of the Class of 2018 who are employed are working in financial services/banking
Overview
Careers in business, consulting, and finance offer a wide range of opportunities to use analysis, critical thinking, and leadership to increase efficiencies, maximize profitability, and solve challenges facing organizations in a global economy—whether it be at a real estate firm, your favorite retail company, for a local sports team, or beyond.
Our industry-focused cluster will provide you with knowledge and resources to pursue a career in accounting, consulting, consumer products/retail, startup/entrepreneurship, finance/banking, insurance, marketing/sales, real estate, sports business, and human resources. Within this cluster you will find specialized career coaches as well as a community of peers, alumni, faculty, and staff to support you on your journey.
As a Boston College student you are already gaining the skills most sought after by employers in these industries, regardless of your major—including critical thinking, leadership, communication, professionalism, digital technology, and more. We invite you to explore this cluster to determine if it is a good fit for you and leverage our services to prepare and act on your interests.
Meet Your Career Coaches
Specialized career coaches are available throughout the year to meet with you individually about any aspect of your career journey—from exploring career opportunities, to researching graduate programs, to launching a job/internship search.
The Carroll School of Management also offers specialized coaching support to current CSOM students.
Jabril Robinson
Jabril is the head coach for the business, consulting, and finance career cluster and he also leads the diversity, equity, and inclusion initatives within the Career Center.
Morenike Eastman
Morenike offers coaching services to students within the business, consulting, and finance career cluster. She also works on engaging employers and bringing them to campus to recruit Boston College students.
Where Boston College Graduates Have Landed
20%
9%
of the Class of 2018 who are employed are working in consulting
4%
of the Class of 2018 who are employed are working in consumer products/retail
13%
of the Class of 2018 who are in graduate school are pursuing a degree in business
Connect with Alumni Working in Business, Consulting, and Finance on Eagle Exchange
Explore Opportunities in Business, Consulting, and Finance
Accounting
Accounting is the systematic and comprehensive recording of financial transactions pertaining to a business. Accounting also refers to the process of summarizing, analyzing, and reporting these transactions to oversight agencies, regulators and tax collection entities. Accountants prepare and examine financial records. They ensure that financial records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time. Accountants assess financial operations and work to help ensure that organizations run efficiently.
- Public Accountant
- Management Accountant
- Government Accountant
- Internal Auditor
- External Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Ernst and Young
- KPMG
- Deloitte and Touche
76%
received job offers before senior year
19%
received job offers during fall semester of senior year
5%
received job offers during spring semester of senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
The number of students earning a master’s degree in accounting has increased over the past few years. This growth is largely attributed to the implementation of the “150-Hour Rule” by many states, which requires accountants to earn 150 semester hours of education in order to be eligible for CPA certification. Many accountants earn graduate degrees as a means to fulfill this requirement.
Consulting
Consulting is the practice of helping companies increase their efficiency and profits by addressing the major operational or strategic challenges they’re facing. There are four main types of consulting: management strategy / consulting, financial consulting, information technology (IT) consulting, and Human Resources staffing / consulting.
- Energy Consultant
- Environmental Consultant / Analyst
- Financial Consultant
- Healthcare Consultant
- IT / Digital Consultant
- Marketing Consultant / Research Analyst
- Deloitte Consulting
- Accenture
- LEK Consulting
- FTI Consulting
25%
received job offers before senior year
40%
received job offers during fall semester of senior year
25%
received job offers during spring semester of senior year
9%
received job offers after senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for most consulting careers, but many consultants have a master’s degree in business administration. Others have advanced degrees in their specialty, such as engineering, human resources, or accounting.
- Consulting Careers
- Consulting Crossing
- Consulting Mag
- Management Consulting Prep
- Management Consulted
View our interviewing page for information on case interviews
Consumer Products/Retail
The general consumer products industry produces goods that the public wants or needs. It produces two types of goods: durable and nondurable. Durable goods have a long life span and hold up over time; examples of durable goods are cars, electronics, tools, and washing machines. Nondurable goods, which do not last as long, include such products as food, cosmetics, and clothing. General consumer products are sold in retail stores, door-to-door, by mail order, and online.
Today, retail is a complex and diverse field. It involves the selling of all types of physical goods, such as automobile parts, pharmaceuticals, clothing, health care products, books, and food, as well as services, such as automobile repair or rug cleaning. The retail field consists of supermarkets, department stores, chain stores, specialty stores, variety stores, franchise stores, mail-order houses, online merchants, and door-to-door sellers.
- Automotive Dealership Owner and Sales Manager
- Client Services / Relations Manager
- Export / Import Specialist
- Fashion Designer
- Jeweler and Jewelry Repairer
- Product Manager
- Converse
- Amazon
- General Electric
- Wayfair
Do I need to go to graduate school?
Many people who want management positions in the export-import field are now deciding to get a master's in business administration (MBA), with an emphasis in international trade.
- American Association of Exporters and Importers
- American Jewelry Design Council
- Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA)
- Fashion Group International
- National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
- National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)
- National Customer Service Association (NCSA)
- National Retail Federation (NRF)
- Retail Industry Leaders Association
- Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SCAP)
Data Analytics
Data analytics is the process of examining data sets in order to draw conclusions about the information they contain, increasingly with the aid of specialized systems and software. Data analytics technologies and techniques expand across a multitude of industries (consumer products, healthcare, manufacturing), and enable organizations to make more-informed business decisions.
A data analyst is similar to a data scientist, but are often not responsible for creating the algorithms used for data discovery and acquisition. Rather than creating their own data projects, data analysts often find themselves tackling specific business tasks using existing tools, systems, and data sets. Both careers share a common goal: to discover how to use information to answer questions and solve problems for the benefit of their business/industry.
- Data Analyst/ Scientist
- Clinical Data Manager
- Product Analyst
Data not yet available.
Do I need to go to graduate school?
To work as a data scientist, you’ll typically need a minimum of a master’s degree in data analytics, data science, computer science, mathematics, or statistics, although some people have degrees in engineering, economics, econometrics, business, operations research, neuroscience, or computational psychology. Some employers require applicants to have a doctorate in one of the aforementioned fields.
Startup/Entrepreneurship
In sum, entrepreneurship is the process of starting and developing a company, with the aim of delivering something new or improved to the market, or by organizing the means of production in a superior way. This process is principally organized through the formation of a startup company, is managed by entrepreneurs, often under considerable personal and financial risk, and is temporary in duration, as a phase in a business’s lifecycle.
A key distinction between start-ups and other small or young businesses is an aspiration (realized or not) to substantially grow. As companies mature out of the start-up phase, they evolve into sustainable businesses, are acquired or sold to public investors, or decay and may eventually shut down, as new companies start-up and take their place.
- Engineer
- Product Manager
- Salesperson
- Business Developer
- Marketer
- Account Manager / Customer Service
- Office Manager
- Vettery (2 students)
- A Stepfull of You (1 student)
- Atlantic Visuals (1 student)
- Canvas Worldwide (1 student)
*BC alumni also have founded and are employed at the following startups: Drizly, Jebbit, Thredup
13%
received job offers during fall semester of senior year
47%
received job offers during spring semester of senior year
33%
received job offers the summer after senior year
7%
received job offers the fall after senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
Every entrepreneur, from owners of roadside cafes to global startups, needs to be versed in management, finances, taxes, and other business-related topics. You don’t necessarily need a master’s degree in economics, but an educational foundation in business will certainly help. An entrepreneurship education could mean an actual entrepreneurship degree or a more general business education that will prepare you to meet the day-to-day challenges of an entrepreneur career.
- Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization
- Entrepreneurs’ Organization
- International Council for Small Business World Congress
- National Association of Business Owners & Entrepreneurs
- National Association of Women Business Owners
- Social Enterprise Alliance
- Small Giants
- Startup Grind
- Venture for America
- Vistage
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Finance/Banking
Finance is a broad term that describes two related activities: the study of how money is managed and the actual process of acquiring needed funds. It encompasses the oversight, creation and study of money, banking, credit, investments, assets and liabilities that make up financial systems.
- Financial / Investment / Security Analyst
- Financial Advisor
- Financial Services Broker
- Loan Underwriter
- Investment Banker
- Mortgage Banker / Loan Officer
- Research Analyst
Financial Services
- Fidelity Investments
- Citi
- John Hancock
- BlackRock
Banking
- Citi
- JPMorgan Chase and Co.
- Morgan Stanley
- Goldman Sachs
26%
received job offers before senior year
27%
received job offers during fall semester of senior year
37%
received job offers during spring semester of senior year
10%
recieved job offers after senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
A master’s degree in finance or business administration can improve an analyst’s chances of advancing to a higher/managerial position.
- (Deloitte): Pioneer Internship Program
- (Goldman Sachs): Undergraduate Camp; Pride Summit; Hispanic Latino Leadership Summit; Women’s Leadership Camp; Diverse Abilities; MBA Women’s Symposium; Scholarship for Excellence; MBA Diversity Symposium; Veterans Summit
- (Morgan Stanley): Veterans Early Insights Program; Black, Hispanic and Native American Early Insights Program; Career Discovery Day; Women Early Insights Program; LGBT + Early Insights Program; Richard B. Fisher Scholarship Program; 2019 Freshman Enhancement Program
- (JPMorgan): Launching Leaders-Undergraduate; Proud to Be-Undergraduate; We See Ability-Undergraduate; Winning Women-Undergraduate; Early Advantage-MBA; Launching Leaders-MBA; Proud to Be-MBA; Winning Women-MBA; Military & Veterans
- (Bank of America Merrill Lynch): Spring Diversity & Inclusion Forum; Diversity Scholarship of Distinction; Ignite With STEM Diversity & Inclusion Forum; MBA Diversity Fellowship
- (Credit Suisse): Sophomore Diversity Program; Women’s Mentor Program (Investment Banking); Steps to Success Diversity Event; MBA Fellowship Program
- (Citigroup): Freshman Discovery Diversity Program
- (Barclays): Sophomore Springboard Diversity Program; Career Catalyst Series Diversity Program (MBA); MBA Ambition Diversity Program
Insurance
The insurance industry comprises companies and people who develop insurance policies, sell, administer, and regulate them. Some insurance companies offer investment products and employ people who develop, sell, administer, or service these products. Insurance is about managing risk, for both the insurance company and its customers. The insurance industry is divided into three main branches: life insurance, health insurance, and property and casualty insurance.
- Actuary
- Sales Agent
- Broker/Consultant
- Risk Manager
- Underwriter
- Liberty Mutual Insurance
- AIG
- Aetna
- Arch Insurance Group
38%
before senior year
25%
during fall semester of senior year
25%
during spring semester of senior year
13%
received job offers the summer after senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
Generally speaking, the entry-level roles in this industry do not require a postgraduate degree. There are few that may seek those with a masters in finance, real estate or an MBA. Certification or licensure, however, is required for many of the roles and must be maintained through completing periodic continuing education classes/exams.
Product Development Director
Marketing/Sales
Marketing refers to activities undertaken by a company to promote the buying or selling of a product or service, to consumers or other businesses. A sale is a transaction between two or more parties in which the buyer receives goods--either tangible or intangible--services, and / or assets in exchange for money or other assets paid to a seller.
- Advertising and Marketing Manager
- Market Research Analyst
- Marketing Consultant
- Product Manager
- Sales Engineer
- Sales Manager
- Travel Agent / Consultant
- Research Analyst
- Digitas
- Epsilon
- CJ Affiliate by Conversant
- Kantar Millward Brown
4%
before senior year
29%
during fall semester of senior year
36%
during spring semester of senior year
32%
summer or fall after senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
You will need at least a bachelor's degree in marketing research, marketing, business administration, statistics, computer science, history, or economics to enter this career, but employers seeking to hire director levels prefer applicants with graduate degrees.
A master's of business administration, for example, is frequently required on projects calling for complex statistical and business analysis. Other recommended advanced degrees include those in marketing, statistics, communications, and related fields. Graduate work at the doctorate level is not necessary for most positions, but it is highly desirable for those who plan to become involved in advanced research studies.
- American Marketing Association
- American Society of Travel Agents
- Association of International Product Marketing and Management
- Association of Internal Management Consultants
- Global Business Travel Association
- Marketing Research Association
- MarketingProfs
- Sales Management Association
- Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization
Real Estate
The real estate industry encompasses the many facets of property, including development, appraisal, marketing, selling, leasing, and management of commercial, industrial, residential, and agricultural properties. This industry can fluctuate depending on the national and local economies, although it remains somewhat consistent due to the fact that people always need homes and businesses always need office space.
- Assessor and Appraiser
- Property and Real Estate Manager
- Real Estate Agent and Broker
- Real Estate Developer
- Real Estate Lawyer
- Cushman and Wakefield
- JLL
- Arbor Realty Trust
- Berkadia Commercial Mortgage
18%
received job offers before senior year
55%
received job offers during spring semester of senior year
18%
received job offers the summer after senior year
9%
received job offers the fall after senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
For most positions in real estate, individuals will need a Bachelor’s degree, along with appropriate training / certification, as an advanced degree (e.g. master’s) is unnecessary for entry-level access.
- American Institute of Architects
- Building Owners and Managers Association International
- Commercial Real Estate Development Association
- Commercial Real Estate Development Association--Massachusetts Chapter
- CREW Boston
- Institute of Real Estate Management
- Mortgage Bankers Association
- National Association of Real Estate Investment Funds
- National Association of Realtors
- Urban Land Institute
- Wellness for Women in Real Estate
- Builders of Color Coalition (BCC)
- CREST (Commercial Real Estate Success Training)
- Goldman Sachs Scholarship for Excellence
Sports Business
Sports business (management) is the study and practice of all people, activities, businesses, or organizations involved in producing, facilitating, promoting, or organizing andy sports-related business or product. The sports business industry consists of numerous other segments, some of which are sports tourism, semi-professional sports, recreation, high school and college sports, outdoor sports, and sports-service businesses such as sports marketing firms, sports sponsorship management companies, and sport governing bodies. Essentially, in the sports business industry, there are numerous jobs that combine two interests into one job (e.g. photography, computer programming).
- Sports Agent
- Sports Broadcaster / Announcer
- Sports Executive
- Sports Facility Manager
- Sports Photographer
- Sports Physician
- Sports Psychologist
- Sports Publicist
- Sports Scout
- Sports Trainer
- Sports Writer
- Boston Red Sox
- Athletes First
- Bleacher First
- New England Patriots
80%
received job offers during spring semester of senior year
20%
received job offers the summer after senior year
Do I need to go to graduate school?
Plan to earn a master’s degree in sport management, preferably from an accredited sports-focused school in sport management, business, or college student personnel for more opportunities and advancement. Work as a graduate assistant (GA) in the athletic department.
Earn a law degree and develop skills in investment management and negotiation to represent players as an agent.
- American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
- National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
- National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)
- National College Athletic Association (NCAA)
- North American Society for Sport Management
- Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE)
- Sports Lawyers Association
- Women’s Sports Foundation
Human Resources
Human resources is the department or division of a business, corporation, or organization that manages all aspects related to its personnel, including recruiting employees, training and career development, overseeing compensation packages, managing benefits plans, and other duties that serve to maximize a company's business and its employees' satisfaction with their jobs. Simply, the function of the human resources industry is to produce competent personnel and to keep employees productive. More than 800,000 people work in human resources and related fields today. (Source: Vault)
- Human resources generalists
- Employment and placement managers
- Employment, placement, and recruitment specialists
- Employer relations representatives
- Job analysts
- Compensation managers
- Benefits managers