New To Business Development? 10 Hot Industries To Join Right Now
Expert Panel Forbes Councils Member
Forbes Business Development CouncilCOUNCIL POST | Paid Program
New graduates in the business development field have a wealth of career paths available to them. Some industries, like tech, are always booming, and job seekers may naturally gravitate toward those areas. However, there are plenty of other industries that can provide incredible work opportunities and growth potential for recent grads.
We asked members of Forbes Business Development Council about the hottest industries for new business development professionals to explore right now. Their best answers are below.
Forbes Business Development Council members share their list of top industries for new grads and job seekers.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.
1. Cannabis
The cannabis industry is hot and only likely to get hotter. Demand for marijuana and other cannabis-infused products will likely only grow as they are more heavily marketed as mainstream pain management solutions. More and more markets will become more easily accessible as cannabis becomes increasingly decriminalized across the country. – Adam Mendler, The Veloz Group
2. Human Resources
"People professionals," aka HR professionals, are changing the workforce for the better. They are building out employee engagement, driving cultural enhancement and leading professional development. The technology and tools within the "people space" have seen exponential growth over the past years and will continue to do so to support the push for people as the priority in the workplace. – Tracy Avin, MBL Benefits Consulting
Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
3. Personalized Health And Nutrition
There are no longer any one-size-fits-all approaches to diets. People are coming to understand that their bodies truly are all different and with that comes different dietary needs. There are companies already capitalizing on this new personalized health wave by offering delivered healthy meals and altering snacks in new ways, like dried tomato chips. – Joel Goldstein, Mr. Checkout Distributors
4. Construction
Working with a company that has dual focus on new construction and renovation projects ensures that no matter the economic climate, you will always be busy. During the boom you can focus more on new construction projects, and shift your focus during slower economic times. Good property owners will invest in renovating their assets to protect value until the climate improves. – Rich Steffy, The Roof Depot, Inc.
5. Life Sciences And Biotech
Within the fast-growing life sciences industry, biotechnology presents some of the most exciting opportunities for new grads, with the greatest potential to work with companies who deliver meaningful, life-saving results. From a business perspective, this has been an outstanding year for biotech IPOs, and demand for specialized talent is higher than ever. – Maryann Gallivan, Tunnell Consulting
6. Health Care
New grads should run to the closest health care opportunity available. This industry provides several components of a satisfying career: purpose, complex problems and generous compensation. With a shift in the delivery model, this industry is wrapped in financial, operational and political crisis. There is a gap in need and available talent varying from fundraising to nurses to informatics. – Lauren Homme, E4H Environments for Health Architecture
7. Decision Intelligence
Decision intelligence is an emerging industry that offers business development grads an opportunity to learn the art and science of decision-making and how to become problem solvers—a trait necessary in developing a consultative approach to forming business relationships. Understanding prospects’ pain points and needs creates an authentic foundation from which to build long-term partnerships. – Camille Nicita, Gongos, Inc.
8. Technology
I would say tech is still one of the hottest industries to start your career in. With the boom in cloud computing and AI, there is no shortage of opportunities for grads who are just starting out in their career. The tech industry can give you the skills to transfer to any industry due to the nature of the fast-paced sales cycle as well as the need for skills like problem-solving. – Tyler Bowman, Velosio
9. An Industry With The Opportunity To Learn
By aligning with an organization that offers multiple training and learning opportunities, agnostic of industry, it will offer you the best possible growth as a professional. Although these opportunities are more prevalent in a startup, where an employee must have an entrepreneurial mindset, one can find these in legacy industries as well. – Scott Douglas Clary, ROI Overload
10. An Industry You Love
The best way to succeed in business development is to love your industry. Every industry needs business development, so assuming you have a wealth of opportunities, choose the one that you want to stick with for the next five to 10 years. It takes significant time to build a robust network, so go with the industry that gets you the most excited. – Robin Farmanfarmaian, Actavalon