Aimee
[closed] What is the best path to becoming a professional manager out of college?
I am a business senior with a concentration in administration, and a major in management. There are many people who say I should have ample experience working for a manager. I am about to complete a bachelor's degree soon, and I would like to know what the best path to becoming a professional manager would be. I do not have any real world experience yet; I only have academic knowledge.
Thank you,
Aimee #business-administration #business-management #internship #job-coaching
3 answers
Yvonne Ruffner
Yvonne’s Answer
One of the best ways to get into a management position (and be good at it!) is to look for a position in your field and start gaining experience. It would be really difficult to manage a group of people if you don't understand the aspects of their job and what it takes to be successful in their roles. You'll also probably find that it's extremely difficult to get a job as a manger with any company with no experience. Companies want to know that you have experience in that field and also working with a diverse group of individuals before they put you in a position to lead.
One suggestion I have would be to get on a job site (such as indeed) and search for what your dream job would be. When you find a couple that you would love to have, look and see what the requirements and background are. This will give you a good idea of where to start your career in order to become a manager in your field.
Don't get discouraged if you don't start out your career in a manager position. Being new to the work force is a big deal. As the others have said, get your foot in the door first, then you can learn the job and prove yourself. Good luck!
Prashad Lodhia
Prashad’s Answer
The best thing is to actually do some work (whatever it is you want to be managing). Learn what works and what doesn't work. Become an example that other people look up to. Then start picking up more and more responsibility so that when your own manager leaves or is promoted you're the natural person to step into the position.
Ariel Hernandez
Ariel’s Answer
If you are looking for a specific company to work at, one of the best ways to get some sort of management role is researching and finding out if they have any sort of programs for recent college graduates. Many retail companies (Target for example), have programs where they take recent college graduates and train them in different areas of the company for about a 1.5-2 year period. After that period is over, they are given some sort of leadership role in the company (could be inside the actual store, or in other sections as well.) I suggest going to any career fairs if you are available and ask the companies to see what type of programs they may offer for someone with your type of expertise/academic knowledge. Hope this helps!