How to become an Office Manager
You don’t typically need to be Degree educated to become an Office Manager, however, most companies will look for candidates with a good academic background i.e. strong grades at GCSE and A-Level, usually a minimum of B/C in Maths and English at GCSE as a minimum requirement. This being said, Degrees in Business Management, Business, Marketing, or essay-based subjects may be beneficial and help set you apart from other candidates. Candidates with NVQs (or equivalent) or apprenticeships in business and administration may also be regarded more highly when applying. Whilst grades may help with your application, relevant hands-on transferable experience, coupled with the right attitude and work ethic is usually what an employer will be focused on.
Office Manager jobs are rarely entry-level roles, so previous office administrative, secretarial or managerial experience will be highly beneficial when looking to apply for this type of position. It is also worth highlighting and referencing any temporary roles or work experience undertaken that aligns with the duties involved and skills used in an Office Manager job. Be sure to include any voluntary work, team-focused experience or extra-curricular activities that showcase your personality and skill set too.
As a general rule of thumb, the below skills and personality traits should equip you well in an Office Manager role:
- Emotional Intelligence
- Time management
- Excellent organisation skills
- Ability to prioritise
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
- Innovative thinker
- Problem-solver
- Ability to build up long-lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
- Team player
- Business acumen
- Ability to use initiative and take ownership of tasks
- Tech savvy
- Negotiation skills
- Self-motivated
Career Progression Opportunities
In the vast majority of Office Manager roles, there is scope for future progression and development, and there are a variety of areas that this role can move into, with a number of different courses/training opportunities available, such as team management, project management, health and safety, HR etc.
In smaller organisations with less budget for further qualifications, you should have a think about what you’re good at and play to your strengths. If you enjoy working with people and helping them grow, you could look at putting your hand up to manage staff within the business, i.e. more junior positions such as a Receptionist/Office Administrator, or take on lower-level HR duties such as managing holidays/absence and performance management.
In larger organisations with a bigger budget, you could look at undertaking qualifications that will allow you to take on more in your role, such as Health and Safety qualifications, for example, an IOSH qualification, mental health first aider, CIPD or even a Prince 2 project management qualification which could help you get involved with projects like employee engagement or rolling out a new CRM system or benefits programme for the team.
We have also seen Office Manager roles progress into Operations Manager positions over time, where you would work closely with the Senior Management team. There are several avenues for career progression in an Office Manager role for the right individual.