When most people think of an 'entrepreneur', they think of people who started their own businesses. Although it gives you the skills to do so, having an entrepreneurial mindset could be useful in other careers too.
If you're not ready to start your own company yet, you might be glad to hear this. All your skills can be applied to a range of careers and positions. Here are some of the most popular options available to you if you have an entrepreneurship degree.
- Start your own business
- Help startups grow
- Project management
- HR and recruitment
- Work at leading companies
1. Start your own business
There are always examples of succesful entrepreneurs who have decided to set up their own business.
Here at Newcastle University, we want to support you if you want to add to the number of entrepreneurs out there. Whether you want to freelance, sell a product or create an innovative new service, the START UP team through the Careers Service is there to help you at every stage, from pre-idea to launch and beyond. They offer workshops, coaching, peer-learning groups and even funding.
If you’re interested in starting a business after you graduate, you will need to acquire a STARTUP visa. Our advisers will be there to offer support and guidance during every step of your journey to starting up a business.
Read more about STARTUP here.
2. Help startups grow
Working at a startup company is one of the best ways to learn what’s involved in being an entrepreneur. Choose a startup that you’re interested in and you’ll get experience as well as a chance to see what it’s really going to be like running your own company, including the positives and challenges.
You’ll work alongside other passionate entrepreneurs and help them achieve their business goals and growth targets.
3. Project management
Entrepreneurs make great project managers. Common sectors which hire project managers include construction, IT, engineering, property, translation and the public sector.
A project manager takes care of the daily management of the project. They must be able to manage the six aspects effectively: scope, schedule, finance, risk, quality and resources. This is something entrepreneurs will all be familiar with and you should be able to apply your knowledge to this role.
4. HR and recruitment
From marketing to engineering and from banks to non-profit organisations, every company - regardless of size or sector - will need the expertise of an HR or recruitment professional.
The workplace is always changing and much like successful entrepreneurs, people in these roles will have to continually adapt to new challenges and environments. Fortunately, those with entrepreneurial skillset will be able to bring new ideas and innovation to the workplace.
5. Work at leading companies
If you can get work experience at a leading company like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple, you’ll be experienced with the latest technology. You may have an opportunity for an entrepreneur-type role within the organisation such as the development of a new product.
You’ll also be well-positioned for success when it’s time to launch your own business because you’ll have the first-hand experience.
The UK attracts a lot of prospective business professionals. Entrepreneurship graduates are often hired as they bring relevant knowledge on customer trends.
Universities and business schools like Newcastle University also help students connect with companies.
The opportunities we've covered in this blog are only a few you can progress in with entrepreneurial experience. There are many others which you can read about here.
Finding a job after graduation can be tricky, especially as there are many other graduates in the same position as you. That's why it's important to start preparing for your future career as soon as possible, from planning out your path to your ideal role to talking to your university's careers team.
But when is the right time to start preparing? That's what we'll be covering in our timeline…
Prepare for your career with our timeline
Not sure what the next step should be? In our visual timeline, we’ll cover all the steps from applying to university to after graduation. Throughout, we'll be providing advice on when's best to start preparing for your future career, from what you should be doing in the first year of your studies right through to the end.
Click the button below to view the timeline.