Business Courses for Go-Getters

In a competitive job market, courses that build communication skills, decision-making prowess, and confidence may be the ticket to gainful employment

By Francesca Di Meglio

In today's competitive job market, graduates fresh out of college are looking to stand out. The earlier they start to give themselves an edge, the better off they will be, which is why more undergraduate business courses are starting to address softer skills—from improving communication to learning how to effectively use your creativity. Unique, hands-on courses that are part self-reflection, part theory, and part applied learning are best because they engage students and leave a lasting impression, say educators.

Recruiters say they are looking for people who have the technical skills but also display a certain level of maturity and flexibility and can communicate well. In addition, they are looking for some tangible experience. "Those who have had some work experience in the past are more successful employees," says Lisa Reckis, manager of College Relations at SanDisk (SNDK) a maker of flash memory products in Milpitas, Calif. If you can't land a job or internship before graduation, she suggests volunteering or working on research with a professor.

Challenge Yourself

Some students can gain experience and have something to talk about in an interview simply by going to class. They just have to be smart about designing their class schedule. "Look for classes that are going to challenge you and provide you with a set of skills you're not necessarily comfortable with," says Terri Feldman Barr, who is teaching a pair of courses to undergraduate business students on the foundations of decision-making that has students reading, debating, and writing at the Farmer School of Business (Farmer Undergraduate Business Profile) at Miami University.

Sports fans might enjoy learning about teamwork and leadership in a course at Temple University's Fox School of Business and Management (Fox Undergraduate Business Profile) that is team-taught by Lynne Anderson, associate professor of business, society, and ethics, and basketball coach Fran Dunphy. The class, which is only for honors business students, takes field trips to Philadelphia stadiums to meet managers and teams. Kobe Bryant's high school coach, for example, spoke to students about nurturing great talent. Students also sit in on Temple basketball practices to observe and then write about the development of work groups.

One tangible skill that can set job candidates apart nowadays is being able to make a tough sale, and students in a sports marketing course at Seton Hall University's Stillman School of Business (Stillman Undergraduate Business Profile) are getting plenty of practice. On Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. ET—not exactly prime selling time—they work the phones, cold-calling potential spectators for the New Jersey Nets basketball team, which comes into class for a module on sales. Every class session, students sell a couple of tickets, says Larry McCarthy, associate professor of management. But the point is getting comfortable making a pitch. "The portal of entry in sports management is sales," says McCarthy. "If you can sell, you'll get the first job."

Knowing How to Think

Critical-thinking skills and creativity don't hurt, either. Undergraduates in Emory University's Goizueta Business School (Goizueta Undergraduate Business Profile) can enroll in the course "Ideation," which requires students to devise creative solutions to thorny business problems. "This is a course on thinking, which is not a core competency in American business," says Joey Reiman, adjunct professor and founder and CEO of BrightHouse.

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