How do I get a graduate job in management?
Management is the process of running a business or leading an organisation. A manager will decide how to use resources and employees to best meet the aims of the organisation. Junior managers may be responsible for a certain aspect of the organisation’s work: a department, a branch or a franchise. In contrast, senior managers oversee larger aspects of the business.
Most management roles will involve directing and organising staff-members. This includes:
- making sure that deadlines are met
- meeting financial targets
- planning
- scheduling
- overseeing projects.
What is management?
Every organisation, no matter how big or small and whatever its area of focus, needs managers – so you can become a manager in any sector. If you have a particular area of interest you can choose to work in that field, whether it’s for a healthcare trust, a charity, a media organisation, in retail, or anywhere else that takes your fancy.
Starting your career in a management role could lead to great things. You could progress to be a senior manager in the organisation, perhaps even a director. It also develops all the skills you’d need to start and run your own business.
What kind of job could I be doing?
There are plenty of different roles under the management umbrella. Some examples include:
- Managing a particular aspect of an organisation’s business needs, such as human resources, finance or marketing.
- Running a section of an organisation, such as the menswear department of a large retailer.
- Becoming a branch manager of a chain establishment, such as a shop, a restaurant or a hotel.
- Becoming a franchise holder, paying a parent company to use its brand name but managing the franchise yourself. This provides you with a firm footing from which to start your own business.
What is the recruitment process like?
There are a number of different techniques involved in the application process for management jobs. These include:
- online applications
- psychometric tests
- phone interviews
- assessment centres
- interviews
Different companies use different combinations of these stages.
