Focused, quality leadership is highly valued in professional settings, from the smallest startups to the largest multinational corporations. As a result, there are a variety of career paths associated with management and the business goals of customer satisfaction, fiscal success and professional development.
Companies are always looking for capable managers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that employment of management occupations is forecasted to increase by 8% from 2021 to 2031; an uptick of roughly 883,000 new positions.
What management skills do I need?
Although there are many different management styles and roles, a common set of skills can contribute to success in this field. Most managers are highly organized, with a strong understanding of the laws, ethics, regulations, finance, mathematics, supply chain management and more that affect their businesses. They usually have previous experience to qualify for management. Even if managing a specific team is not part of the job description, those in management should excel in guiding and supporting others and exemplify strong leadership.
Additional helpful skills that are important for managers to possess include:
- Clear communication.
- Conflict resolution.
- Industry knowledge.
- Managing both projects and people.
- Mentoring and motivating.
- Organization and delegation.
- Planning to meet strategic goals.
- Prioritizing tasks for yourself and your team.
- Problem solving and decision making.
Five potential job paths for BS in management graduates
A Bachelor of Science in management equips you with the skills needed to work in many supervisory roles and lead on a global scale. Management is a widespread area of business, but what specific careers are there for graduates with a management degree? Discover five potential career outcomes for management-focused students:
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Administrative services manager
No office could function successfully without a manager to run it efficiently. With so many day-to-day activities to track, the administrative services manager is crucial to any company. While this role’s main responsibility is to coordinate personnel and office operations, the specific duties can vary daily. Administrative service managers are the people who ensure an office operates smoothly.
Organizational, interpersonal and multi-tasking skills are required since this position can interact with every employee on some level. Administrative services managers are also sometimes responsible for external communication.
Work experience is important when aiming for a career as an administrative services manager and a bachelor’s degree is commonly preferred. The median salary is $100,170, according to the BLS. Because this role is integral to such a wide range of industries, the BLS projects that job opportunities in this area are expected to grow 7% from 2021 to 2031.
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Human resources manager
The human resources (HR) department is present in nearly all industries and companies. Strong interpersonal skills are a key element to being successful in HR because a primary responsibility is working directly with other employees.
The human resources manager addresses employee inquiries, manages the hiring process, handles recruiting, formulates and enforces corporate policies and implements training, making it a central role to a company’s performance. Additionally, this role manages the human resources team.
Demand for human resources professionals tends to grow or decline in line with the overall business environment. According to the BLS, human resources managers earn a median salary of $126,230. Specific skills that can improve earnings include familiarity with benefits and compensation and common human resources information systems. Most often, a bachelor’s degree is enough to qualify for a human resources manager role, but occasionally a master’s degree is preferred.
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Management analyst
Ensuring businesses run effectively is a huge business in itself. Companies are always striving to operate as efficiently as possible. Management analysts review specific areas of a business and propose ways to improve efficiency while increasing revenue and reducing costs. Frequent travel to meet with clients can be common since they typically work with many companies.
Employment for management analysts is growing faster than the overall average — projected to grow 11% from 2021 to 2031, according to the BLS. This is a testament to the demand for companies to focus on improving efficiency while reducing operational costs.
The average management analyst salary is $93,000, according to the BLS. Previous work experience is highly beneficial, along with a bachelor’s degree and certification as a Certified Management Consultant.
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Marketing manager
Marketing managers estimate the demand for products and services that an organization and its competitors offer. They then identify potential markets for their company’s products. Often, marketing managers monitor trends that can indicate the need or demand for a new product or service. Then they will assist in the development of that product or service and create a marketing plan for it.
Marketing managers also develop pricing strategies to help organizations maximize their profits and market share while ensuring that customers are satisfied. They collaborate with sales, public relations and product development teams.
According to the BLS, overall employment of advertising, promotions and marketing managers is projected to grow 10% from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. The average salary for marketing managers is $135,030.
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Sales manager
Sales managers oversee and direct sales teams for their organizations. They set sales goals, analyze data and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives. As team leaders, sales managers recruit, hire and train members of the sales staff.
Businesses rely on sales managers to develop plans to acquire new customers or clients through direct sales techniques, cold calling and business-to-business marketing visits. Sales managers increasingly rely on data detailing customer shopping habits to identify potential customers more effectively. This allows them more time to facilitate sales through customized sales pitches to individual customers.
The average salary for a sales manager is $127,490 according to the BLS.
Earn an online BS in management from Arizona State University
Wherever your passion lies in management, higher education can provide additional exploration and training for your professional life. Earning an online bachelor’s degree in management can open up numerous career choices to you.
ASU Online offers a Bachelor of Science in management from the W. P. Carey School of Business. This degree helps students learn the necessary skills to be effective managers and team leaders. The program builds competency in the major skills all managers need, such as communication, ethical decision-making, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving and more. It also provides you with the expertise and qualifications you need to manage people, streamline operations and lead on a global scale.