How to Get Your First Management Job
Getting your first management job requires management experience that you can acquire in a variety of ways. Your current employer might offer specific training that can help you move into a management position within the company. Completing a degree might qualify you to reach the next rung up your employer's particular ladder. If you're currently seeking work, management experience can even come from certain achievements in areas of your life outside of business. Strong communication and organizational skills are essential to managerial success.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Take leadership roles wherever possible. Accept paid and volunteer positions managing projects and events at work, school, church or anywhere else in your community whenever possible. Can you be a troop leader for your kid's Scout troop? Does your neighborhood have a block club in need of a leader? Can you organize your church's next fund-raiser? If you're currently employed, volunteer to lead special projects, manage interns or train new hires. Use these positions to practice and demonstrate your interpersonal skills and your ability to keep people working together toward common goals. Take every opportunity to be in charge of people in order to prove to future employers that you have experience leading a team.
-
2
Develop a resume of objective accomplishments. Write a resume that measures exactly how projects and events succeeded with you as the boss. How many people have you supervised on any project or event? How much money did your event raise when you were in charge? What goals have you led people to achieve at work, at school, at church or in community events that you managed? With each project or event you add to your resume, mention dollar amounts, percentages, numbers of units created or sold, number of people reporting to you, number of years you've been in charge and other specific details of your accomplishments. Demonstrate that you're the kind of manager who pays attention to numbers and details.
-
-
3
Get management training. Read the latest books on business management available at your local public library. Sign up for business management training online (see Resource section) or at your local college. Do you know a successful business manager or management professor who might mentor you in business management and write you a letter of recommendation when you're ready to apply for that first management job? Seek internship opportunities by visiting college career service offices and corporate websites or by asking your social network for referrals.
-
4
Apply for the management job. Find out what the employer needs from management applicants either by reviewing the job posting or by asking the company's human resources department. Make sure your resume is free of mistakes. Dress for the position you're applying for. Present yourself as a manager ready for the job.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
