How To Become A Corporate Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a corporate manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Corporate managers oversee various segments of business operations in a company. They review performance reports, discuss possible courses of action with other members of the managers' board, and coordinate business operations.

As a corporate manager, it will be your job to devise business strategies and implement action plans. You will identify corporate goals, allocate budgets, and set up timelines for achievements. You will have to evaluate business processes and enforce change wherever necessary to ensure maximum profitability.

Being a corporate manager is an exciting and respectable position coveted by many. You will need extensive experience in business management to rise to this position, as well as appropriate education in business administration or entrepreneurship. But perhaps your most important asset in landing a managerial position will be your network and connections.

ScoreCorporate ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.8

Avg. Salary $108,486

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.31%

Black or African American 6.12%

Hispanic or Latino 14.98%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.80%

Gender

female 40.17%

male 59.83%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a corporate manager

Explore corporate manager education requirements

Most common corporate manager degrees

Bachelor's

70.4 %

Master's

16.3 %

Associate

8.3 %

Start to develop specific corporate manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Project Management	10.33%
Healthcare	8.26%
Oversight	5.55%
Financial Statements	4.69%
Continuous Improvement	4.22%

Complete relevant corporate manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New corporate managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a corporate manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real corporate manager resumes.

Gain additional corporate manager certifications

Corporate manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific corporate manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for corporate managers include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Master Project Manager (MPM).

More About Certifications

Research corporate manager duties and responsibilities

Manage temperature control (HVAC system) for office space.
Manage building maintenance and HVAC, contract services (i.e.
Manage all aspects of mailroom operations, reproduction, facsimile department, courier services, and supply ordering and maintenance.
Lead implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley and develop training program used to instruct all domestic and international finance employees.

Prepare your corporate manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your corporate manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a corporate manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable corporate manager resume templates

Build a professional corporate manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your corporate manager resume.