A manager is a skilled professional on many different levels. He or she may have accounting, financing and leadership abilities and may know how to work with a variety of people, including clientele, CEOs and people from other companies. Manager jobs are available in many different fields from healthcare management to retail to sales, allowing people to look for positions in a field that is a good fit for them.

Many manager skills can be gained through a bachelor's degree program, where coursework in decision-making, business law, organizational principles and more could be required. An internship can be part of this school experience, creating hands-on opportunities for students in a business environment. An online degree in business management or leadership could be an option to help individuals pursue their manager skills goals.

Day in the Life of a Manager

A manager can be thought of as the "glue" that holds a team of people together. He or she does whatever it takes to make sure goals are met and that people are working together toward those established objectives. Typically, there are three levels of managers — the top manager, middle manager and the lower manager. Of these, the top manager has the most responsibility and the most decision-making authority. He or she may work with a team of other upper-level managers or employees from across the company. Lower- and middle-level managers may have varying levels of responsibility based on their jobs.

In general, managers may need to do the following on the job:

  • Oversee a team or group of people
  • Work with other managers or coordinate projects with people in the company
  • Communicate with employees at other companies
  • Delegate tasks to qualified employees
  • Set goals and objectives
  • Create reports reflecting employee productivity
  • Review the performance of personnel
  • Set budgets and manage financial spending within a department
  • Ensure employees follow company policy
  • Hire or fire employees

Depending on the position, manager jobs may require other tasks, too. This could include overseeing volunteer teams, giving formal presentations, motivating employees, attending networking meetings and even traveling for business. Managers may need to take phone calls or to handle urgent issues after hours or on weekends.

Some managers also may be expected to set schedules for employees. For example, nursing managers may need to create the schedule for nursing staff, since some healthcare facilities, like nursing homes or hospitals, are open around the clock. Other managers may need to be experienced and comfortable talking to the press, attorneys or board members.

Important Characteristics for Managers

The type of people who make good managers typically have leadership abilities. They are good listeners and capable of motivating others. Additional manager skills include the ability to solve problems, steer employees through challenges and find ways to become more efficient. Managers are comfortable making decisions and have a support team that helps them to gather resources.

Typical Steps for Becoming a Manager

If you may be interested in the career of a manager, a postsecondary education can provide you with coursework and knowledge to get started in the field. Below are some career steps to help you work on building manager skills.

  1. Earn a bachelor's degree in a field like business administration, business management or even finance. Another option is to complete an associate degree program and then to work on a bachelor's degree completion program or to transfer existing credits to a four-year school to finish a full bachelor's. Some degree names in the field include:
    • Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied Arts or Associate of Science in Business
    • Associates Degree in Business Administration Online
    • Associate of Arts in Business Online Degree
    • Associate of Science in Business Administration
    • Bachelor of Arts in Business
    • Bachelor of Science in Accounting Online
    • Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurial Studies
    • Bachelor of Science in Finance
    • Bachelor of Science in Management and Leadership
    • Bachelor of Science in Project Management
  2. Start your career. The degree that you have, such as in business or finance, can be your key to a finding a job in accounting, health management, finance or project management. Look for manager jobs that can give you the opportunity to practice skills developed through a degree program. You might begin as an assistant manager or find a position as a lower-level manager and then advance as you gain experience.
  3. Seek certification, if offered in your area of expertise. Some manager jobs may enable you to seek certification in your field. For example, if your manager training and development is in the human resources area then you could work on certification from the HR Certification Institute or Society for Human Resource Management. Likewise, if you gain manager skills in finance, you might work on Association for Financial Professional or Chartered Financial Analyst certification.
  4. Earn a graduate degree. Although not required, a master's degree in business or accounting or even an MBA program could help you work toward increasing your manager salary or manager skills. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some higher-level management positions, like in business administration, human relations or labor relations, may require a master's level education.

Resources

Sources:

  • Financial Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Accessed June 2018, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/financial-managers.htm#tab-4
  • Human Resource Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Accessed June 2018, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/human-resources-managers.htm#tab-4
  • Sales Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Accessed June 2018, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/sales-managers.htm#tab-4
  • Summary Report for General and Operations Managers, O*NET Online, Accessed June 2018, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-1021.00#Education

Manager Education Overview and Career Guide Skills

Below are the skills needed to be manager education overview and career guide according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Skill NameImportanceCompetence
Active Listening44
Coordination43.88
Monitoring44
Social Perceptiveness44
Speaking44

Manager Education Overview and Career Guide Abilities

Below are the abilities needed to be manager education overview and career guide according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Ability NameImportanceCompetence
Oral Comprehension44.12
Oral Expression44
Problem Sensitivity43.88
Speech Clarity43.25
Written Comprehension44

Manager Education Overview and Career Guide Knowledge

Below are the knowledge areas needed to be manager education overview and career guide according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest).

   
Knowledge AreaImportanceCompetence
Administration and Management4.355.21
Customer and Personal Service3.955.06
Personnel and Human Resources3.764.43
English Language3.713.68
Mathematics3.564.16

Manager Education Overview and Career Guide Work activities

Below are the work activities involved in being manager education overview and career guide according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work ActivityImportanceCompetence
Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.424.48
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.334.46
Getting Information4.264.14
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others4.244.49
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates4.154.79

Manager Education Overview and Career Guide Work styles

Below are the work styles involved in being manager education overview and career guide according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest).

   
Work StyleImportance
Leadership4.59
Dependability4.54
Initiative4.35
Stress Tolerance4.33
Self Control4.31

Metro Areas Sorted by Total Employment for
Manager Education Overview and Career Guide

Listed below are the 10 largest metro areas based on the total number of people employed in Manager Education Overview and Career Guide jobs , as of 2019

   
Metro AreaTotal EmploymentAnnual Mean Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim25,130$142,320
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell16,760$117,040
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward16,220$168,900
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington9,130$134,740
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach9,050$98,830
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue8,270$133,940
San Diego-Carlsbad7,080$140,370
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson6,990$114,100
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise6,730$102,860
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin6,240$84,490

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Total employment and salary for professions similar to managers

Source : 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov; O*NET® 24.3 Database, O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, Employment & Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, onetonline.org

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Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.