Breaking into the business world can seem daunting for any outside. After all, no one has perfect public speaking skills or a strong resume from the beginning. However, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) helps students learn what it takes to make it big in a business setting. For more than 15 years, the North Atlanta FBLA chapter has offered the opportunity for members to take business-related tests that allow them to win scholarship money and see how they measure up against other students in the region. This year 14 out of the 20 competitors placed in the top 10 for their category.

Most of the tests have 100 multiple-choice questions but some include presenting or public speaking. “For my test, I made a PowerPoint with my team,” said freshman Shobini Palaniappan. “I’m glad I had the chance to work on my presentation skills because that will be helpful no matter what field I go into.”

While preparing for and taking these tests can be time-consuming, the work is worth the pay off. The winners of these contests received recognition at the prestigious Regional Leadership Conference which was held on January 23 in McDonough, Georgia. The conference also featured a variety of workshops along with the awards ceremony where North Atlanta FBLA students netted awards in categories like business communications, personal finance and business calculations. “I really enjoyed going to the conference. One of my favorite parts was listening to a speaker talk about living purposefully,” said junior Brian Bird.

While career trends are continuously changing, the world will always need more business leaders, and the results announced at this year’s FBLA Regional Leadership Conference showed that the North Atlanta Warriors have serious business skills. Whether they are solving financial problems or putting together a presentation, these students have shown that they are ready to take on anything the business world throws at them.