When it comes to landing a job in management, it is likely that an employer will want to see some experience on your CV: they’ll be impressed by someone who can step into a leadership role confidently and quickly, so having experience in a similar role is often a huge plus point.
However, what do you do if you haven’t had a management role before? Everyone’s got to start somewhere, right? To help you land your first job in management, we've put together some top tips to help your application, along with a list of transferable skills for management jobs.
Four tips for getting a management job.
- Highlight relevant management experience on your CV
- Secure a leadership qualification in your free time
- Explain why you are interested in a career as a manager
- Go for internal promotion
Highlight relevant management experience on your CV.
Even if you’ve never had a job that actually has the word ‘manager’ in the job title, it’s likely that you’ve done something in previous roles that has allowed you to showcase management and leadership skills. So, a great place to start is to go through your previous work history and job descriptions, and pull out any key examples: maybe you’ve organised a social event, trained some new colleagues, or taken ownership of a project from start to end.
Once you’ve picked out some key examples, go through your CV and ensure they are highlighted, and prepare to speak about tasks that involved additional responsibilities at interview.
Secure a leadership qualification in your free time.
If you are hunting for a management position and feel like you are lacking in experience and some relevant examples to give, it might be worth investing in a management course. Gaining a certification in leadership could impress potential employers, demonstrating that you have the insights and passion for a management career, even if you aren’t in a leadership role just yet.
It is worth doing your research - there are some free courses online that can be completed virtually, or if you’ve got the spare cash, you could invest in a paid for course.
Explain why you are interested in a career as a manager.
In a cover letter or at interview stage, be ready to explain why it’s the right time for you to move into a management role, beyond wanting a higher salary!
Think of things that excite you about being a manager - it could be sharing your knowledge with others, building a team around you, or taking on more responsibility. By explaining this, it can show an employer that you would bring a lot to the table, despite maybe having less experience than other candidates.
Go for internal promotion.
A fantastic way to get your foot on the management career ladder can be to go for an internal promotion if you are looking to stay at your current organisation. Plus, you may have a head start on external candidates as the team know you already! Even if there’s not an existing role out there, don’t be afraid to have a conversation with your line manager and find out if there are any projects you can get involved in, and offer to take the lead on certain tasks. This can demonstrate your leadership potential and also highlights your interest in stepping up to a management position in the future.
So, feeling ready to step into management? Here’s some of the main attributes that a good leader should have:
- Interpersonal skills
- Communication skills
- Ability to forward plan
- Ability to delegate and motivate others
- An eye on the commercials
- A bigger picture view…
- ...without losing sight of the smaller details
- Organisation skills
Feeling as though you’ve got the skills to succeed? Browse management jobs today.
