Economists wear many different hats. They may determine fair prices for securities, goods and services. They may conduct economics research to analyze and predict consumer purchase behavior or make recommendations on policies that will strengthen our economy. Not just a few large business checks for economic headwinds.

As an economist, you will analyze how goods and services are created to keep up with consumer demand. You will also see how resources (raw materials, land, technology, intellectual property and labor) are distributed. You’ll look at labor trends, exchange rates, government policy, business checks on employment rates, inflation and global material costs. To be competitive, you should pursue your PhD, although there are a number of jobs that are also open to students with four-year degrees.

For more career opportunities, students pursue economics education to get their master’s degrees. According to www.payscale.com, the most popular jobs for those with a degree in economics are Corporate Economists ($55,000), Economists ($50,000), Senior Financial Analysts ($62,000), VP of Sales ($80,000), Marketing Research Analysts ($60,000), Associate Business Analysts ($80,000) and Pricing Analysts ($60,000). Students pursuing their master’s will take advanced statistics, math and theory. They’ll gain hands-on experience through co-ops with institutions and will begin to follow a narrower path or area of interest. They may concentrate on finance, law, applied economics, analysis, health economics or economics history.

Greg Mankiw, professor of economics education at Harvard, has some sage-like advice for students pursuing a major in applied economics. First, he says, “Take as many math courses as you can stomach.” This is undoubtedly the most challenging part of the major, especially if you begin to fall behind. Secondly, “Choose your economics courses from professors who are passionate about the field.” Most schools have rating systems, where students indicate how they felt about the professors. You can try a site like www.ratemyprofessors.com to get a general idea or ask your school guidance counselor where the results of these surveys are kept on campus. Thirdly, “Use your summers to experience economics from different perspectives. Spend one month working as a research assistant for a professor, one working in a policy job in government, and one working in the private sector.”

Real-world experience is the best way to find direction with your new economics degree. Professors encourage students to read as many economics books, order newspaper articles and magazine spreads as you can. The Economist and the Wall Street Journal are resources that every economics major should know inside and out. Seminars are another way to discover relevant business checks on issues and topics in the field and stay ahead of the competition.