Earning a credible business certificate can help you advance your career, develop in-demand skills, and learn about current industry standards and trends. It’s a common misconception that these courses are only valuable to business professionals. But, individuals in any industry can benefit from the skills and knowledge a business course provides.
Are you interested in learning more about what a business certificate course can do for you? Here are five career paths that can benefit from business skills, how a course can aid your career prospects, and how to decide if it’s right for you.
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1. Entrepreneurs
Most entrepreneurs' plans don't come to fruition. More than two-thirds of startups fail, yet rarely due to a bad idea. These failures are often because of an insufficient understanding of the market, resulting from negligent market research or surface-level consumer knowledge.
Finding a course that teaches concepts such as conjoint analysis and willingness to pay (WTP) can help you determine the most valuable features of your product and how to make it more appealing to consumers.
In addition to gaining new skills, you can also gain new connections.
Consider Cindy Nie, founder of One Healing Space, who enrolled in Harvard Business School Online's Credential of Readiness (CORe) program to help pivot her career from finance to entrepreneurship. Since completing the program, Nie has helped foster a community among fellow learners in Toronto, Canada, to keep the conversation going.
“There’s one common thing about our Community members,” Nie says, “they care about self-growth. They love to meet with each other and learn from one another.”
Founders need a strong grasp of business essentials and a robust network to succeed in entrepreneurship. Obtaining a business certificate can help you build both.
2. Managers
Those hoping to advance into a managerial position can benefit from earning a business certificate that focuses on developing financial accounting, business analytics, and economics skills. These competencies are crucial for those who need to make informed decisions about their organization's finances and projects' return on investment (ROI).
For example, managers with financial accounting expertise better understand how their decisions impact their company's bottom line.
If you have the technical skills to excel in your role, but lack management experience, you can also benefit from a management-focused certificate program. HBS Online’s Management Essentials course equips individuals with the skills to motivate teams, lead organizational change, and make strategic decisions.
3. Engineers
A successful engineering career requires more than just technical know-how. As engineers earn promotions, they take on more responsibilities that require business understanding, such as project management and organizational leadership. For STEM careers, the further someone advances, the more business skills are expected.
Some of these skills include:
- Communication
- Management
- Creativity
- Financial accounting
- Innovation
- Negotiation
- Ethics
While a business certificate helps individuals develop these skills, it also aids in personal growth. For example, Isha Khambra, a petroleum engineer, enrolled in HBS Online’s CORe program to grow as a professional in more ways than one.
“Very early in life, I realized that growing and evolving isn’t finite, it’s perpetual,” Khambra says. “One’s job doesn’t end after attaining that much-aspired position or job role. There’s always room to evolve and advance. I signed up for CORe with the goal of expanding my understanding of business fundamentals and becoming that well-rounded engineer my boss wanted.”
4. Healthcare Professionals
Medical professionals often encounter the complicated challenge of providing healthcare to patients while fulfilling organizational goals. Due to increasing pressure on physicians to provide care in a cost-effective way, healthcare professionals are often forced to develop innovative patient care solutions that don't hurt the company's bottom line.
Since many organizational problem-solving skills aren’t developed when pursuing a traditional medical degree, a business certificate can act as an effective supplement for leaders in the medical field. Knowledge of business skills in areas such as financial accounting, leadership, and analytics are all valuable to healthcare leadership.
Related: What Is Health Care Economics?
5. Creatives
Creative professionals, such as graphic designers, artists, and musicians, frequently require business knowledge—especially when they represent themselves.
For example, operatic soloists in the United States—like Carla Dirlikov Canales—are independent practitioners, meaning they're responsible for their own salary and benefits. Since much of their income goes to collaborators such as pianists or vocal trainers, it's nearly impossible to be successful without business competencies.
“Business acumen is fundamental to being an artist, and there's a huge lack of business understanding,” Canales says.
In addition to negotiating their own contracts and pitching their value, creatives are often faced with the challenge of managing budgets and preparing financial statements. Learning about business can help creative professionals develop these skills to propel their creative careers.
How a Business Certificate Can Help Your Career Prospects
Whether you're a seasoned professional or searching for entry-level positions, a business certificate can complement your background and help your career prospects in several ways.
Teaches Valuable Skills
A business certificate is an excellent addition to a job seeker’s resume. Not only does it teach in-demand skills that apply to nearly every industry, but it demonstrates your commitment to lifelong learning. Some of these valuable business skills include:
- Reading and preparing financial statements
- Analyzing data
- Assessing market opportunities
- Crafting value-based strategies
This is an effective way to catch recruiters’ attention, obtain potential promotions, and help you negotiate your salary.
The skills you can gain from a certificate course are important at any level of an organization. Whether you're seeking a managerial position or just starting out, you can develop crucial leadership and financial abilities.
Prepares You For an Advanced Degree
If you're considering pursuing an advanced education like a Master of Business Administration (MBA) but aren't sure if it’s right for you, a business certificate is an excellent option in the interim. The knowledge you can gain from a business certificate course can prepare you for an admissions interview and is an effective primer for an MBA.
HBS Online's Credential of Readiness (CORe) program was designed with MBA preparation in mind, teaching concepts vital to a foundational MBA curriculum. If you want to brush up on your skills, get back into a student mindset, or find out whether a case-based learning experience is right for you, consider enrolling in CORe.
Teaches the Language of Business
Financial accounting is often referred to as the "language of business"—for good reason. It enables professionals in all fields to make financially informed business decisions. Foundational finance knowledge can increase your credibility with high-level executives, aid in cross-departmental work, and allow you to contribute to strategic decision-making.
You don't need a background in accounting to learn how to speak the language of business. An online business course with an emphasis on financial accounting can provide you with the foundational knowledge to contribute confidently.
Helps Advance Your Career
A credible online business course can help advance your career, leading to potential promotions and increased attention from recruiters. A business certificate is an investment in your future and can reward you with advanced emotional intelligence and a stronger professional network.
Advocating for yourself is critical to obtaining a leadership position, impressing recruiters in job interviews, or getting a raise. In fact, 50 percent of HBS Online learners attracted more attention from recruiters after completing a certificate program.
Helps You Negotiate a Higher Salary
While a business certificate doesn’t guarantee a higher salary, it teaches in-demand skills and demonstrates initiative, which can help you stand out in the job market and negotiate compensation.
Increasing your earning potential can take different forms. For example, according to a recent survey, 42 percent of learners reported earning a salary increase after completing an HBS Online certificate program—with an average increase of $17,000—and nearly 20 percent said they received a higher bonus—with an average increase of $14,000.
Taking an online course can also boost your confidence in your ability to demonstrate business knowledge. Part of advocating for yourself involves knowing your worth. Earning a business certificate can help you convey that worth to employers.
Should You Get a Business Certificate?
Whether you should get a business certificate depends on its format, credibility, subject matter, and what you value in a course. Consider your current skill set, your career aspirations, and what you hope to gain by taking a course. If you’re thinking of working full-time while pursuing a certificate, choosing an online format can provide schedule and location flexibility.
It's also important to evaluate what networking opportunities the certificate provides. Are there ways to connect with like-minded professionals during and after your educational experience? HBS Online’s courses offer ways to engage with fellow learners throughout the course and after through the HBS Online Community. The connections you make may be just as valuable as the skills you learn.
Develop Your Career with CORe
Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or manager, healthcare professional, engineer, or creative, a business certificate can help you grow your career.
One option is HBS Online's CORe program, which consists of three courses—Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting. It’s designed to help professionals at any level become fluent in the language of business, stand out to employers in a competitive job market, and develop their careers in any industry.
Do you want to advance your career but aren't where to start? Explore our CORe program and business essentials courses, and download our free guide on how to advance your career with essential business skills. Not sure which course is right for you? Download our free flowchart.
