If you have been working for your company for a while, you may be thinking that it is time to break into management. A promotion may be a great boost to your career, but how do you make sure you are chosen when the opportunity arises? Here are some tips that may help.
Get Qualified
It may be that you have not been able to progress your career because you do not have enough qualifications. However, it is never too late to go back to school, and these days online and part time study options mean that it has never been easier either. Further your career with industry specific management qualifications, such as an MS in engineering management, and you will see that the sky is the limit. Getting relevant qualifications will look great on your resume when you apply for a management job and it will show that you can work under your own initiative. For more information, visit https://onlinedsa.merrimack.edu/product-management-msem/.
Make Your Aspirations Known
You may feel eager to gain a promotion and take on a management role, but have you let your aspirations become public knowledge? Speak to your line manager about where you see your career heading next and they may be able to help you by suggesting ways of putting yourself forward. If you have 1:1 meetings with your boss, this may be a great time to raise the subject. If not, choose your moment, take a deep breath, and go for it.
Make Friends with Your HR Department
If your company has a Human Resources department, speak to them about your career aspirations. They have a much bigger remit than just hiring and firing staff. They will be able to advise you on how to get yourself known to the management for all the right reasons. More importantly, they will be able to let you know when the management vacancies might arise so you can get your application prepared in advance.
Volunteer for Projects
Putting yourself forward for projects outside your usual workload is a great way to get noticed by management and carve out a management career for yourself. It shows that you are keen to help and get ahead and it can often teach you some new skills too. It can also help you to network with people you do not usually work with, which can make promotion easier and quicker too.
Look Elsewhere
If you have done all these things and you are still not getting anywhere with your company, then it may be time to look elsewhere. There may be possibilities for promotion with other companies if there are none with your own. Bigger companies may offer you an internal management training program which could put you on the fast track to management. Smaller companies may be able to offer you that promotion right away rather than making you wait for it as you will not have as much internal competition.
Try these tips and you may be surprised at how quickly you land that management position you have been aspiring to.
