Image courtesy of Omdur
It’s not uncommon for people to change careers – by some estimates, as many as six or seven times. People simply grow tired of their jobs, or they look for ways to reinvent themselves, and sometimes, they decide that pursuing additional education is the key to moving into a new role.
If your goal is to move upward in the business world, you need to develop a plan. The first step should be making a list of the skills you have now and the skills you’ll need in order to take on greater responsibility. If you’ve got your sights set on becoming a manager, make sure you’ve got the right personality for job. To be successful, you’ll need the kinds of qualities that can’t necessarily be taught, such as:
- Good communication skills
- Adaptability
- Strong work ethic
- Good problem-solving ability
- High energy
- Self-confidence
- Decisiveness
- Leadership skills
- Good judgment
- Strong technical skills
If you’ve decided you’ve got what it takes to become a member of management, then the next step is to find out how additional education can help you achieve your goal.
Training and education
Most management opportunities require either a bachelor’s or associate degree in business management. An associate degree may be adequate if you already have an undergraduate degree in business, accounting, marketing, or a related field.
Keep in mind that you’ll likely be working full-time while you pursue a degree, so it may take you a few years to complete degree requirements. If you intend to stay with your current employer, make sure management knows you’re going back to school in order to increase your maneuverability within the company.
Employment options
What can you do with a degree in business management? Virtually every industry relies on business management professionals in some way. You could become a project manager and work with vendors to complete a project from start to finish. You might choose to work in human resources, to manage a restaurant or hotel, to oversee the daily operations of a factory or office, or to work as a consultant helping executives improve their businesses.
What does it pay?
Many factors affect your potential salary in the field of business management – your specialization, where you work and your on-the-job experience being the most significant. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an overall picture of what you can expect to earn, according to occupation. Here are just a few of the mean annual salaries for management professionals provided by the BLS:
- Chief executive – $176,840
- Marketing and sales manager – $123,260
- Purchasing manager – $106,200
- Human resources manager – $109,590
- Construction manager – $90,960
- Food service manager – $52,580
- Health services manager – $98,460
As with any career field, opportunities in business management can ebb and flow, but as long as there are businesses, there will be jobs in business management. So if you feel like you’ve gone as far as you can go professionally with your current credentials, look for opportunities to develop new skills that will make it easy for you to move up the career ladder.
Originally posted on July 1, 2013 @ 3:30 am