Career Advice: How to Become a Manager in Less Than 1 Year

The word manager tends to have several different definitions. This is because a manager can be defined as so many different things. Shoppers and employees view a manager from different views. Basically, the position of manager is something that is always looked at by everyone. Some of us despise the position, while others dream of being in that position. Those same people believe that they know what it takes to be a manager. This results in many of them applying for the position prematurely. How do we stop those who dream from trying to advance too quickly without knowing everything, yet inform them on how to learn everything and advance at that rapid pace they dream of? Welcome to my how to guide on how to become a manager in less than 1 year.

You might be looking at the author and wondering how he can give you this type of information. The teachings that I am about to offer you come from my own experiences. I have been lucky enough to rise in the ranks of nearly every job that I have held. My first managerial role came at the age of 16. This can be a bit overwhelming for a young employee, but greatly rewarding at the same time. The experience helped prepare me for the future managerial roles that I have held. All of these jobs have been in the retail world. This allows me to offer you sound advice on the do’s and don’ts of achieving a management role.

The first thing that you must know is to work with the team while keeping to yourself. This is a fine line to walk and a hard one to explain. You must be able to work in a team environment and provide the assistance and communication skills that are important to the overall success of the store. On top of that, you must be able to show everyone else that you can work alone and be just as productive. This will show your higher ups that you are a doer and that you do not wait for someone to tell you what to do. By displaying the ability to take a task into your own hands and thinking out potential ways to complete that task more quickly, you show management some positive qualities.

By making those qualities evident to the people above you is very important to your success. People who advance into managers and beyond are those who can outwork and lead those around them. Your fellow employees will see that you are working hard and try to keep up with you. Management will notice that your effort is very beneficial to the team environment. Now, some people reading this article may say that they have busted their butts for years and have not advanced. This could be because you are not being a true team player. You might be a stubborn individual and confronting. This can cause a lot of issues in your advancement dreams.

When a manager or fellow employee tries to inform you of something that you did wrong or could do better at, just accept the fact. Many of us are quick to offer our own opinion on the matter and fight with what is being passed onto us. You need to keep your anger and frustration to yourself and show that you have no problem with advice and rules. This will show your superior that you are controlled and professional. Being a professional is a major piece to advancing within your company. Owners are always looking for people who can represent their company with a controlled sense of class and all around professionalism. If you are able to do this and attempt to do this, it will help you get that much closer to being a manager.

Another step in your journey is to volunteer for as many things as you can within your store. If you have the time to volunteer for an additional shift, to make a company poster, or carry items out to a customer’s car, you should do this. This shows that you really care about where you work and are willing to put in the extra time required to make it work. Managers put in a lot of time into their stores. They understand what it takes to make everything around them be a success. If you display similar qualities to their own, you are fast tracking yourself to the top once again.

One of the final steps and most important step is always keeping up to date to any growth opportunities. Many of us are guilty of going to work and only making it a weekly paycheck. We arrive to work, work hard, and then go home. This is not the proper thing to do if you want to advance your career. You will need to ask your manager or look on-line for potential career growth opportunities within your store or the company as a whole. By keeping posted on these opportunities, you allow yourself an opportunity to put in for those positions. Remember to not become deterred if you do not get that first job that you applied for. It always takes failure to get to where you want to be. Keep applying and someone will finally notice how serious you truly are.

These techniques have allowed me to hold seven different managerial jobs before I was twenty-four. You may wonder why I have held so many different jobs. It is not because I was not a match for them. Many of my jobs had to be given up because of interference from school and other outside related situations. My work ethic has remained my greatest quality and I continue to work hard at whatever job it is that I have. We all need to do this to succeed. I promise you that you can succeed as well. All you have to do is follow my advice and continue to work hard. Maybe someday I will enter your store and being staring at you.