An operations manager is an executive known as a chief operating officer or a COO and is responsible for overseeing various human resources processes, including talent recruitment and hiring and training procedures. Additionally, as the name implies, COOs are also in charge of creating, examining, and improving upon an organization's processes, their productivity and efficiency. Providing important leadership, they also create policies, assist with recruitment efforts, oversee the budgets of certain programs and departments, and determine short- and long-term goals.
How To Become an Operations Manager
Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become an operations manager. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in an operations manager.
-
Most companies require a operations manager to have a bachelor's degree degree in a related field, such as business or management.
-
It's important to have relevant work experience, with typical job requirements ranging from 2-4 years in related fields.
-
Common job titles before becoming an operations manager include manager, store manager, and general manager.
-
Hiring managers expect an operations manager to have soft skills such as communication skills, leadership skills, and management skills.
-
Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of 1-2 years of job training to become an operations manager.
-
Getting a certification as a Six Sigma Green Belt will help you to earn more as an operations manager.
We've found that 62.5% of operations managers have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 8.7% earned their master's degrees before becoming an operations manager. While it's true that most operations managers have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every seven operations managers did not spend the extra money to attend college.
Those operations managers who do attend college, typically earn either business degrees or management degrees. Less commonly earned degrees for operations managers include accounting degrees or marketing degrees.
How to become an Operations Manager in 6 steps:
- Step 1: Explore operations manager education
- Step 2: Develop operations manager skills
- Step 3: Complete relevent training/internship
- Step 4: Get operations manager certifications
- Step 5: Research operations manager duties
- Step 6: Prepare your resume
Looking for your next Job?
Key Steps To Become an Operations Manager
Explore Operations Manager Education
If you're interested in becoming an operations manager, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 62.5% of operations managers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 8.7% of operations managers have master's degrees. Even though most operations managers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an operations manager. When we researched the most common majors for an operations manager, we found that they most commonly have business, management and accounting.
Operations Manager Major Percentages Business 41.30% Management 5.90% Accounting 5.00% Marketing 4.30% Other Degrees 43.50% Develop Operations Manager Skills
It'll be a good idea to develop operations manager skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in operations manager job descriptions:
Skills Percentages Customer Service 23.49% Logistics 6.59% Continuous Improvement 6.20% Payroll 5.17% Project Management 3.88% Complete Relevent Training/Internship
Operations managers spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new operations managers learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as an operations manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operations manager resumes.
Average Amount Of Time At Training
Get Operations Manager Certifications
Certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for this position. They can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a certification, having one may help you stand out in an application. Plus, the process of getting a certification can teach you new skills that you can bring to your work. We determined the most common certifications for operations managers. The most common certification is Six Sigma Green Belt, but Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) is also frequently seen in operations managers resumes.
- Six Sigma Green Belt
- Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP)
- Certified Manager Certification (CM)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Sales Professional (CSP)
- Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
- Food Safety Manager Certification
Research Operations Manager Duties
When you decide to become an operations manager, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most operations manager jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:
- Manage and lead operations that include performance management, organizational development, employment compliance, employee relations, payroll management.
- Manage 2HVAC system retrofit replacement teams.
- Manage all invoices, A/P, A/R and other accounting duties.
- Manage computer operation teams supporting propriety and DoD programs at the Lewisville site.
- Manage 45 person division and day to day operations of scheduling, communications, A/R, A/P and customer care.
- Manage the export booking and documentation department ensuring smooth on-time delivery.
Prepare Your Resume
Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Operations Manager Resume templates
Build a professional Operations 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 Operations Manager resume.Apply For an Operations Manager Job
Operations Manager Jobs
