Business Professionals for America: Business Competitions for High School Students
Are you a high schooler interested in exploring potential career fields? Are you interested in diving deep into a specific career field? Are you interested in having fun social experiences? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, Business Professionals for America (BPA) is a competition you should definitely get involved in. This blog post will provide you with an overview of everything you need to know to get involved in Business Professionals of America.
What is Business Professionals for America?
Business Professionals for America is a Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) and national competition that aims to help prepare high school students for careers in business, including business administration, finance & accounting, small business entrepreneurship, and more. Business Professionals for America also offers business competitions for students through their Workplace Skills Assessment Program (WSAP). In these competitions, students compete under six assessment areas:
Finance
Business Administration
Management Information Systems
Digital Communication & Design
Management, Marketing & Communication
Health Administration
These competitions are valuable for students to develop business knowledge and skills, as well as demonstrate leadership and competitive spirit.
Why Get Involved in Business Professionals for America?
There are many reasons why high school students should get involved in Business Professionals for America:
Explore career paths: Students who participate in BPA are exposed to many different career paths in business. Students can learn what they like (and dislike) about different industries and make informed decisions about their job choices in the future.
Apply skills in real-life scenarios: By participating in the program — and participating in a BPA competition — students will have to learn how to apply their skills to real-life situations and case studies. In doing so, students will build critical thinking and problem-solving skills for the future.
Form relationships with mentors and other students: Lastly, BPA is a fun social experience for students to have the opportunity to work together and meet valuable business mentors.
Stand out on college applications: Participation and success in BPA can also look great on college applications and resumes. By participating in BPA, students will demonstrate a genuine interest in pursuing a career in business to college admissions officers. Students will also demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively, think critically, and solve problems creatively.
All of these skills will benefit students in the future, even boosting a students’s chance to secure internships, jobs, or even college admission.
How to Get Involved in Business Professionals for America
With close to 50,000 members in over 1,800 chapters across the U.S., there are a number of different ways to get involved in Business Professionals for America. On the BPA website, students can discover chapters by Zip Code or find a virtual chapter to join. Whether you join an in-person or virtual chapter, you will still be able to compete and participate as a chapter member!
What Competitive Events Does Business Professionals for America Offer?
Business Professionals of America hosts competitive events through their Workplace Skills Assessment Program (WSAP). WSAP has 6 main categories of events: Finance, Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Digital Communication and Design, Management Marketing and Communication, and Health Administration.
Within each of these broad categories are a great variety of specific competitive events which competitors can choose to compete in. Ultimately, BPA is very open and inclusive, where anyone can find an event that fits their strengths and passions. In addition to these events, there are also virtual events for one to compete in, in case a student can’t make the commitment to attend in person.
For most events, there are regional, state, and national competitions, but others just include state and nationals. Overall, the Business Professionals for America competitions offer a fun and competitive environment for students.
Social Experience in Business Professionals for America
In addition to providing academic opportunities, BPA is also a great social experience for students. By participating in BPA, students have the opportunity to work, collaborate, and compete with other like-minded peers, which fosters a great experience for high schoolers. Similarly, the conferences (especially state and national conferences) are great social events to hang out with friends, as well as meet many other new people across multiple days.
Leadership Opportunities in Business Professionals for America
BPA also offers opportunities for high schoolers to develop leadership and public speaking skills:
Run for leadership positions: Students can get more involved in leadership by running for a state or national officer position.
Give a public speech: Students choosing to run for these positions will give a public speech at the state or national conference in front of a big crowd on why they should be elected for the position they are running for.
Become an elected officer: BPA members will then vote and the candidate with the most votes will be chosen as the elected winner. Being an elected officer comes with great duty but It is also an invaluable experience.
By joining Business Professionals for America, high schoolers have the opportunity to make lifelong connections with new people across the country, create a public presence, and be prepared to take on future leadership opportunities in the business world.
Final Thoughts on Business Professionals for America
Business Professionals for America offers high school students incredible opportunities to learn more about business, develop leadership skills, and make lasting connections and friendships. By participating in competitions, students can develop new interests and strengths, as well as explore new careers and skills. Students can make friendships and gain mentorship at conferences, workshops, and competitions, while also pursuing unique leadership opportunities. Overall, any high schooler with an interest in business should consider joining Business Professionals for America!
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