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

What is a manager on duty and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Steve Wages Ph.D.

The manager on duty, also referred to as duty manager, performs routine overseer tasks while the general manager is not around. Oftentimes, managers on duty work in organizations where there is delegation of pertinent tasks. As a manager on duty, your primary role is to oversee the operation in a department or organization and ensure efficient workflow and workforce performance. Mainly, you are to evaluate and delegate tasks between employees, set goals and budgets.

In addition, you are expected to impose disciplinary actions, arrange schedules, and handle concerns and issues. Notwithstanding, as a manager on duty, you could perform administrative and clerical roles, including processing paperwork, reporting to supervisors, producing progress reports, coordinating with managers, etc. Furthermore, you are expected to implement the standards and policies of the company or organization.

Managers on duty normally study psychology or business. You must hold at least a bachelor's degree in any of these relevant fields to earn at least an average salary of $36,730 per year.

What general advice would you give to a manager on duty?

Steve Wages Ph.D.

Director, Cloverdale Center for Youth and Family, Faulkner University

As soon as possible, establish a formal mentoring relationship with someone who is seasoned in pastoral counseling. Generally, the research demonstrates that the performance of employees with mentors is of a higher quality, they advance in their responsibilities and careers faster, and they avoid common mistakes exhibited by other employees. Establish short-term goals (6 months) for your position and a plan for overcoming obstacles; then ask your mentor to hold you accountable for implementing your plan. As part of your self-care. you also need to be proactive in developing a few close friendships, perhaps including colleagues, who can be a source of emotional support and encouragement to you personally.

You should be confident in your training while also being realistic and transparent about your limitations. There is still a lot that you do not know and much you will learn with experience. Until then, be willing to say "I don't know" when faced with problems you have not addressed before. Then commit to learning more about the issue through personal study and/or consulting with a more experienced colleague or mentor. In some cases, you may need to invite a more experienced counselor to meet with a client or where appropriate refer them to someone else.

You need to equip yourself to address structural changes to the delivery of pastoral care and counseling as a consequence of the pandemic. You will need to adapt to providing pastoral counseling virtually perhaps via Zoom sessions. Give thought as to how the virtual context impacts the counseling process and the spiritual resources you employ. For example, if you are comfortable praying with a client in your office, will you be equally inclined to pray with them online or over a phone. In light of the pandemic, Dr. Chuck Lawless noted, "Good pastoral care has required being more proactive than reactive." Ordinarily, pastoral counselors are reactive in that they respond to needs when they hear about them or when they are

ScoreManager On DutyUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,423

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.7

Growth rate 18%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.19%

Asian 9.58%

Black or African American 8.68%

Hispanic or Latino 11.54%

Unknown 5.12%

White 63.88%

Gender

female 52.70%

male 47.30%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

9.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a manager on duty

Explore manager on duty education requirements

Most common manager on duty degrees

Bachelor's

51.2 %

Associate

20.0 %

High School Diploma

17.3 %

Start to develop specific manager on duty skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	19.38%
Safety Procedures	10.55%
Payroll	6.97%
CPR	5.02%
Guest Service	4.64%

Complete relevant manager on duty training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New managers on duty 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 manager on duty based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real manager on duty resumes.

Research manager on duty duties and responsibilities

Conduct daily sales presentations to prospective customers that lead to an establish model laud by company leadership.
Manage several customer service incidents and tend to emergencies including the administration lifesaving CPR to a gym patron.
Update computer POS program for menu changes, employee voids, banquets and specials.
Used POS software sales projections to challenge the sales associates to meet or exceed corporate sales goals.

Prepare your manager on duty resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your manager on duty 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 manager on duty resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable manager on duty resume templates

Build a professional manager on duty 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 manager on duty resume.