Many company leaders and entrepreneurs chose majors other than business. For example, Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, majored in industrial design. Susan Wojcicki, former CEO of YouTube, majored in history and literature. Ben Silberman, founder and executive chair of Pinterest, majored in political science. 

Beyond CEOs and entrepreneurs, here are examples of business careers that do not require a business degree:

Sales - Many top salespeople come from non-business backgrounds. Sales prizes ability to connect with people.

Marketing - A marketing degree isn't required. Creativity and communications skills are highly valued.

Consulting - Consulting firms value critical thinking from fields like science, engineering, and social sciences.

Human Resources - HR draws from psychology and communications, not formal business training.

Advertising - The ability to develop creative ad campaigns is more important than business coursework.

Social Media Management - Social media managers often have backgrounds in fields like communications, journalism and media arts.

Real Estate - Most real estate agents have license training but not college business degrees.

Personal Finance Advisor - Understanding finance matters most, not a business credential.

Project Manager - Strong project managers come from various fields emphasizing organization.

If you’re considering a major in something other than business but wondering how you would combine it with career-ready skills, check out our tips for how college students can prepare for a business career without having to major in it:

• Take intro business classes. Most colleges let you take electives outside your declared major or even allow any student to minor in business. Use these to build basic business knowledge in areas like marketing, accounting, management, etc. You'll pick up key concepts without having to major in business. Highlight these classes on your resume in your education section.
• Join student business clubs. These organizations can give you hands-on leadership experience plus exposure to business skills and networking opportunities.
• Develop transferable skills. Liberal arts majors like English, political science, art history and more build valuable abilities like communication, critical thinking and analysis. These crossover skills are hugely useful in business. Play them up on your resume in a skills section near the top of your resume.
• Do (several) summer internships. Look for opportunities at companies you're interested in, even if they're not directly related to your major. If an internship says it requires a business major, don’t let that stop you from applying. Highlight your business skills and classes in your cover letter and resume and make sure they match what the internship posting is looking for.
• Learn the software related to jobs that interest you. Many colleges provide access to business programs like Excel, Salesforce, QuickBooks and more. Learn them to get comfortable with software used in corporate roles. College career centers can be excellent sources of information so start going there early in your freshman year and develop a strong relationship with your career counselor.
• Network early and often. Attend career fairs, company events on campus, alumni mixers and more. Introduce yourself, collect business cards, and follow up by email and connect on LinkedIn. Use your college’s alumni network to conduct information interviews to learn about careers you might be interested in. Building relationships opens doors. And it’s by far the best way to land an internship or job.

The bottom line is you don't need to major in business to succeed in business. If a competitive business program isn't a good fit, that's OK! Just get creative and strategic with gaining relevant experiences, skills and connections along the way.