Best Business Classes in Philadelphia

The creation, operation, and management of organizations define a business. Businesses frame the economy, driving innovation and creating job opportunities.

When businesses succeed, economies grow. Learning business equips individuals with the skills to make businesses work. Whether those individuals start a business, become a manager, or an operational employee, understanding business concepts opens up many job possibilities.

Learning business can inspire a sense of entrepreneurship and innovation. Established businesses are always looking for innovative ideas from employees. Gaining a sense of innovation can create job opportunities by starting a business. Business skills include leadership, problem-solving, and analytical thinking. Many classes and certificate programs weave these skills while learning about market forces, consumer behavior, financial management, and strategic decision-making. Learning these skills improves all job prospects, not just business-related careers, as they are highly marketable. 

Best Business Classes & Schools in Philadelphia

Being successful in business requires communication and organizational skills. It also may require presentation and management skills. Finding an applicable business course can help you get ahead. 

Learning how to use Excel for business is possible in Noble Desktop’sExcel Bootcamp course. Beginners learn fundamental, intermediate, and advanced skills in a few sessions. The instructor first teaches you the basics of Excel: calculations, basic functions, charts, formatting, and printing. Once you have mastered those skills, it’s time to dive into more complex tasks such as Pivot Tables, split and joining text, and VLOOKUP. By the end of the course, you’ll also have a chance to perform advanced tasks like creating basic macros. 

Learn how to improve written communication locally through Temple University’s Certificate in Editing and Business Writing program. Students take four classes in editing and business writing techniques: proofreading like a pro, editing fundamentals, master editing workshop, and effective business writing. Not only do students learn how to write different genres for various audiences, but they will also learn how to proofread and edit their work, minimizing or eliminating all mistakes. 

Explore becoming a Business Analyst in a Certificate course from Noble Desktop. This certificate course teaches business-specific Excel skills before helping students design and create powerful PowerPoint presentations. Additionally, the instructor teaches the basics of data visualization with Tableau and database management with SQL. These four pieces of software work in conjunction so that you can best manage and communicate vital data with stakeholders. The course is ideal for individuals with little or no prior knowledge.

The Dale Carnegie Institute teaches a High Impact Presentations course in nearby King of Prussia. Enrolled students learn to shift their focus from themselves to their audience. The instructor addresses strategies to reduce or eliminate distracting habits. Since good presentations require planning and organization, the instructor will cover these too. This class has no prerequisites, but the organization recommends students come with some comfort with public speaking. 

Individuals who want to take on leadership roles within an organization may benefit from the Business Leadership Certificate program at the Community College of Philadelphia. Major topics covered in this course include diversity, equity, and inclusion in business. Students also learn what organizational leadership looks like, building collaboration and growing relationships. It also touches on business analytics and decision-making.

ONLC’s Project Management Professional Certification Exam Preparation course prepares students for the PMP® certification exam. Gaining certification gives project managers proof of expertise for future employers. Some jobs even require PMP® certification before earning a position. The instructor walks students through the requirements for successful project management: starting a project, creating a high-performing team, doing the work, keeping the team on track, and keeping the business in mind. Students may complete this course at their computer lab in Philadelphia; however, the instructor is not present in the classroom with the students, instead teaching via a live stream. 

Philadelphia Industries That Use Business

Philadelphia, a diverse city with many industries, offers plenty of business opportunities. 

From information technology to manufacturing, business-minded individuals can find available positions. 

Philadelphia’s tech sector has recently expanded via startups and already established companies. In companies such as Comcast, headquartered in Philadelphia, marketers, leaders, and project managers are essential to run the business. Smaller startups–Carpenter Technology, ChargeItSpot, and Gettacar–also hire business professionals who desire to work for the non-technical side of a company or organization. 

Companies in the Philadelphia area hire business professionals in their financial services industry. Between banks, investment firms, and insurance companies, many financially minded individuals can find jobs working for large corporations such as the Vanguard Group. Or professionals may find a job with a smaller bank, The Philadelphia Federal Credit Union. 

Business jobs also exist within healthcare, biotech, and life sciences. With several hospitals such as the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the region or large health corporations like the University of Pennsylvania Health System, various jobs in management or HR are available. 

Manufacturing is another strong industry in the Philadelphia area. Large corporations–DuPont, Siemens, and PepsiCo–hire business-minded individuals to run various operations. Urban Outfitters, Inc., a fashion retail company located worldwide, is headquartered in Philadelphia and hires local talent.

Business Jobs & Salaries in Philadelphia

Business-related jobs in Philadelphia are varied and plentiful. Whether you’re interested in number crunching, sales or marketing, healthcare, or tech, companies will always require business professionals to run their organizations.

Business-minded individuals who enjoy numbers may drift into finance or accounting careers. Becoming a Financial Analyst is a popular choice. Financial Analysts often analyze financial data, prep reports, and present findings to CFOs. An average Financial Analyst in the Philadelphia area makes around $76,000 annually and has no set education requirements though training can lead to a job. Another option is to become an Accountant. Accountants manage financial records, prepare taxes, and stay up-to-date with accounting laws and standards. In Philadelphia, Accountants average around $61,000 annually. Usually, Accountants have a degree, but alternatively, starting as a bookkeeper and moving up may pan out. 

Businesses often require at least one person devoted to marketing and sales, if not entire departments. One common job is that of a Marketing Manager. A Marketing Manager creates and executes marketing strategies to increase company revenue. Working as a Marketing Manager in Philly earns around $74,000 annually. Sales Representatives, essential to a company’s success, interact with people regularly as they generate leads and close sales deals. These Sales Reps average $65,000 per year. Some companies even hire Digital Marketing Specialists who oversee and create online marketing campaigns, often on social media or the company website. These roles in digital marketing pay around $74,000 annually. Most of these jobs require some type of training: college or a certificate program. 

Human Resources, a popular field, hires business professionals for HR Managers, Compensation and Benefits Specialists, or Training and Development Coordinators. These jobs collectively recruit, develop, manage relations and compensation, and organize employee training. HR Managers need a college degree and additional training before earning around $78,000 annually. Most Benefits Specialists also obtain college degrees before landing their jobs, pocketing $57,000 annually on average. Training or Development Coordinators may or may not have a college degree, depending on the job requirements. Training and Development Coordinator jobs pay around $49,000 annually. 

Business professionals may seek work from an IT firm. They can find jobs as IT Project Managers, overseeing tech projects, coordinating teams, and driving projects to completion. On average, IT Managers in Philadelphia earn $97,000 annually. These jobs may require a project manager certification such as a PMP ® but may not require a college degree. Some knowledge of tech is also helpful for a managerial role.