The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Are you pursuing a position in the field of management? If you want to be the type of candidate that employers are looking for, it is important to possess the core skills necessary management field success. While some skills are more important than others, a mixed combination of a wide range of different skills are important for managers who want to be effective leaders who make strategic decisions in an effort to make a business succeed. Managers do much more than just tell their team what to do. A successful manager will stay on budget, make the difficult decisions, and ultimately achieve both short-term and long-term goals. In the current job market, here is a breakdown of some of the skills that applicants must possess to be considered for any type of management position.
Communications Skills Across the Board
It might sound like an obvious skill to possess, but many applicants do not understand the importance of being able to communicate effectively across all lines. A good communicator can relay their message verbally, on paper, and through listening. Management must facilitate communication to keep both the employees and the customers happy. In the interviewing process, you will have the opportunity to stress how good of a communicator you are in the form of your resume, your responses and whether or not you listen to the questions you are asked. You may have been born a good communicator, but if you need to work on these skills it is important to do so before your interview.
In today’s modern world, business executives are looking for managers who think about today and also think about the big picture. The best managers are strategic thinkers who encourage innovation and understand that innovation will lead to success. Along with strategic thinking comes critical thinking. A manager with critical thinking skills will think independently, analyze evidence and steer clear of generalizations. By combining both strategic and critical thinking as a manager, you can take the tasks of today and come up with policies and procedures that will lead to success in the future.
You Must be a Motivator and a Coach to Your Team
Employee morale is extremely important, but today a common problem within many organizations is employee dissatisfaction. While there are a number of reasons for this, some employees claim that their manager simply does not motivate them or coach them to achieve. Being an effective manager is a lot like being the coach of a sports team. You must identify the problems, teach your team how to fix their errors, and motivate them to improve. Corporations are looking for coaches and motivators who understand what motivates their team and how this motivation will lead to increased productivity.
Managers Need to Manage More Than People, They Must Manage Time
There is truth in the saying “Time is money”. Managers manage employees, but they must also be able to prioritize, meet deadlines, and manage time. Time management is a skill that is generally learned. If this is a skill you do not currently possess, it is one you must work on.
In today’s modern organizations, businesses rely on a wide range of different software programs to conduct research and to analyze performance data. This is why all managers must possess computer and technical skills. You do not have to be a technical expert, but you do need to add your experience with software and hardware on your resume so that executives know that you are computer- literate and able to learn new programs.
As a manager, you must be a flexible critical thinker who is also analytical and innovative. The best candidate applying for a management position will possess all of these skills and highlight these skills in their resume. If your resume does not include these skills, it is time to polish it so that you show off the fact that you possess the skills and attributes employers are looking for.
Alex Faubel enjoys writing about topics related to the intersection of business and technology in career-focused education programs.
