International Business
The two companies chosen for this essay belong to two categories; a government agency and a multinational company located in America. The two companies selected from the aforementioned categories are; Overseas Private Investment Corporation and Apple Inc. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) aims to support the American legislation along with solving critical developmental challenges faced by its citizens. On the other hand, Apple Inc. is a multinational with the aim of making a profit by providing high-end technological products.
OPIC provides investors with financing opportunities along with guarantees, political risk insurance, and supports private equity investment funds of its clients. However, it must be understood that OPIC does not provide its services to individual citizens. Instead, it assists emerging businesses by providing financial assistance and guidance. This allows small-scale firms to penetrate into newer markets and thus gives these infant businesses an opportunity to compete with larger firms. One of the greatest benefits of infant industries is that they provide employment opportunities to a number of people, which in turn has a positive impact on the national employment rates.
Employment opportunities at OPIC begin with an internship at the organization either in the general or legal departments. The internships are offered to college graduates but do not pay. However, the internships add greatly to a student's experience and contribute later on, towards scoring a secure employment and starting a career at OPIC. Since OPIC is an institution providing financial assistance to growing businesses, the job of a financial consultant would be applicable to my area of interest as I have a finance background.
The salary of a financial consultant does not only rely on a base salary because most companies offer commission to their consultants. The typical starting salary for a financial advisor would average about $38,000 annually for fresh graduates; however, with time this can go up to $90,000. The opportunities for upward mobility in this field are vast if the consultant keeps himself up to date with prevailing market trends in the financial industry. In addition, numerous exams are available which enhance the skills and add value to the consultant’s profession.
In order to increase my competitiveness in the field of financial consultancy, I plan to begin by taking extra exams that fall outside the scope of my degree plan. These certifications will not only have a positive impact upon my curriculum vitae, but they will also add to my skills. Moreover, since OPIC provides its services to emerging businesses, there are greater chances for upward career mobility in this organization.
The multinational company which I have selected is Apple Inc, which is a manufacturer of high end technological products such as mobile phones and tablet computers that are aimed at a specific segment in the market. A career at Apple can range from the corporate sector to the technology sector and there is a wide range of option to choose from. Given my background of being a business student, the corporate job opportunities are the most likely to grab my attention at this leading multinational. Marketing and merchandising are just two areas at Apple which have jobs for business school graduates.
The Apple store leader program is an attractive opportunity for business graduates. It allows individuals to be linked to market leaders alongside providing training to direct store teams. This can be a part of Apple’s strategy in producing leaders who would then manage Apple stores. The program expects a business graduate to apply his/her management skills in a retail store environment. Unlike office jobs, this store leader program is part of experiential learning which includes the practical application of knowledge.
The average annual salary for an Apple store manager is around $80,000 which includes the bonuses and commission offered. This is higher compared to the retail store manager salaries of other multinational companies such as Levi’s and HP to name a few. As per the policy of the store leader program, once the training period of 24 months is over the individual can wish to be located at an Apple store anywhere in the world depending upon his/her performance.
Resource management in terms of employees is a critical skill required for anyone applying for this position. This means the individual should rate high on soft-skills because interaction with employees and customers is mostly likely to be the norm for this position. In terms of skill development for this program, I would start working on my communication skills possibly by taking up courses related to communication. Furthermore, I would actively participate in team building activities because managing work teams could be a requirement for this leader program and may add to my USP.
My main purpose for selecting OPIC and Apple Inc. were the jobs available within these organizations. Since I would either major in finance or management, these two companies offer plenty of opportunities for me to make the best use of my degree plan. At OPIC the concept of internships is an attractive feature. Not many companies offer internships as part of their formal policy. Internships would help me a lot by providing experience and giving me the chance to apply my knowledge to real life scenarios. Securing an internship at a reputable organization before the start of a career has a positive impact upon the formal job interview. Apple Inc. being a technological company, is the future of the world of business. The scope which would be provided by Apple Inc. might not be accessible in any other company. Apple Inc. being a technology oriented company, would broaden my horizon not only in the field of management but it would also acquaint me with the latest technology in the market.
References
Apple - Jobs at Apple - Students (us). (n.d.). Apple - Jobs at Apple - Students (us). Retrieved January 27, 2014, from http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/students-degree.html#aha_degree_requirem
Financial Advisor Salary in United States. (n.d.). Job Search. Retrieved January 27, 2014, from http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Financial-Advisor-l-United-States.html
OPIC : Overseas Private Investment Corporation. (n.d.). OPIC : Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Retrieved January 27, 2014, from http://www.opic.gov/
