Earning a degree in negotiation and conflict management opens up many doors for people who enjoy communicating with others and facilitating change. Sometimes, however, prospective students overlook this field due to their lack of knowledge about potential job opportunities. Nevertheless, the extent of work one can do as a negotiator or an expert in conflict management is almost limitless.
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Legal Jobs
Most people are unaware of the roles of mediators and arbitrators. These professionals handle a large volume of court cases that never make it to a judge and jury. Their role, which varies in terms of binding legality, is to try and bring two parties to the same page. For individuals interested in conflict management, this career would be a perfect fit as they would work together with opposing people and try to help them overcome an issue. For example, civil cases that are formed between private citizens often get resolved by mediators. When they prove futile, arbitrators have the legal authority to make a lawfully binding order that helps settle the conflict. Without solid negotiation skills, however, these professionals would find it difficult to do their job well.
Social Change
One of the most common misconceptions surrounding professional careers is that people consider non-profit agencies to revolve around the “volunteer-style” work. Meaning, many recent college graduates do not consider non-profit opportunities as they believe that the compensation and other monetary factors would be minuscule. This, however, is not true. For example, public universities are non-profit agencies where professors can build notable and lucrative careers. To that end, individuals majoring in negotiation and conflict management should do their research on job openings in non-profit sectors. Those can include groups that are facilitating social changes and fighting for overcoming inequalities.
Corporate Opportunities
There is always a surplus of corporate job openings that require the skillset which conflict management and negotiation graduates bring. For instance, accounting firms are known to use these individuals to:
- conduct internal expansions
- resolve client-based problems
- and more
Similarly, other large organizations like Walmart, Amazon, and Target take advantage of these specialists to help resolve issues that arise when customers are exposed to sub-par service. This means that the career outlook for those who want to pursue this major and have their sights fixed on the corporate world is filled with exciting options.
Sole Proprietorships
In the end, individuals that would like to build their own brands in this industry can certainly do so. Having a practice that facilitates negotiation and conflict resolution can be a stepping stone to becoming a leader in the market. There are currently only a few companies that specifically focus on this field. So there are no great barriers to entry. Thus, it is possible to be a business owner with the aforementioned degree.
Finding the right field for one’s career can be a long and tedious process mixed with mind-boggling decisions. Do you possess notable skills in communication, planning, and time management. You should consider operating in an industry where daily interaction with others is needed. Furthermore, focusing on negotiation and conflict management could be the best course of action. One can do anything from holding a corporate office to becoming a legal representative.
Source: Arcadia University