9 answers
jeremy
Student
Ontario
2
Questions
Asked
1009 views
Why are you a manager?
What business are you a manager for, and what company? How did you get your position? What qualifications did you need? What are some of the biggest challenges of the position? What advice would you give to someone who wants a career as a manager?
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9 answers
Tom Kenward
Talent Acquisition Lead
1
Answer
Reading, England, United Kingdom
Updated
Tom’s Answer
Hi Jeremy,
Great question!
I lead the Talent Acquisition team for Microsoft in Germany. I've been a manager for around 5 years and before that was in a non-management role for around 10yrs. I didn't need any particular qualification to become a manager, but I worked hard on my own skills to be as ready as I could be for when the time came for me to interview. That meant taking as many opportunities as possible to practice the required skills, asking for work/projects that aligned to my goals and sometimes being bold and taking on new experiences that I was nervous about.
To me, there's nothing better than seeing a team member develop their skills / experience. I love supporting my team through something that's a challenge to them and to seeing their reaction when they succeed is the best part of my job. Knowing I've played a small part in helping achieve that is a great feeling.
The challenges can vary but some of the common ones are:
- Ensuring my team are supported and feel that they are doing impactful work that aligns with their own career goals.
- Being accountable for the delivery of the entire team
- Making sure the workload of the team is balanced
- Managing escalations / complaints
- Maintaining a positive, inclusive and collaborative team culture that allows everyone to do their best work.
Overall though, these challenges are greatly outweighed by all of the positive experiences I have as a manager.
My first piece of advice to anyone considering management is to be really good at your current job - you'll need to show high levels of performance to be considered to lead the team in the future. Next, take the time to really understand what the job is about - it may not be what you think. Speak to existing managers about their own experiences and prepare some questions to ask. You should also look for opportunities to practice the skills you need to be a manager - what can you do now to prepare yourself for the future? If you can, find an existing manager to 'shadow' so you can see first-hand what they are involved in. Finally, if you decide management is for you, I encourage you to be bold about achieving your goals. You will likely need to be patient as you build up the experience you'll need, that's completely normal, but stay focussed and I'm sure you will make it happen.
I hope that helps - best of luck with everything !
Great question!
I lead the Talent Acquisition team for Microsoft in Germany. I've been a manager for around 5 years and before that was in a non-management role for around 10yrs. I didn't need any particular qualification to become a manager, but I worked hard on my own skills to be as ready as I could be for when the time came for me to interview. That meant taking as many opportunities as possible to practice the required skills, asking for work/projects that aligned to my goals and sometimes being bold and taking on new experiences that I was nervous about.
To me, there's nothing better than seeing a team member develop their skills / experience. I love supporting my team through something that's a challenge to them and to seeing their reaction when they succeed is the best part of my job. Knowing I've played a small part in helping achieve that is a great feeling.
The challenges can vary but some of the common ones are:
- Ensuring my team are supported and feel that they are doing impactful work that aligns with their own career goals.
- Being accountable for the delivery of the entire team
- Making sure the workload of the team is balanced
- Managing escalations / complaints
- Maintaining a positive, inclusive and collaborative team culture that allows everyone to do their best work.
Overall though, these challenges are greatly outweighed by all of the positive experiences I have as a manager.
My first piece of advice to anyone considering management is to be really good at your current job - you'll need to show high levels of performance to be considered to lead the team in the future. Next, take the time to really understand what the job is about - it may not be what you think. Speak to existing managers about their own experiences and prepare some questions to ask. You should also look for opportunities to practice the skills you need to be a manager - what can you do now to prepare yourself for the future? If you can, find an existing manager to 'shadow' so you can see first-hand what they are involved in. Finally, if you decide management is for you, I encourage you to be bold about achieving your goals. You will likely need to be patient as you build up the experience you'll need, that's completely normal, but stay focussed and I'm sure you will make it happen.
I hope that helps - best of luck with everything !
Milos Rakic
Talent Acquisition manager
1
Answer
Prague, Czechia
Updated
Milos’s Answer
I'm supporting (rather than managing) a team of recruiters in Microsoft. I started as a recruiter and gradually developed into the Manager role, over the number of years. I've started with leading project teams before actually managing them. In my cases official qualifications (Sales management) were complemented with expertise, skills and competences developed in previous roles and in the role before becoming a manager. Building the expertise in your individual contributor role is just a first step in becoming a manager. Becoming a manager is not an outcome of being an individual contributor over XY number of years and the next step should be people management. In order to go into people management, you need to have passion for people development, ability to coach and challenge people to grow, drive the outcomes through others, strong business acumen, learning agility... Having a clear idea why you want to lead people (leading is much broader than managing in my view) is critical for succession in this role. It's not about the status that comes with the role, it's about your deep passion growing by growing others. Challenges in the manager role come when you try to solve things for others and focus on teaching them how YOU would do it. You need to take the employee perspective and give them confidence and coaching to solve things in their own way. This is how you support their growth instead of just giving them advice.
This is not the advice, but more of sharing the experience :-): Delivering success for the business as a team is only one part of your role. If you expect to get back equal amount of energy and effort you invested into your team's growth - you might be in for a disappointment. You will work with many more people in your team and your motivation needs to come from things that are not easily measured. Seeing the team developing their skills and capabilities, being more capable to support the business, work more independently and ultimately becoming better than you are - this is where you get your fulfillment as a leader/manager.
This is not the advice, but more of sharing the experience :-): Delivering success for the business as a team is only one part of your role. If you expect to get back equal amount of energy and effort you invested into your team's growth - you might be in for a disappointment. You will work with many more people in your team and your motivation needs to come from things that are not easily measured. Seeing the team developing their skills and capabilities, being more capable to support the business, work more independently and ultimately becoming better than you are - this is where you get your fulfillment as a leader/manager.
Jeff Chinn
Senior Product Manager
5
Answers
Warren, Michigan
Updated
Jeff’s Answer
Hi Jeremy,
Great questions!
I am a manager for Customer Data and Operation Analytics at Survey Monkey. I have worked for several companies throughout my career. My work has centered on Customer Experience, ranging from website redesigns, website optimizations, Customer data management optimization and reliability. If we're able to understand how our Customer's use our products, and where we can improve their experiences, our business can continue to earn our Customer's trust.
What qualifications could I recommend? What advice could I share? I'm going to group these two questions together in my reply. Have a genuine interest in the development and well being of your team. Whether they want to grow and mature within the company or if they want to grow into a career path that leads them out of the company. Always help your team members learn, encourage them to explore their passions, strive to support a healthy and safe work environment, lead with empathy - these are some of the strongest skillsets that'll help build your qualifications and leadership path.
There's a lot of great advice from others in this thread. I'd also suggest looking into certification courses to expand your skillsets. One last piece of advice, continue to ask questions as you move through your career. Never stop learning. That'll set you apart from your peers.
I wish you all the best in your career and future pursuits!
Great questions!
I am a manager for Customer Data and Operation Analytics at Survey Monkey. I have worked for several companies throughout my career. My work has centered on Customer Experience, ranging from website redesigns, website optimizations, Customer data management optimization and reliability. If we're able to understand how our Customer's use our products, and where we can improve their experiences, our business can continue to earn our Customer's trust.
What qualifications could I recommend? What advice could I share? I'm going to group these two questions together in my reply. Have a genuine interest in the development and well being of your team. Whether they want to grow and mature within the company or if they want to grow into a career path that leads them out of the company. Always help your team members learn, encourage them to explore their passions, strive to support a healthy and safe work environment, lead with empathy - these are some of the strongest skillsets that'll help build your qualifications and leadership path.
There's a lot of great advice from others in this thread. I'd also suggest looking into certification courses to expand your skillsets. One last piece of advice, continue to ask questions as you move through your career. Never stop learning. That'll set you apart from your peers.
I wish you all the best in your career and future pursuits!
Jacob Fuchs
Education Sales
1
Answer
Sherwood, Oregon
Updated
Jacob’s Answer
Hey Jerry,
Such a great question to ask. I will break it down and answer one at a time.
1st: I was a manager at a few different companies before going back to being an individual contributor in my current role, I was always a sales manager. 2nd/3rd: I not only outperformed my peers, but I also focused on making people better, I didn't just want to succeed alone I wanted to watch others succeed as badly as I wanted myself to succeed and the switch to management allowed me to focus on just helping others grow and get better, their success became my success. 4th: The biggest challenge for me was patience, I took my first manager role at 19 training a ton of people to do something I was already really good at, so I learned a lot of patience and learning to teach to how others learned and not to how I learned. 5th Begin just helping people day to day, enjoy watching people succeed and read a lot of books on managing in the field you want to manage in, some of the best advice I got was to make your success hinge on the success of your people. If you are focused on helping others while mastering your craft management will be an easy transition.
Best of luck my friend!
Such a great question to ask. I will break it down and answer one at a time.
1st: I was a manager at a few different companies before going back to being an individual contributor in my current role, I was always a sales manager. 2nd/3rd: I not only outperformed my peers, but I also focused on making people better, I didn't just want to succeed alone I wanted to watch others succeed as badly as I wanted myself to succeed and the switch to management allowed me to focus on just helping others grow and get better, their success became my success. 4th: The biggest challenge for me was patience, I took my first manager role at 19 training a ton of people to do something I was already really good at, so I learned a lot of patience and learning to teach to how others learned and not to how I learned. 5th Begin just helping people day to day, enjoy watching people succeed and read a lot of books on managing in the field you want to manage in, some of the best advice I got was to make your success hinge on the success of your people. If you are focused on helping others while mastering your craft management will be an easy transition.
Best of luck my friend!
lillie king
Manager
24
Answers
Omaha, Nebraska
Updated
lillie’s Answer
I am a manager at a grocery that basically gets the brunt of customer complaints, managing checkers, chores, making sure people don't steal, etc. How I got the position because I have had numerous amounts of experience leading not only in the workplace but also in extracurricular activities. They saw how hard I work and I explained to them I am a natural-born leader and I know how to run things the 'right' way. Being a manager you can become either someone who is consumed by power or someone that uses their power for good. There is a term in social psychology 'egocentricism' or 'ethnocentrism'. Egocentric means that you lead in ways that benefit you while ethnocentric means you lead others in a way that benefits all. I try my hardest to keep ethnocentrism in my mind when I am at work as well as justice and equity. You also have to be strong when faced with problems, especially when customers will yell at you or call you horrid names to your face. Being confident and strong in your abilities is the best way to gain respect among your peers as well as towards yourself.
Megan Nerad, CPA
Consulting Manager at PwC
43
Answers
St. Louis, MO
Updated
Megan’s Answer
Great questions! I'll address some of them here below:
Q: What business are you a manager for, and what company?
A: I'm a consulting manager for PwC here in the US. I'm based out of the St. Louis, MO office but my practice is nationwide. PwC is a client services firm offering audit, tax, and consulting help to our clients.
Q: How did you get your position?
A: I started as an intern and worked my way up! There's a clear promotion path in public accounting. So I went from intern -> associate -> senior associate -> manager. There's also senior manager, director, and principal/partner.
Q: What qualifications did you need?
A: My company mainly hires accounting majors, but that doesn't mean other majors aren't hired, too! It depends on the job posting and your individual skill set!
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges of the position?
A: Having the patience to coach rather than just doing it myself when it would be faster. Finding good people to put together on your team can also be tricky due to schedules and skill sets.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants a career as a manager?
A: Ask yourself "why should someone work with me and for me?"
Best of luck!
Q: What business are you a manager for, and what company?
A: I'm a consulting manager for PwC here in the US. I'm based out of the St. Louis, MO office but my practice is nationwide. PwC is a client services firm offering audit, tax, and consulting help to our clients.
Q: How did you get your position?
A: I started as an intern and worked my way up! There's a clear promotion path in public accounting. So I went from intern -> associate -> senior associate -> manager. There's also senior manager, director, and principal/partner.
Q: What qualifications did you need?
A: My company mainly hires accounting majors, but that doesn't mean other majors aren't hired, too! It depends on the job posting and your individual skill set!
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges of the position?
A: Having the patience to coach rather than just doing it myself when it would be faster. Finding good people to put together on your team can also be tricky due to schedules and skill sets.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants a career as a manager?
A: Ask yourself "why should someone work with me and for me?"
Best of luck!
Cindy Henry
District Manager Levi Strauss
3
Answers
Updated
Cindy’s Answer
Hello Jeremy,
Together, we're a team of retail leaders eager to share our insights with you:
- Embrace the excitement of working with people, as it's intricate, demanding, yet incredibly fulfilling all at once
- Welcome feedback and actively seek it from your team members
- Cultivate self-awareness and develop the skill to "read a room"
- Understand your audience when communicating with them
- Prioritize inclusivity, diversity, and equity, as they are essential for a team's triumph
- Recognize and celebrate your strengths, while also being mindful of areas for improvement
- Set a positive example for others to follow
- Ensure that the role or company aligns with your personal goals, passions, and aspirations
Together, we're a team of retail leaders eager to share our insights with you:
- Embrace the excitement of working with people, as it's intricate, demanding, yet incredibly fulfilling all at once
- Welcome feedback and actively seek it from your team members
- Cultivate self-awareness and develop the skill to "read a room"
- Understand your audience when communicating with them
- Prioritize inclusivity, diversity, and equity, as they are essential for a team's triumph
- Recognize and celebrate your strengths, while also being mindful of areas for improvement
- Set a positive example for others to follow
- Ensure that the role or company aligns with your personal goals, passions, and aspirations
Danene Carter
Corporate Manager
2
Answers
Grand Junction, Colorado
Updated
Danene’s Answer
Hello,
I'm a manager of a major technology company. I have been in management for over 30 years. I love the position but know that you will have days that are not fun. Some advice that I would give are as follows: Don't delegate anything to anyone that you would not do yourself. Be kind to everyone. From the janitor to the CEO these are your teammates. Make sure to give credit where credit is due. If your assistant manager comes up with a great idea, give them credit in the big meeting. It does not take away from you. You are the leader that is helping to grow and develop your team. Your team will work harder for you because they know you will give them the recognition. Don't manage people, lead people. There's a big difference. Some days you will feel like a babysitter, but that is part of the job. Don' involve yourself things that you don't need to. Allow your team to sort out the small stuff. The attitude that you walk in the door with is the same attitude that your team will feel. You set the tone, so make sure it's a good one.
I'm a manager of a major technology company. I have been in management for over 30 years. I love the position but know that you will have days that are not fun. Some advice that I would give are as follows: Don't delegate anything to anyone that you would not do yourself. Be kind to everyone. From the janitor to the CEO these are your teammates. Make sure to give credit where credit is due. If your assistant manager comes up with a great idea, give them credit in the big meeting. It does not take away from you. You are the leader that is helping to grow and develop your team. Your team will work harder for you because they know you will give them the recognition. Don't manage people, lead people. There's a big difference. Some days you will feel like a babysitter, but that is part of the job. Don' involve yourself things that you don't need to. Allow your team to sort out the small stuff. The attitude that you walk in the door with is the same attitude that your team will feel. You set the tone, so make sure it's a good one.
David Gutla
Manager, Solutions Engineering
2
Answers
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Updated
David’s Answer
What business are you a manager for, and what company? How did you get your position? What qualifications did you need? What are some of the biggest challenges of the position? What advice would you give to someone who wants a career as a manager?
Hi Jeremy!
I'm a manager a HubSpot, a software company that provides marketing and sales software for other companies, and I work in the technical sales department.
I got my position by working my way up from IT jobs. After I finished my information technology degree at university, I applied for some graduate jobs starting as a consultant and eventually became an engineer after applying for a job that overlapped some experience that I had. After becoming proficient in my role, I decided that I wanted to mentor and lead others and at that time there was a manager job that opened up that I applied for and got.
My biggest advice if you want to be a manager is just making sure that you work something that you enjoy and become excellent at it. From that point, you can make your way into management if you believe that's what you want to do and you understand why you want to be a manager. Eventually you can start applying for jobs as you would have the necessary skills that you've gained.
Management is also broad, it covers various things like ensuring that people in your team perform well, are happy, stay motivated and have a great culture. Many might think that being a manager is a natural career progression, but in reality, not everyone enjoys managing others and some are much happier working for a team. As Milo mentioned, it's something you have to be passionate about.
As for challenges, or the things I enjoy least about being a manger: having difficult conversations e.g. If someone isn't performing well, or you need to provide critical feedback - these things sometimes happen and it's not always fun to provide feedback unless it's positive.
Hi Jeremy!
I'm a manager a HubSpot, a software company that provides marketing and sales software for other companies, and I work in the technical sales department.
I got my position by working my way up from IT jobs. After I finished my information technology degree at university, I applied for some graduate jobs starting as a consultant and eventually became an engineer after applying for a job that overlapped some experience that I had. After becoming proficient in my role, I decided that I wanted to mentor and lead others and at that time there was a manager job that opened up that I applied for and got.
My biggest advice if you want to be a manager is just making sure that you work something that you enjoy and become excellent at it. From that point, you can make your way into management if you believe that's what you want to do and you understand why you want to be a manager. Eventually you can start applying for jobs as you would have the necessary skills that you've gained.
Management is also broad, it covers various things like ensuring that people in your team perform well, are happy, stay motivated and have a great culture. Many might think that being a manager is a natural career progression, but in reality, not everyone enjoys managing others and some are much happier working for a team. As Milo mentioned, it's something you have to be passionate about.
As for challenges, or the things I enjoy least about being a manger: having difficult conversations e.g. If someone isn't performing well, or you need to provide critical feedback - these things sometimes happen and it's not always fun to provide feedback unless it's positive.