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Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur spots a problem worth solving and turns the solution into a business: opening a coffee shop, launching an online service, making products or offering services. They make decisions, find customers, manage money and build a team. If you have already sold something to classmates, organised an event or keep thinking about how to improve things around you, that is a good sign.

Entrepreneur

It is important to be honest: entrepreneurship means freedom, but also risk. A business may not work out the first time, and that is a normal part of the journey. You can start at school with a small project, a school fair or a business camp. That experience is useful in any career, even if your own company comes later.

What the job involves

  • Looks for ideas and tests whether customers really need them
  • Calculates costs and income and plans the budget
  • Finds customers, partners and suppliers
  • Hires people and shares out tasks in the team
  • Keeps an eye on product quality and solves problems as they come up

Skills you need

  • Initiative

    An entrepreneur starts things without waiting to be told.

  • Financial literacy

    You need to understand where the business's money comes from and where it goes.

  • Communication

    It is important to negotiate well with customers, partners and your team.

  • Resilience

    Mistakes are unavoidable, and the key is to learn from them instead of giving up.

  • Willingness to learn

    Markets change, so you constantly have to master new things.

Who it suits

Personality types

Strong intelligences

  • Interpersonal
  • Logical-mathematical
  • Intrapersonal

UNT subjects to take

State grants 2026

Main competition, full-time study. Quotas and separate state orders can have lower scores. Check your chances

Where to study

No special diploma is required to be an entrepreneur, but knowledge of economics, management and marketing helps. For these programmes at universities in Kazakhstan you usually take maths and geography on the UNT, and maths and informatics for IT. A bachelor's degree lasts four years. Business programmes are offered, for example, at Narxoz University, KIMEP University and AlmaU.

Many entrepreneurs first train in another field such as engineering, IT, medicine or cooking, and then start a business in that same area. So you can choose a profession by interest and build business skills alongside it: through courses, business incubators, school startup projects and your own small experiments.

Outlook

In Kazakhstan, entrepreneurs work in retail, services, food service, IT, manufacturing and agriculture. Small and medium-sized businesses are supported by government programmes and by the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, which offers training and advice. Success is never guaranteed, but entrepreneurial skills are also valued in employment, for example in startups and management roles.

Frequently asked questions

Which UNT subjects do I need for a business degree?

Economics, management and marketing programmes usually require maths and geography, while IT programmes require maths and informatics. That said, people come into business with any kind of education.

Can a school student start a business?

You can try a small project at school together with your parents, such as selling your crafts or offering a simple service. Official business registration has restrictions for minors, so legal questions are best handled with adults.

Does an entrepreneur need a university degree?

The law does not require one, but knowledge of finance, management and marketing helps you avoid many mistakes. Many entrepreneurs study at university and then keep learning through courses and practice.

Is this career right for you?

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