sheehan1p

Hey Guys! I just had a couple questions i wanted to major in international business i graduated in 2011 and just now finally decided on what i really wanted to do! I am taking chinese 1 and my local community college and im doing well in it. So my question is is it worth it to actually go to Beijing (Thats the school i would be attending) and learn Mandarin Chinese and go for international business? I thought about going for software engineering also but i guess you can just call that a plan b if all else fails.. I really like culture though and no matter what i wanna study abroad and go to some country to learn a foreign language. If someone can throw there 2 cents in i'd really appreciate the help!

Thanks in advance
Sonny Sheehan

sheehan1p

any thoughts people come on now

SuperSeniorx2

What degree did you initially graduated with in 2011? I heard the International Business degree is useless (well the program at my school) because it's so broad. Chinese (Mandarin) will definitely be beneficial to you, but if you want to take it, you might as well try to become proficient in it. My friend told me Boeing would have offered her the job on the spot if she had knew Mandarin. You don't really need a degree in International Business to get a career in any international area, such as import/export (you can take Finance).

I recommend for you to study abroad in China or a country/area where they speak Mandarin so you can try to become intermediate in the language then eventually later in the future, become proficient. You will find out whether you want to continue doing something that relates to international business, or become a software engineer, or something completely different. Either way, studying abroad is a great experience.

Good luck on figuring it out!

sheehan1p

Hi thanks for the reply! I didn't get any degree in 2011 I just got my diploma from my high school that's the year I graduated. Is it really? Why do you say it's useless? I feel like chinese with e beneficial for me and help me towards the future in getting a job but like you said I thought about getting into the import export business! Im deff going to take the opportunity to study abroad though

ijamjl

I think a major in International Business isn't recommended alone because it doesn't really provide you with that many tools for the working world. Often, people will say to double major instead of majoring only in International Business.

However, studying Chinese is definitely a good plan. If you want to work internationally, more languages will better your opportunities. A tip for you, since you're taking Chinese now, is to ask your 老師 how to say certain things from a business perspective. Just look out for vocabulary that can be applied in business.

sheehan1p

I agree with you ijamjl! I've been doing research too but I haven't had anything to back it up I feel like it isn't braid enough with but why if you don't mind explaining to me? But yes thank you I will ask my teacher! Haha but if not china it'll be Italy but I for sure am going to double major

SuperSeniorx2

I agree with Ijamjl. The International Business degree is useless if only taken alone. Many of my friends end up switching their concentration because they were unhappy at the concepts and theories taught. It's too vague.

If you are interested in import/export, I highly recommend Finance because the degree have a track dedicated to import/export and international business. I think China would be a great option for you as it is an emerging market and highly recognized for their business involvement, and you can practice Mandarin on a daily basis. As they would say, hitting 2 birds with one stone. My friend actually study abroad in China (beforehand, he was fluent in English and Spanish), and came back speaking Mandarin to International Chinese students. He said he became close to proficient because he kept getting lost in China which forced him to improve in the language. You'll be an asset to many companies if you decide to do that.

Good luck!

ijamjl

It might sound like I'm talking out of my ass now, but I don't really know why the major isn't recommended, and I haven't looked at a sample curriculum either. From this point, I'm going to assume.

In terms of major, the name international business doesn't really seem to mean anything. If you wanted to learn about global economies, you could study economics or political science. If you wanted to do investments with international markets, you could still study economics, or the above mentioned finance. Basically, you can apply whatever you want to do at the international level by networking with those particular companies, or hope that your US firm offers a position that offers a lot of travel.

The skills you learn are transferable; I believe the only obstacle that remains is the language barrier(s).

sheehan1p

What would you guys recommend me taking with another major alongside international business? Do you guys think software engineering would be alright? I'm kinda lost hah I really wished I had this figured out a couple years ago

ijamjl

Do what you want to do, or else you'll end up with few A grades or a miserable time when working.

sheehan1p

Yes gotcha thanks for the tips! I really appreciate with this little bit of info it somewhat pointed me in the right direction and got me thinking thanks much

paulap19

Sonny mandarin is one of the most worldwide used languages, knowing that the first one is english, you have a very step ahead toward your career( if its int business) since mandarin is a very spoken language and very broad you can absolutely go for that without any problem

irizzz

definitely helps