The Definitive Guide: How To Become An Assistant Manager

If you’re a natural born leader, enthusiastic, hard working and ambitious, then an Assistant Manager role could be your calling. If you’ve got plans to climb the managerial ladder then this is a great place to start.

You will learn everything you need to know about how to manage a team, without all of the responsibility that comes with being a general manager. Of course, you can’t just step into an Assistant Manager position, you will need to work very hard to get there – read this guide to find out how to become an assistant manager.

Although this role involves long hours, many responsibilities and tasks you may end up doing that you think you didn’t sign up for, helping to manage a team and seeing the team grow and succeed is a great reward for all of the hard work you put in.

What is an Assistant Manager?

• Job Description

  An Assistant Manager is a lower middle management role, reporting to the general manager. In this role you will be supporting the manager in any way that you can, holding down the fort when the manager is away, and keeping staff happy whilst assisting them whenever they need support.

  You could be in any industry in this job role, take your pick. Whether it’s in retail, a restaurant, a theme park or a gym. You can find Assistant Managers  in all industries.

• Hours of Work

  You will most likely be working a full 40-hour week, Monday to Friday and possibly weekends and evenings depending on the industry and the company that you end up working for; for example if you work in a shop or a restaurant you will be expected to work during their opening hours which could include public holidays.
  
  Sounds tiring? As an Assistant Manager you will have to be willing to put the hours in, not only to prove yourself in the role, but to always be there to assist your team. They will be looking to you for advice, help and to resolve problems whenever they arise.

• Main Responsibilities

  So, what will your main duties be?
  
  Here is a list of tasks that will be expected of you:

  • Assisting the General Manager
  • Evaluating work performance of staff
  • Handling customer complaints
  • Allocating work to team members
  • Assisting with recruitment, training, promotion and performance evaluation
  • Motivating employees
  • Conducting team meetings

Key Assistant Manager Qualifications

What qualifications do you need to land yourself an Assistant Manager job?

GCSE’s A*-C or equivalent are desirable. You don’t necessarily need A levels or a degree but any further qualifications will only make you stand out more and give you an advantage. Some companies may offer management training schemes where you can be trained on the job. Some qualifications you could consider are:

• Level 2 Award and Certificate in Leadership and Team Skills
• Level 3 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Leadership and Management
• Level 5 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Leadership and Management

How to become an Assistant Manager

So, now you know a bit more about the job role, how do you go about getting yourself the job?

If you don’t have any management qualifications, don’t panic - your determination and hard work as a member of staff can get you noticed and you could be promoted (after a few years’ of experience) to an Assistant Manager role. Experience often counts more than qualifications, especially if you show an interest in progression and always strive to learn new things and improve your performance.

How to develop your Assistant Manager career

You’ve got the job, but what’s next?

After you’ve proved yourself and gained some valuable experience as an assistant manager, the next step for you would be to climb the ladder to become a manager.

Or, you could see what else is out there – how about moving to a different company – perhaps manage a larger team of people or if you’re looking to switch things up you could even change to a totally different industry. Once you have the experience, employers will be more likely to consider you for the job.

Take the plunge; you never know what opportunities could be out there for you. This could be the career that you’ve always been looking for.

Career Opportunities

• You can find the best sales manager jobs with brands such as Greggs, The Gym Group, Be at One, Nando's and many more.

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