Become an Operations Manager

An operations manager, sometimes called a head of operations or even chief operating officer (COO), is a high-level position that ensures all units of a company are running smoothly.[1] To get there, you’ll need a good education and experience in as many areas of business as possible. OMs are great communicators, and problem solvers who can look at a company from a bird’s eye view. They're driven to turn "good" into "great," and ready to tackle issues when the going gets tough.

Steps

Building Experience

  1. Get a college degree. At the very least, you’ll need an associate degree. More likely, you will be expected to earn a bachelor's degree in business or even an MBA. Look for majors like business, logistics, or supply chain management.[2]
    • Any MBA can help you get a job as an operations manager, but one that focuses in supply chain management or a similar field will be especially helpful.
  2. Gain as much experience in business as you can. First-hand knowledge of how different parts of businesses work will help you oversee them all later as an operations manager. Look for jobs in business while earning your degree and afterwards. Try to get a breadth of experience in multiple areas, like:
    • Human resources
    • Information technology
    • Finance
    • Sales
  3. Look for work in a variety of industries. Operations managers use generally applicable skills and methods so that they can facilitate all kinds of business operations. You might become an OM in potentially any area of business. Having work experience in a variety of fields will show that you are versatile, and an attractive candidate for OM jobs. Industries likely to hire OMs include:
    • Transportation
    • Insurance
    • Healthcare
    • Manufacturing
    • Finance
  4. Get some management experience. As soon as you can start overseeing other people, go for it. Maybe there'll be an opening for a shift manager or team leader at one of your jobs. You can also talk to your manager and let them know you're interested in gaining some supervisory experience, so they'll have you in mind for any opportunities that come along.

Getting Your Foot in the Door

  1. Work your way up the ladder. You probably won't jump straight into a job as a full operations manager. More likely, you will begin as a junior manager in a company, then work your way up to senior manager. Only at that point will you have enough expertise in directing others to become an operations manager.[3]
  2. Network to learn about great jobs. Once you’ve built up plenty of business experience and education, you’ll become eligible for jobs in operations management. Those jobs will probably be posted to major job sites like Monster, but you may also hear of them through word of mouth from contacts. Create a great LinkedIn profile and network with companies who might be searching for an OM.
    • Make sure to keep your profile up to date, and work on building your network.
  3. Write a great resume. When preparing your resume for a job in operations management, you’ll want to stress the breadth and depth of your experience. Make sure to list things like:
    • All of the industries you have worked for
    • The various positions you have held
    • Previous management experience

Excelling at Your Job

  1. Master the day-to-day tasks of an OM. It's a big job to make sure that all the units and employees of a company are running smoothly. Be prepared for some long hours! Day-to-day, this means doing things like:
    • Approving hiring and dismissals
    • Acting as a liaison between departments
    • Reviewing employees
    • Delegating responsibilities
    • Writing reports
  2. Spend time getting to know your company from top to bottom. An OM is a senior-level position. This doesn’t mean that they should spend all their time in the boardroom, however. A good OM will be very familiar with all departments at their company.[4]
    • For instance, if your company is involved in sales, don’t spend all of your time hanging out with the sales crew. Spend time with the shipping department. Ask them about their job, their difficulties, and how they contribute.
    • You could have a program where you take each employee out to lunch to get to know them. Or if your company is large, you could at least have occasional lunches with each unit.
  3. Look for areas of improvement. An excellent OM won’t be satisfied with the status quo: they’ll want to go from good to great. As you work with all of your units, report on performance, and review employees, always be on the lookout for ways to: [5]
    • Make things more efficient. Are there positions or departments that can be combined? Are there ways to simplify the workflow?
    • Cut costs. Are there underutilized or unnecessary technological, capital, or human resources? Can operations be simplified to reduce costs? Can you go to a competitor to get a service or product at lower cost?
    • Increase revenue. Are sales forces or production lines working at capacity? Are there new markets that your crew could tap?
  4. Tackle any issues that arise. A good OM has to be ready to take on business crises, interpersonal problems, and other tough issues. It’s never easy to let someone go, for instance, but an OM may need to authorize this if it’s in the company’s best interests. Likewise, some people resist change, but an OM may need to do things like ask 2 departments to merge and change their workflow.[6]
  5. Communicate diplomatically. Delivering complicated information or bad news is not easy. However, be direct instead of beating around the bush. Show your confidence and ability to be honest and clear. At the same time, be tactful respectful of your employees' concerns.
    • For instance, you might say things like “Our accounting and investment teams have both always done great work. Change can be hard, but our new Asset Management department will combine these folks into one superstar unit, while simplifying everyone’s workflow. I’m ready to work with everyone through this transition, and excited about what this means for the future of our company.”

References

  1. ↑ https://learn.org/articles/How_Do_I_Become_a_Director_of_Operations.html
  2. ↑ https://learn.org/articles/How_Do_I_Become_a_Director_of_Operations.html
  3. ↑ http://www.jobhero.com/how-to-become-operations-manager/
  4. ↑ http://www.jobhero.com/how-to-become-operations-manager/
  5. ↑ http://www.jobhero.com/how-to-become-operations-manager/
  6. ↑ http://www.jobhero.com/how-to-become-operations-manager/
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