Here's how you can navigate the top industries for entry-level professionals in business strategy.

I would hone in on four areas highlighted by Marty Cagan to contribute as a business leader: have a deep knowledge of 1) customer, 2) data, 3) business, and 4) market and industry. Learn about your customers through both qualitative (why) and quantitative (what) insights, go deep into the data to inform what you should do about the business, understand who your various stakeholders are, and understand key trends in your market. Once you start showing that you can contribute, leaders in your org will likely give you bigger opportunities to shape the business, which in turn give you more experience.

Accounting and corporate finance are extremely valuable frameworks to get insight on what's going on in your business that others likely won't know. They enable you to uncover issues and opportunities about the business, and how to drive it such that you will grow both topline (revenue), bottom line (profits), and cash flows for your investors. Work with customer-facing leaders (e.g. product managers) to come up with strategies that will benefit your customers, which then drive business results for shareholders.

Retail is a place where you can add an immense value by analyzing its business, because the day-to-day focus is instead on the front line retail employees rather than data. Listen to the front line employees to understand what customers and those employees wish they had. Then, analyze supply chains end to end to understand where opportunities to improve the customer experience, employee experience, and cash flows for company are. It may be worth investing in ways to obtain that data if it's not readily available. Once you have some ideas, work with merchandisers in your company to figure out initiatives that'd help all stakeholders around you.

An individual example of navigating the manufacturing industry successfully is a young professional who joined a manufacturing firm as an analyst. She focused on learning the company’s operations, identifying inefficiencies, and proposing data-backed solutions. Her initiative led to a 15% reduction in production costs, earning them recognition and a fast-track promotion. This showcases the importance of hands-on experience, analytical skills, and proactive problem-solving in building a successful career in manufacturing.

Consulting is a fantastic place to build your business and strategic acumen. The Pyramid Principle (see the book on Amazon) is the best resource to understand how to be a critical thinker. Use it every day, everywhere - whether it's meeting memos, slide presentations, or excel analysis - and you'll quickly learn to be an outstanding communicator who can drive home the key points to add value for your clients.

Entering the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry can indeed be a great opportunity if you have the chance. This sector is all about products that sell quickly at relatively low cost, snacks, toiletries, and cleaning products. Because these goods are purchased frequently, companies in this industry must be very responsive to changes in consumer preferences and market trends. A business strategist needs to constantly adjust tactics based on fresh consumer insights to keep up with the highly dynamic market to reach the strategic goal. This agile response is key to thriving in the FMCG industry. As entry level you shall push yourself to the edge to navigate the “fast river stream”. Be mindful on the different between strategy and tactic.