How to Become a Manager: Education and Required Skills

Being a manager is a highly sought-after profession, and for this reason, many people wonder what it takes to become a manager or head of specific corporate functions.

A manager’s duties are diverse. Within a business or public institution, this key figure is responsible for managing resources, coordinating activities, and achieving specific objectives. Precisely because of the variety of roles performed, a truly successful manager is one who knows how to combine skills acquired through study with personal qualities honed through experience.

So, how to become a manager? A guide to the education and skills required to pursue this profession.

What does a manager do

A manager is a key figure within a company. In short, this is the person who sets the company’s objectives and, above all, carries them out, ensuring that there is a consistent, concrete, and comprehensive business management strategy or target achievement.

In detail, these are the main tasks:

• Planning: defining objectives, strategies, and operational plans;
• Organization: assigning tasks, structuring work, managing teams or departments;
• Leadership: motivating and guiding staff, fostering collaboration;
• Controlling: verifying that the results achieved are aligned with established objectives;
• Communication between different levels of the company and between the company and the outside world.
• Resource Management: managing the budget, time, human resources, and materials.

It’s also important to note that there are different categories of managers, divided according to the specific nature of their role. For example, the operations manager is responsible for day-to-day operations and productivity; the middle manager acts as a liaison between management and the operations teams; and the top manager (manager or executive) makes strategic decisions for the entire company.

How to Become a Manager: What to Study and Career Path

Becoming a manager requires a combination of education, work experience, soft skills, and often a certain amount of natural leadership.

A degree is not required, although one can obviously make a difference.

Specifically, regarding education, a high school diploma is considered essential.

A bachelor’s degree is often required, especially in economics, engineering, law, psychology, or communication sciences, depending on the industry.

A Master’s degree or MBA (Master of Business Administration) is highly valued for mid- to senior-level management roles.

Some certifications can also be very useful for the roles involved. These include:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) or PRINCE2 (for project managers)
• Lean Six Sigma (for process management)
• HR, marketing, and finance certifications, depending on the area.

To advance your career, you also need: initiative, reliability, and the ability to work in a team and problem-solving.

How to Work as a Manager

In general, to work as a manager, you should aim for one of the following roles:

• Team Leader
• Department Coordinator
• Project Manager
• Functional Manager (e.g., marketing, production, HR, etc.)

There are many business sectors in which this profession can be pursued, some of which are truly interesting and rewarding. One growing sector, even globally, that promises excellent salaries is technology (IT & Software). The finance and banking, sales, engineering and production, marketing, and pharmaceutical sectors guarantee higher salaries.

Focusing on multinationals is another factor that offers greater prospects for a lucrative career.

Being a Manager: Professional Qualities

Not everyone has the character to be a successful manager or to perform this profession well. In addition to industry knowledge, personal skills are essential.

Truly effective communication skills, time and priority management, strong problem-solving skills, and strategic thinking are essential.

Furthermore, to fill this role, you must possess other qualities.

Leadership
No manager, in any sector, exists without this characteristic. This quality can be refined over time, but it is primarily innate. Those who are able to make decisions for a group, and to propose and present their ideas without fear, are the ones who have the greatest chance of becoming successful managers.

Keeping up with the times
Being able to navigate new technologies and stay ahead of the curve is another important characteristic for this role. This isn’t because they need to be super tech-savvy, but because it demonstrates a propensity for change and adaptation.

Being able to manage new processes and stay ahead of the curve in the world of technology is an important skill for managers of the future. This will ensure that the company they work for will always be up to speed and competitive with industry leaders.

Creativity
This is perhaps the essential quality for a good manager, since many company processes require innovative solutions. Therefore, being creative and proposing different solutions can undoubtedly be a good trait for managers.

Stress Management
This brings us to one of the key characteristics of the profession: being able to manage stress. Managers have great responsibilities, and their decisions can often impact the success of a project.

Furthermore, they must make important decisions in times of crisis and be able to boost the morale of other workers.

Original article published on Money.it Italy. Original title: Come diventare manager: studi e caratteristiche necessarie