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Careers & Alumni
The curriculum at the School of Business, Cal Poly Humboldt, emphasizes practical skills and a holistic understanding of business functions and prepares students for roles across industries. With a strong foundation in business principles and specialized concentrations in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Marketing, Management, and entrepreneurship, our graduates can pursue roles including accountant, financial analyst, marketing coordinator, and business manager.
Among these, roles such as accountants and auditors allow professionals to manage and examine financial records. Budget analysts help organizations plan their finances, a critical function for both public and private entities. For those interested in risk management, careers like claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators offer opportunities to evaluate insurance claims and ensure proper compensation.
The field of financial services also provides robust career paths. Financial analysts guide businesses and individuals in making profitable investment decisions, while credit counselors and personal financial advisors help clients navigate debt management and financial planning. Additionally, financial examiners ensure institutions comply with monetary laws. Those drawn to strategic business decisions can pursue roles as management analysts, focusing on improving organizational efficiency, or as project management specialists, overseeing complex initiatives.
Graduates with an interest in human resources or employee relations can explore opportunities as human resources specialists, handling recruitment and benefits, or as training and development specialists, focusing on improving workforce skills. Careers in market research analysis and fundraising allow graduates to blend analytical skills with creative problem-solving to drive business growth and community engagement.
Related Job Titles
According to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment in business and financial occupations is projected to experience above-average employment growth from 2023 to 2033. Learn more about these occupations.
- Accountants and auditors
- Budget Analysts
- Cost Estimators
- Financial Analysts
- Financial Examiners
- Fundraisers
- Human Resources Specialists
- Loan Officers
- Management Analysts
- Market Research Analysts
- Personal Financial Advisors
- Project Management Specialists
- Purchasing Managers, Buyers, and Purchasing Agents
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Marketable Skills In Your Major
Management/Leadership
Communication
Negotiation
Team building
Marketing
Creativity/problem solving
Creating/editing projects
Influencing others
Accounting/Finance
Attention to detail
Computer and software proficiency
Organizational skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Gathering information
Conducting research
Analyzing quantitative data
Alumni Updates
Claudine Bibeau Parks
Business Administration, 2024
Claudine is set to obtain a nonprofit leadership and management degree from Arizona State University (ASU) in May, which will complement her leadership studies degree program at Humboldt.
Daniel Pizzuto
Business Administration, 1987
After 37 years working for two manufacturing companies, Dan retired as the Executive Vice President of Sales, Products, & Marketing for Hensley Industries of Komatsu Ltd.
Jim Truitt
Business Administration, 2001
Jim Truitt ('01, Business & Economics) has been with Farallon Capital Management, LLC for the past eighteen years. Farallon is among the world’s largest and most established hedge funds, managing capital on behalf of leading institutions and investors globally. In his current role as Managing Director, Jim leads a cross-functional project team focused on enhancing operational efficiency and advancing technology solutions within the firm’s hedge fund operations. His work emphasizes the integration of innovative systems, process improvement, and data-driven decision-making to support Farallon’s investment and risk management activities.
John and Linda Rubert
Business Administration, 1978
John and Linda met at Humboldt State in 1972 square dancing with the Lumberjacks and Jill’s. After 34 years of running a business, they are retired now and enjoy their cabin on Hayden Lake in Northern Idaho.
Annhenrie Campbell
Business Administration, 1978 B.A., 1988 M.B.A.
Annhenrie taught accounting at CSU Stanislaus for 33 years. After numerous academic publications, she is most proud of a recent article, "Unsupervised Birder," in Habitat, the newsletter of the Stanislaus Audubon Society where she is Treasurer. She enjoys joining field trips for birding and native plants throughout Central California and taking classes in the local lifelong learning program, similar to OLLI. She is Vice President of the Stanislaus Chapter of ERFSA, the Emeritus and Retired Faculty and Staff Association, and serves as Treasurer of the Stanislaus Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
Albert Bernales
Business Administration, 2018
Albert Bernales ('18, Business) is among the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service since the agency’s unprecedented global evacuation in March 2020. The Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"My professors shared their experiences as Peace Corps volunteers during their lectures and it seemed very impactful on their own personal and professional development,” said Bernales. "As a business volunteer, I hope to share an entrepreneur's mindset with community members in Fiji and hopefully get them excited about business.”
Allan Ekberg
Business Administration, CIS, 1984
Allan Ekberg, 1984, Business, is the City of Tukwila’s mayor. Upon graduating from HSU, he became active in community, fighting a county rezone and annexing his neighborhood into Tukwila. From his education at HSU, Allan became an Internet technology project/program manager and consulted at a wide variety of organizations. While working in technology, he served on the Tukwila City Council where he used his HSU Speech Communication minor often. Allan originated the charter and commenced the Computer Information System Club at Humboldt State; he also served a term as the School of Business student council representative. He thanks HSU for empowering him to become who he is.
Rae Miller
Business Administration, 2010
Four years ago, Rae and her husband quit their jobs and hit the road to travel in an RV full-time. They started a blog (getawaycouple.com) and began sharing everything we've learned about RVing there. Along the way, they've made incredible friends that live the same lifestyle and they created a business with them called RV Masterclass. This is an online education platform for new RVers who wanted to learn how they too can live life full-time on the road.
She wants to share with HSU that they recently sold their first business, RV Masterclass! She gives credit to her Business degree for helping her live this exciting lifestyle.
Mohsin Aziz
Business Administration, 1992
Mohsin has worked in IT since graduating from HSU. In 1997 he started his own IT services company, NYLEX.Net, which is now the most prominent IT services company in Humboldt County. The company has hired numerous HSU graduates as IT support technicians and engineers as it continues its growth.
Michael Mooradian
Business Administration, 1983
Michael Mooradian, Business Administration, 1983 retired in March, 2020 after more than 32 years with the Los Angeles County Assessor. Mooradian said "a lot of hard work and taxpayer contact wore me down and now, at last, the old gray mare ain't what she used to be". Mooradian is now volunteering his time with the Armenian Relief and Development Association (ARDA). This organization builds housing, sends food and clothing, and maintains a healthcare facility in Armenia for the benefit of impoverished Armenians. Many of these people have been living in cargo containers since the 1988 earthquake. Mooradian thanks the God of the Bible for his education at Humboldt State University and the benefits it provided him throughout his life.