If you like “The Office,” you should study business administration

Recent years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of 2000’s sitcom “The Office.” Many people have binged the show and fallen in love with the cast of characters, the employees of the Scranton branch of the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin. 

If you want a business administration job in an office just like theirs, getting a degree in business administration can be a great first step. Whether you want to work in sales like Jim and Dwight, or accounting like Oscar and Angela, or even be the boss like Michael, studying business administration can help you get there.

Do you Want to Work in Business Administration Management?

Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton office is managed in the early seasons by Michael Scott. While not always the most serious guy, he keeps his branch of the company afloat very successfully. His leadership and understanding of how to motivate his employees were massive strengths. Both of these are skills you can learn in business administration classes.

Classes in these programs will give you strategic management skills to help you set long-term goals and problem solve. Additionally, they’ll give you people management skills to be able to resolve conflicts and lead your team to achieve the aforementioned goals. You’ll also gain key knowledge of finances, operations, and marketing. Managers need to be able to “wear many hats.”

Having a working knowledge of all the jobs in your office is a major advantage to help you lead successfully. Even when Michael was the manager, he still was a skilled salesman. 

Do you Want to Work in Marketing and Sales?

Dunder Mifflin had a wide variety of skill levels in their sales staff. The best example of a successful salesman comes with Dwight Shrute. Although his methods were odd at times, Dwight knew how to appeal to customers. He was always persistent and went into every call highly prepared. His dedication to his work and the company itself are both extremely admirable qualities.

Business administration programs put a heavy emphasis on communication and negotiation skills that are vital in sales. Beyond these negotiation tactics, courses in marketing will give you the skills to analyze consumer behavior and position products effectively. These two skillsets together will help you to be able to sell not just the product, but also yourself. 

Dwight Shrute isn’t the most conventional salesman, so his methods aren’t always advisable. However, his dedication and attention to detail are definitely skills that should be emulated. 

Do you Want to Work in Human Resources?

The Human Resources representative role in the show was usually filled by Toby Flenderson. He wasn’t always the best example of human resources, so he himself may be more of a cautionary tale. The Dunder Mifflin Scranton office had a long backlog of employee complaints, and rarely had the agency to call out outrageous behavior.

If you want to be a successful HR representative, courses in business administration can give you the interpersonal communication skills to do it. The working knowledge of all aspects of the business also is good for this area so you can connect with employees and their objectives. Most programs also include courses specifically for human resource management. 

This coursework will train you to be able to handle conflicts much more effectively than Toby. You can help your office run much more smoothly than the often chaos-ridden Dunder Mifflin.

Do you Want to Work in Finance and Accounting? 

The company’s finances in the show were mainly managed by accountant Oscar Martinez. He was extremely knowledgeable of financials, and often acted as a check on Michael, who rarely considered the costs of his ideas. He managed inventory, processed sales, and played a major role in operations running smoothly.

You can gain financial knowledge like Oscar’s in finance and accounting classes that are part of the business administration curriculum. They give you the skills to not only manage day-to-day financial statements and transactions, but also strategize budget plans. Most programs will teach you to use technologies such as Excel, Quickbooks, and ERP systems.

Without the skills and practicality Oscar brought to the table, it’s doubtful the Scranton Branch of Dunder Mifflin would’ve lasted very long. Every business needs someone to keep them grounded, especially in the financial department. 

What is the Best Business Administration Program for You?

The majority of the cast of characters in “The Office” are very skilled in the business realm, and one of the best ways to earn these skills is through a degree program. However, going back to school can bring about many challenges, especially for people who don’t want to take time off of work to do it. 

SDSU Global Campus offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration that is fully online and can be completed in just 2 years. The asynchronous format of the classes makes the program extremely flexible. Additionally, the courses are all taught by expert faculty from SDSU’s renowned Fowler College of Business. 

The program’s highly diverse curriculum will allow you to find the role within the business world that’s perfect for you. So why wait? Apply today, and find a job that’ll make every day feel like “pretzel day!”