Are you interested in working as an office manager? If so, you have an exciting and complex job opportunity in store for you. Office managers are needed in almost every sector of the job market, and they are paid well because of the extensive tasks they take on at work. In order to learn how to become an office manager, you may need to get a college education. That, combined with some in-office experience, should be all you need to start working in this field. Here is a brief guide outlining the training you may go through to become an office manager.
To Degree or Not to Degree
It is possible to become an office manager without a college degree. If you work your way up the managerial ladder at your office, you could become a manager over time. This will take years to do though, and there is no guarantee that your employer will let you work as a manager without an appropriate degree. You may be stuck in entry-level or low-level management positions for the rest of your life if you do not have a college degree. Most employers expect their office managers to have a postsecondary education. Thus if you want to maximize your hiring potential, you need to consider going to college.
Common Degrees for Office Managers
To understand how to become an office manager, you will most likely need a bachelor’s degree in business, business administration, or a similar field. This will take approximately four years to complete, but you should be able to start work immediately after that. Some students opt for two year associate’s degree programs, but those may limit your job opportunities. If you want to ensure that you can find work in the future, you will need to look at a baccalaureate or higher.
The courses you take in your office manager degree program will vary based on the school you attend and the degree program you go through. Some courses you may come across include:
- Accounting Principles
- Business Law and Legal Procedures
- College Algebra
- Computerized Accounting Applications
- Document Processing
- English Composition
- Human Relations in the Office
- Introduction to Management
- Introduction to Microcomputers
- Introduction to Psychology
- Mathematics for Business
- Office Accounting
- Office Procedures
- Packaged Applications
- Payroll Applications
- Personnel Management
- Principles of Office Management
- Relational Database Applications
- Speech Communication
- Strategic Management
These courses and others will help you learn how to effectively manage employees, office tasks, and customer service problems that may come along. Office managers must understand the business side of their jobs as well as the communications side. If you can happily marry the two within your degree program, you should be set for your future employment.
You may want to take electives in college related to the kind of office you plan to work in later on. If you want to work in a medical office, you may want to take classes on medical terminology. If you want to work in a law office, you should consider taking a few paralegal courses. Tailor your degree around your goals so that you have the experience you need to succeed.
Getting a Job as an Office Manager
Once you have completed your degree program, you can begin looking for jobs as an office manager. You may start out as an upper level secretary to get a feel for your place of employment, but eventually you can move up to an actual office manager position. With that in mind, you may be able to jump straight into a managerial role. That will depend on the demand for office managers in your area at the time you start looking for work.
Office managers can work in virtually every area of the job market. Common places of employment include:
- Medical offices
- Real estate offices
- Insurance offices
- Educational offices
- Government offices
- Retail store offices
- Law offices
- Call centers
- Virtual offices (websites)
There are plenty of other places you may find work in. You will just have to see what office manager positions are available in your area. Now that you know how to become an office manager, all you have to do is set forth on your journey to do so.
