What Can I Do With a Major In Economics?

Economics Student Organizations

• Apollo Society* - open to 2nd year students interested in investment & financial markets 
  • Kennedy Program* - open to 1st year students interested in finance & accounting
• Corsair Society* - open to 3rd & 4th year students though entry is highly competitive, develops and connects members with alumni in areas of investment banking and consulting
• Economics Society - open to all students, learn about the various areas of Economics from employer speakers and campus partners
• Society of Business Intelligence -  focused on developing and building the "hard" skills of all business and non-business students, which include data analytics skills such as Tableau, data visualization, SAS, and many more
• Society of Entrepreneurs - connects students to resources of the Entrepreneurship Program and the Athens entrepreneurial community
• Terry Student Researchers - focused on research and creating knowledge on issues affecting the University of Georgia campus and the local Athens community through semester-long research projects either designed by a current TSR member or developed in partnership with another student organization
• Women in Economics - a community of students who are passionate about economics, offering women the opportunity to network with companies, develop professional skills, and tips & advice for navigating college

* Application required

Consulting Student Organizations

• Terry Student Consulting - in addition to working with actual clients in a professional environment, develops its members knowledge of consulting through presentations, workshops, and guest speakers
• Triple Impact Consulting - a student-led club with the mission of equipping members with tools to analyze and better understand the intersection between business and sustainability

Other Terry Student Organizations

• Atlas Business Society* - open to 1st & 2nd year students, focused on developing business skills & professional etiquette
  • Magellan Program* - open to 1st year students, semester-long program focused on developing business skills & professional etiquette 
• Alpha Kappa Psi - co-ed professional business fraternity
• Delta Sigma Pi - co-ed professional business fraternity
• Finance Society - open to all students, learn about the various areas of finance from employer speakers 
• Multicultural Business Student Association - open to all students, caters to and develops the professional needs of business students from diverse backgrounds
• Student Financial Planning Association - open to all students, focuses on connecting students with employers and faculty & building a community of young professionals with an interest in financial planning
• Women in Finance - open to all students, prepares students from all majors for careers in finance through numerous networking events, socials, and interactive workshops

* Appication required

POTENTIAL CAREER PATHS

• Financial Planning - Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate. Duties include assessing clients' assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives.
• Insurance Underwriter - Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.
• Management Analyst - Conduct organizational studies and evaluations, design systems and procedures, conduct work simplification and measurement studies, and prepare operations and procedures manuals to assist management in operating more efficiently and effectively. Includes program analysts and management consultants.
• Marketing & Survey Research - Research market conditions in local, regional, or national areas, or gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or create a marketing campaign. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution.
• Economist - Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods.
• Environmental Economist - Conduct economic analysis related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources. Evaluate and quantify benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options using economic principles and statistical techniques.
• Real Estate & Urban Planning - Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.
• Legislative Assistant - Develop, introduce or enact laws and statutes at the local, tribal, State, or Federal level. Includes only workers in elected positions.
• Actuary - Analyze statistical data, such as mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates and construct probability tables to forecast risk and liability for payment of future benefits. May ascertain insurance rates required and cash reserves necessary to ensure payment of future benefits.
• Auditor - Examine and analyze accounting records to determine financial status of establishment and prepare financial reports concerning operating procedures.
• Budget Analyst - Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations. Analyze budgeting and accounting reports.
• Financial Analyst - Conduct quantitative analyses of information affecting investment programs of public or private institutions.
• Underwriter - Manage communications or negotiations between corporate issuers of securities and clients regarding private equity investments. Underwrite the issuance of securities to provide capital for client growth. Negotiate and structure the terms of mergers or acquisitions.
• Graduate School programs including the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), the Master of Arts in Economics (MA Econ), and the Master of Business Administration (MBA) - note: most MBA programs require at least 2 years of work experience prior to admittance
• And more!

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Economics is a great major because it provides a solid business foundation that can lead to a wide range of career options; however, this openness can also be troublesome when trying to narrow your focus to a few specific industries to actively pursue.  As a result, it is critical for economics majors to begin exploring their skills, values, & interests as well as various career opportunities prior to graduating.  Below is a list of common careers that economics majors often pursue as well as tips for success & exploration resources to help get you started.

• Consume financial news on a daily basis to build your market and industry fluency (don't wait to take FINA 3000 to begin talking the talk)

• Attend employer networking events through Terry College & the Career Center starting your first semester on campus. Build your industry awareness and self-confidence by engaging employers early

• Know your Recruiting Timeline:

  • Investment Banking - begins in the Spring semester a full year prior to a Summer internship (i.e. Spring 2022 for Summer 2023 opportunities) and runs into mid-Summer

  • Commercial Banking, Corporate Finance, & Consulting - begins in late July and runs into late September for the next year's Summer opportunities

• Improve your technical skills & knowledge through trainings on LinkedIn Learning

• Become Lean Six Sigma and/or Bloomberg Terminal certified, if relevant 

• Begin exploring careers early.  This is something that must be done outside of the classroom
• Create your resume during your first semester & update it every semester afterwards
• Internships are crucial for testing out various industries & also building relevant experience on your resume
• Consider earning a certificate to supplement your major studies
• Explore study abroad options during your 1st or 2nd year

RESOURCES - INDUSTRY RESEARCH & INTERVIEW PREP

• Economics News & Resources

  • Bureau of Economic Analysis - a unit of the US Department of Commerce that provides official macroeconomic and industry statistics, most notably reports about the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States and its various units—states, cities/towns/townships/villages/counties, and metropolitan areas. They also provide information about personal income, corporate profits, and government spending in their National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs)

  • Bureau of Labor Statistics - a unit of the US Department of Labor and the principal fact-finding agency for the US government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics 

  • CATO Institute - an American libertarian think thank that publishes books, podcasts, and more with a focus on public advocacy, media exposure and societal influence

  • The Economist - a British weekly newspaper that focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture that takes a stance primarily around classical, social, and most notably economic liberalism

  • National Bureau of Economic Research - conducts and disseminates nonpartisan economic research

  • Crash Course: Economics - YouTube playlist explaining various aspects of Economics in entertaining 10-15 minute snippets

• General Finance News
  • Bloomberg
    • Note: Released in 1982, the Bloomberg Terminal has become synonymous with the financial services sector. A computer software system provided by the financial data vendor Bloomberg L.P., it enables financial services professionals to access Bloomberg professional Service through which users can monitor and analyze real-time financial market data and place trades on the electronic trading platform. They are quite pricey, costing $20k per year per terminal to operate. Terry College has 12 Bloomberg Terminals in its Benn Capital Markets Lab and students can receive a Bloomberg certification (helpful in competing for investment banking and analyst internships, especially based in the Northeast). Bloomberg Terminals are particularly notable for their dark-background interface and unique custom keyboards with bright yellow and green keys 
  • ​The Deal - subscription-based Financial News service that covers corporate transactions, dealmakers and their advisers to help readers identify opportunities and build their business.
  • Financial Times - daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England and famous for its broadsheet's light pink hue.
  • New York Times' DealBook - financial news service reporting on mergers, acquisitions, venture capital and hedge funds produced by The New York Times
  • McKinsey Quarterly - first published in 1964, it's a business magazine aimed toward senior executives with a focus on management and organizational theory. Authored primarily by McKinsey & Co consultants and former consultants
  • Mergers & Inquisitions - backed by Breaking Into WallStreet, the world's first and largest blog dedicated to careers in the finance industry with a free weekly newsletter featuring interviews 
  • MorningBrew - free daily newsletter that captures financial news in bite-sized, easily digestible snippets. Also produce podcasts and videos.
  • Deal Breaker - publishes financial news, commentary, and analysis about banks, hedge funds, private equity, MBAs, and lifestyle
  • The Wall Street Journal MoneyBeat - provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data

• Stock Market Coverage
  • Market Watch - provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. A subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, along with The Wall Street Journal and Barron's
  • Seeking Alpha - crowd-sourced content service for financial markets started back in 2004, focused on stocks, asset classes, exchange-traded funds, and investment strategies
  • Bloomberg Markets
  • WSJ Markets
• Finance Training Courses
  • Breaking Into Wall Street ($$) - prep courses for students and professionals seeking Investment and Private Equity jobs
  • Training the Street ($$) - prep courses for investment banking and the financial industry
  • Wall Street Oasis ($$) - collection of various financial skills and modeling courses
  • Wall Street Prep ($$) - prep courses for investment banking

Note: the above courses can be costly and are sometimes included as a part of Terry major coursework or student organization membership. They are listed here for the sake of transparency as individuals may choose to purchase them individually.

CONSULTING & CASE INTERVIEW PREP

• Ace the Case ($$) - case interview questions and solutions for practice interview prep
• ArgoPoint - case interview tips
• Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation by Marc Cosentino ($$) - demystifies the case interview process used for recruiting in consulting, private equity, strategic planning, marketing, logistic, operations, and human capital. This book takes you inside a typical interview by exploring the various types of case questions
• Management Consulted - YouTube page featuring a library of case interview examples from McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Deloitte, and more, covering all types of case studies: profitability, market study, market sizing, and M&A

BOOKS & PODCASTS

• Books
  • Options, Futures, & Other Derivatives - John Hull
  • Security Analysis & The Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham
  • The Handbook of Fixed Income Securities - Frank Fabozzi
  • Liar’s Poker - Michael Lewis
  • Average is Over - Tyler Cowen
  • The Fast Track: The Insider's Guide to Winning Jobs in Management Consulting, Investment Banking, & Securities Trading - Mariam Naficy
• Podcasts
  • Freakonomics

O*NET Online – The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests associated with over 900 occupations.  

My Next Move – An interactive tool for students and job seekers to learn more about their career options.  

Occupational Outlook Handbook – The OOH is a career resource offering information on the hundreds of occupations that provide most of jobs in the United States.  

Vault – Vault.com provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work in an industry, company, or profession – and how to position yourself to land that job.  

Candid Career – This resource provides you with access to thousands of informational video interviews with real professionals through an easy-to-use website.  

UGA Mentor Program – Connect with a mentor (alumni, faculty, staff) to research and explore industries and careers. Research industries and careers by connecting with a mentor for a quick chat or formal 16-week mentorship through the UGA Mentor Program.  

Interstride - Interstride is an interactive tool for both international and domestic students to enhance their international experience and employment potential. The platform consists of job-listings, hiring trends, employer information, self-assessments, and up-to-date immigration guidance. 

Glassdoor - Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers an inside look at jobs and companies through "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees and job seekers.  

Steppingblocks - Research your future career with real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with career and education searches designed to find your best path based on millions of others. It’s data-powered career exploration for doers like you.

GENERAL EMPLOYMENT WEBSITES

• General  

• Handshake (scroll down to the bottom of the page; login with your UGA MyID and password)  

• LinkedIn (this popular networking site also has a job board!) 

• Idealist (non-profit jobs) 

• USAJobs (federal jobs) 

MAJOR & CAREER-SPECIFIC EMPLOYMENT WEBSITES

• Actuary Jobs
• American Economics Association
• Bank Jobs
• Career Bank
• Chronicle - jobs in higher education 
• eFinancial Careers
• Financial Job Bank
• Insurance Jobs
• Insurance Workforce

General

• National Association for Business Economics

Interested in Understanding & Interpreting Financial Matters

• American Association of Finance & Accounting
• American Bankers Association 
• American Finance Association 
• Association of Financial Professionals
• Financial Management Association
• Financial Planning Association
• ​International Academy of Business & Financial Management
• Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association

Interested in Quantitative Analysis

• American Mathematical Society
• American Statistical Association
• Institute for Operations Research & the Management Sciences
• Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics

Interested in Investment Banking

• CFA Institute
• Leaders Global Network
• Mergers & Inquisitions
• New York Society of Security Analysts
• Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association

Interested in Insurance

• Global Association of Risk Professionals Career Center
• Society of Actuaries

Interested in Consulting

• Institute of Management Consultants USA, Inc