. Business - only if you plan on working for a large company or opening an import export business - otherwise you would be better off with an MBA or regular business degree IMO.
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 7:49:59 AM EDT
[#17]
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 8:19:41 AM EDT
[#18]
Shit, that's what I was afraid of hearing.


I guess I'll go Accounting.

I only have 8 classes left, so I'll just suck it up.



Damn




Link Posted: 3/3/2006 3:45:53 PM EDT
[#19]
I have a friend with Masters in Marketing -- he's unemployed more than he works.

Accounting is the language of business -- you can go anywhere with that degree.  A CPA is priceless on your resume even if you never practice.  
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 4:15:03 PM EDT
[#20]
Depends what you want to do.  Marketing is borderline worthless: it's only value is if you "have connections" (job already lined up) and need an easy to get degree that sounds halfway decent.

If you want to go into the FBI, you'll need accounting over the other two.  ALso, many places will consider a CPA the rough equivalent of an MBA.  Yes, there are differences, but most are malarky, and the CPA is more solid.  

International Business wil make you the money in the "real world."  That's the trend of ev erything.  Go heavy on the Finance, as that's where the necessary work will be.  Many other aspects of international business won't require as much skill (other than languages), basically because the underlying reason is simple: source where it's cheapest.  That's the rule.

Link Posted: 3/3/2006 4:19:17 PM EDT
[#21]
Finance followed by an MBA.

Accounting is a "technical" job that can limit your upside.

Accountants rarely, if ever, make deals happen.
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 7:38:09 PM EDT
[#22]

Quoted:
It depends on you bud and what you want to do.

Accounting is a safe job with decent job security well until you reach the point of a controller and find yourself between the investors and the General Manager.  Talk about walking a line.  In all though it has a cap on income.  An accounting job usually means no travel or very little until you achieve controller status. Aqusitions is an area where accounting does travel alot but its actually pretty hard to break into usually on the investment bakning level.  These guys highly prefer MBAs and though the entry level pays very well you sure are a high priced gopher.   Self employment opportunities are pretty limited to tax returns and CPA independent book keeping.  Its a heck of alot of at desk work regardless of direction taken.  If you can take the assholes and lacky work of investment banking the opportunity is really in investment opportunities that you learn about and personal investment.  People who usually take this path are willing to work very hard and take a lot of shit to gain the insight to become financially independent through personal investments.  

Marketing is very muti-facisted.  An advertising job or in factory marketing job for example is a dead end job but does have about as much security as about any job you can have these days.  It typically requires little travel and heavy on desk work.  On the otherhand Marketing/Sales has no job security but the potential of almost no income cap or  potential for a higher return.  Self motivation is a key to this path to success.  This usually involves quite a bit of travel and not as much desk work well unless you take a VP Slot as Sales and Marketing Director then it combines both travel and desk.  Self employement opportunities are very high since the key to any business is the customer base and customer knowlege.  The higher end jobs here are typically heavy on travel and this gets old after a while but the financial gains pretty high.  Its often a profession where one has to define their limits in regards to personal life and stay there for you can climb as far as you want to climb.  Though the rewards are very high the job security is nil and you are only as good as your last order.

An international business degree is pretty ambiguous and really means nothing but what you make of it.  That pretty much means entry positions are rare or hard to find and once you do how far you climb dependes on what you make of it.  Like Marketing/Sales, which it could be, the higher end jobs would most likely involve international travel which is by far the hardest travel due to distance.  Getting yourself to that position would be pretty hard work, once you get there the reward would be good, but your travel time a pain in the ass after the "Oh wow" wears off.  

Your question could be a book but there's a first short pass.  I hope it helps some.

Tj



Um, if you want to know more about accounting, especially what the field is like now and the opportunities available, IM me. That goes for any of you.
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 7:42:31 PM EDT
[#23]
Quoted:
Finance followed by an MBA.

Accounting is a "technical" job that can limit your upside open up your opportunities.

Accountants rarely, if ever, are not called upon to help make deals happen.

Fixed it...
Link Posted: 3/3/2006 8:38:57 PM EDT
[#24]

Quoted:

I'm at the point where I have to decide, It has to be between these three:


Accounting
-constant job offers & good salary, you pick where you want to work.
-you will have to lie when at bars (wimmin prefer international fighter pilots)
-when the company's stock price tanks, plan on being skewered by the CEO because the marketing guys said it was an accounting error.

Marketing
-this diploma says: " Hi, I drank way too much in college and only had enough credits to get this degree"
-your job interviews will include the phrase "...I'm a people person..."
-unless you have a buddy in a blue-chip firm, your pay stub will probably say ....AmWay Corp.

International Business
-you can potentially make more money than all of the ArfCommers combined.
-your "Gary Busey" style photo will be on the front page of every major newspaper with the headlines: "NIGERIAN SCAMMER CAUGHT!!!"



I really have no idea which to pick.
I'm leaning away from Accounting though, I don't like to sit at a desk all that much.
But it looks like the FBI/CIA picks those guys up quite a bit, so I don't know.






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