Business Careers

Each year, nearly 30 percent of Bowdoin graduates pursue careers in business. So, what is “business”?

People who work in business help to set business goals and strategies, create products or services, promote, sell, or support the products or services, or provide the administrative support for the business to operate. Others who work in professional services organizations offer outside advice to businesses on how they can perform better.

These business roles exist across industries, including: technology, healthcare and biotech, financial services, agriculture, consumer products, food and beverage, sports and leisure, beauty and fashion, real estate and construction, energy and environment, telecommunications, retail, aerospace and defense, automotive, media and entertainment, and more.

Bowdoin students develop the communication, critical thinking, and analytic skills to succeed across business roles and industries. Recent Bowdoin alumni have pursued leadership development rotational programs, professional services, sales, marketing, customer support, data analyst, human resources positions, and more. Graduates have accepted positions at large firms like Accenture Strategy, Bloomberg, eBay, and IBM, niche firms like Artisan Healthcare Consulting and Suffolk Construction, and high-growth companies like Attentive and WEX.

Sample Career Paths

Set Organizational Goals and Strategy: Corporate strategy and planning, internal consulting, internal mergers and acquisitions

Create Products or Services: Market research, user experience, product design or development, manufacturing, quality control

Promote, Sell and/or Support Products or Services: Marketing, brand management, pricing and promotion, sales or business development, customer or product service

Provide “Back Office” Support for the Business to Operate: Human resources (e.g., recruiting, talent development, diversity and inclusion), corporate branding and responsibility (e.g., public relations, corporate philanthropy, ethics, corporate sustainability), corporate finance, internal audit, data analysts/scientists, information technology

Advise Businesses on How They Can Operate More Effectively (Professional Services): Management or strategy consulting, financial advisory (e.g. M&A, restructuring, capital raising), advertising and public relations firms

Reflect on Career Interests, Values, and Skills

Given the wide array of “business” career options, defining which roles and industries to explore is important to do early, and revisit often. Bowdoin offers tools and one-on-one advising support to help students clarify their career interests, skills, and values including:

Strong Interest Inventory® Assessment: Shows how student interests correlate with different careers, majors and student activities.
SkillScan™: A fast, interactive process for identifying transferrable skills, and potential skills gaps.
Knowdell Career Values Card Sort™: An efficient exercise for identifying an individual’s most salient career values (like Time Freedom, Profit, Community, etc.).

Students can get access to these tools by making an appointment with a CXD advisor.

Explore “Business” Careers through CXD Events and Programs

Bowdoin Career Exploration and Development offers dozens of events each year, enabling students to learn about and connect with employers and alum in a variety of business careers.

The CXD “Explore” series and Ssophomore Bootcamp alumni panels are specifically designed to educate students about career options that they may not have previously considered in a casual, low-pressure environment. Careers highlighted through these programs may rotate year-to-year, allowing students the opportunity to learn about multiple career paths throughout their 4 years.

In a typical week, there are multiple employers and alumni on-campus offering job talks and information sessions on topics ranging from data analytics in the entertainment industry, to corporate M&A at a tech company, to sales in the consumer products industry. Most of these events are held in small, intimate settings, offering students plenty of opportunity to ask questions and build their professional networks.

In addition, student-led clubs including Bowdoin Women in Business, Bowdoin Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Bowdoin Analytics Club, the Bowdoin Finance Society, and Smart Woman Securities organize their own career education events throughout the year for members.

Build Industry-Specific Knowledge and Skills

Bowdoin students are offered free access to several resources that can assist with preparing for a career business:

Vault Guides: The Vault Guides provide comprehensive reviews of a breadth of careers including consulting, marketing, sales, human resources, manufacturing, operations & logistics, real estate, market research, finance, and more. Each Guide covers job responsibilities, earnings, prerequisite skills, employer and advancement prospects, and tips for getting your foot in the door.
LinkedIn Learning: Offers online coursework on a vast array of business topics. Learning paths include PowerPoint, Excel, Digital Marketing, Corporate Financial Planning, Six Sigma, Presentation Skills, Social Media Marketing, Problem Solving, Business Operations, Business Analysis, Innovation, and more.
Bowdoin Library: Offers free access to the Wall Street Journal and hundreds of business publications.

Network Proactively

Every Bowdoin student benefits from the knowledge, expertise, and generosity of the Bowdoin network to learn about and succeed in landing jobs that interest them. Students are coached by career advisors about how to identify alum in industries and/or functions of interest, and how to professionally reach out for informational interviews.

Meet Alumni

Jean Hoffman '79, chairman and CEO of Putney, Inc., shares key advice on finding a job and succeeding in business.