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If you thought being a manager was simply about sitting around all day
telling other people what to do, you’d be in for a nasty shock. The truth is, it takes a certain type of person to be a good manager – the hours are long, the responsibilities are high and the demands
from both staff and senior managers are never ending.

Managers have to take very tough decisions on the commercial operation
of a business, as well as dealing with the staff who work for them, often including the hiring and firing of employees. It’s certainly no easy ride.

For the right sort of person though, management is a challenging career that
can bring huge rewards, both personal and financial, along with the satisfaction
of knowing that you have played an integral part in an organisation’s success.
John Pal, Senior Learning and Teaching Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan
University Business School, says: “Management offers an exciting range
of challenges and, depending on the company in which you work, an element
of responsibility at a much earlier stage of your career.

“A good manager is realistic, flexible but decisive, and also enormously resilient.
A good manager also needs to have an understanding of how the things work on
the shop floor in any business setting.”

Jonathan Fitchew, Joint Managing Director at graduate recruitment specialist Pareto Law says: “A career
in management enables graduates to develop their business skills on a range of different levels – from people management and interview skills, to multi-tasking and time management.

“Whether training new starters, supporting senior staff or working to hit your own
targets, a role in management can give a real sense of achievement and graduates
quickly see the impact their work has on the success of the business.”

While one option is to join a firm and then work your way up the ranks into
management, an accelerated path is to apply to join a company’s management
training scheme, ensuring a fast-track career approach.

Qualifications needed
Many blue-chip firms now demand a 2:1 or higher degree classification for their
graduate management training schemes, while other companies are willing to
accept a 2:2, especially for a very talented or experienced candidate. The degree
subject studied is often less important – arts, humanities, science, engineering
maths and language graduates can all make good managers – though a
business or finance related degree can be a great help. Overall, firms want to see
applicants demonstrate their ability to work hard, use innovative methods and
produce excellent results.

Business degrees can be a useful way to gain an advantage. John Pal, says:
“Studying in a business school provides a comprehensive awareness of how
businesses and organisations operate, a strong set of soft and hard skills, and the
ability to work in teams and to apply your own initiative.”

Experience and skills
Being a manager involves having an understanding of every part of the business, as well as the ability to see solutions where others only see problems. This means that potential managers need to have not just the abilities to do a good job but also the
so-called ‘soft skills’ required to get the very best from employees.

Perhaps more than any other job, managers need a battery of people skills, including communication, negotiation and delegation. They have to be sympathetic and fair to the needs of others, while at the same time stay focused and disciplined to ensure that the objectives of the fi rm are fully met. Managers also need to be resolute in the face of opposition or problems. This can involve issuing warnings or even sacking failing staff, or taking responsibility when things go wrong in their department – even if it’s not directly their fault. Many, if not all, of these abilities and skills have to be built up through experience – they can’t be taught in a classroom. Good ways of getting these skills include part-time and holiday work and specific work experience in a particular industry. Even temping or casual bar work
is useful for picking up people skills, and if you’ve had a job with any real responsibility or direct managing experience, you’ll be in a very strong position.

Getting a job
Competition for the best graduate management jobs is intense, often
with hundreds or even thousands of applications every year from well-qualifi ed candidates. Casting your net far and wide is a good idea, as well as watching the calendar to make sure you hit the
deadlines for the various applications – with some fi rms, intakes can be a number of times a year. Getting work experience, ideally as an intern, can help by building up a continued relationship
with a particular fi rm – you’ll have a head start when it comes to applications as
you’ll already know the company’s culture, how it works and the key staff. Even if you don’t go on to get a job with the fi rm you’ve been an intern at, the experience still looks great on your CV and shows other would-be employers how serious you are.

Training schemes
The aim of most graduate management training schemes is to give a thorough
grounding of the business in order for a trainee to see how it works and become
an effective manager. This usually involves rotating trainees through many different
departments – possibly in different parts of the country – so they get fi rst-hand
experience of all business aspects.

Schemes can last one year, two years or three or more, depending on the firm and
the duties and responsibilities involved. The goal is that at the end of the period,
the trainee will become a fully-fledged manager, assistant manager or rising
executive, with the attendant pay and responsibilities. While no business will
expect a trainee to perform as a manager from day one, there’s no denying that
training is often hard, with long hours and considerable challenges to overcome.
The Co-operative Group’s management training programme is a good example.
Hannah Slaney, Co-op Group Graduate Programme Manager, says: “It’s fair to say
that it isn’t for everyone. It is designed to create our future leaders; therefore it really
stretches graduates’ development. ‘There will be lots of challenges, so candidates
need to be confident, tenacious, resilient and flexible. Early responsibility and a
high profile are exciting prospects, but graduates will need to work hard to earn
credibility and respect from peers.”

Pay and benefits
Graduate trainee managers won’t become rich overnight – initial pay is often around £18,000 to £25,000 – but the salary is likely to rise annually as trainees develop their experience and abilities. Fully-qualified managers can earn a very healthy income – depending on the firm it can be £50,000 or more. In some cases, bonuses can be paid as well, which can be a few hundred pounds right up to tens of thousands of pounds. There are a host of other perks in management. These can include a company car, health insurance, an expense account, extended holiday entitlement, share options and a generous pension package. Some foreign travel is likely for many managers.

KEY ATTRIBUTES FOR
POTENTIAL MANAGERS
• Excellent listener
• Able to delegate
• Solid communication skills
• Collaboration and team-working abilities
• Can understand complex business issues
• Good memory
• Quick learner – both skills and knowledge
• Customer-focused
• Sensitive to staff needs
• Able to make hard decisions
• Resilience in the face of adversity
• Adaptability in ever-changing environments
• Planning and problem-solving skills

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