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Submitted by techmgr on
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Hi,

I'm trying to land my first manager job, and it's really difficult with limited supervisory experience on my resume (total of about 2 years at 2 locations, one without a proper title). Currently I coordinate projects involving my peers from various locations and departments, but it's a hard sell to claim any "supervisor" functions, let alone achievements, on my resume for my current position. I'm not at all hopeful that I will ever get an opportunity to be a manager, with directs, with my current employer. So I'm looking outside work for things I can do that would demonstrate that I have what it takes to be a manager. 

I've thought of two things so far. First would be to chair a conference. This is very time consuming, but being able to remotely coordinate the effort of volunteers would be an achievement. Second, is to join a mentorship program as a mentor of a more junior IT person. Not very time consuming, not much in the way of achievement either, but an opportunity to demonstrate coaching abilities.

I would appreciate any feedback on these ideas, and I'm open to any suggestions on how to add something to my resume that says "Management Material" when I don't have these responsibilities currently.

Thanks in advance,

Jacob

tlhausmann's picture
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Ok, you coordinate projects. To what extent is your role one of _influencing_ or persuading peers to better the company? I suspect that when you do a great job coordinating projects the opportunity to manage (formally) will come. People notice.

Chairing a conference or organizing an event involves volunteers. In other words, people with whom you have no formal authority. The ability to have a successful event/conference rests on influence--not power.

techmgr's picture
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Thank you for your comment. Yes, my ability to influence (combined with good organization and communication) is how I am able to successfully coordinate projects. This has been noticed by my manager, who tells me I'm great. But this is a small company and there are simply no opportunities for moving upward - not everyone who displays management potential gets to become a manager. No managers are leaving, they do not appear willing to split up a department to give me part of it, and they are not going to grow a brand new department for me. There are also issues with my physical location, as I work in a branch with very few technical employees, and no managers, and this is a trend that the company appears to want to continue. 

This is why I'm trying to get hired as a manager elsewhere, and I'm looking for ways to enhance my resume honestly with experiences that show that I have the ability to manage people in the hopes that some company will give me an opportunity to manage.

Chairing a conference involves organizing volunteers, over whom I obviously have no authority or power - is that something that would impress a hiring manager?  Does anyone have any thoughts on what to do in my situation?

Thanks.

naraa's picture
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I work in an engineering environment and when interviewing for managemetn position I usually ask two questions which tell me straight away whether people have indeed have management experience and whether they are management material. 

First I ask them to tell me what the biggest difficulty has been in achieving the goals they have set up to achieve.  If they have had management experience all of them say working with people and making people work together or something of this sort.  I don´t know if this applies to other fields but as engineers one is not really thought how to understand and how to work with people.  And manager tools has not been around long enough, so most people really learn as they go.  So before they have the solution, it is a problem.

Second I ask them to tell me how they have sort it out, how have they solved the problem.  And then I can not only find out whether they have what it takes to be a manager but I can also find out their style of management.

So for me, among other things if I could see in your CV that you have been yourself responsible as a head or as coordinator of a project which involved bringing people together to achieve a result which is the sum of the work of the individuals in the team I would consider interviewing you for a supervisory or a management position.  So my recommendation for you is to describe in a short paragraph the project and the role you have had in it.  For example: responsible for the coordination of a project which objective was XX and which involved the work of XX professionals from three different locations within the country.  Monitor project advancement and execution of activities. Project finished on time and on budget.  Something within this line with the specific of the project. 

You may not have had the title, but you may have had the experience and the training.  And many times, the experience can mean more than the title.  Sounds like within your company you can perhpas try to get a bit more and a bit more experiene and responsibility in coordinating and managing the projects you are already on.  I don´t know if the projects you are coordinating have a project director or project head?  Or as coordinator you mean leading the project?  If they do have a project head then glue on this guy or girl and learn as much as you can from them and offer yourself to do a bit more of what they are already doing.  If you are the head, then go ahead and implement the "supervisory" functions, project-one-on-ones, project planning and control, - who-does-what-by-when.  Even if you don´t have the title, I think that experience can help you in the CV and in the interview. 

Cannot talk about your company or your situation.  But look carefully to identify whether your persepction of: "I'm not at all hopeful that I will ever get an opportunity to be a manager, with directs, with my current employer." is actually true.  I have seen people leave based on this perception which was not correct in most cases.  I agree with the comment above that if you do a great job coordinating projects, the opportunity to manage will come.

Best of luck! 

Nara

afmoffa's picture

I highly, highly recommend people who are gunning for management positions seek a short-term or long-term management position with a volunteer organization or volunteer project. Could be the Parent-Teacher Association, could be at your local church, could be organizing  the company picnic (even at a for-profit company, this would still be a volunteer position.)

Yes, most of the experience you'll gain will be applicable. No, it won't be as relevant as a formal, "empowered" management role at your day-job.

But here's the biggest part: You'll get to find out whether or not you like being in charge. Not everyone finds the big chair all that comfortable, maybe because we get to spend so little time actually sitting in it.

Pilot's picture

Concur with AFMOFFA. Getting volunteers to tackle tasks as a group or individually is a great grounding in management. Every section of society provides an opportunity for this form of management.Pick somewhere in your local aera where you can make a difference. (Red Cross, School Committee, Rotary, Lions and other clubs come to mind.) This will test all of your management skills and your personal skills as well. It will frustrate and aggravate you as well as make you realize authority and title alone will not engender cooperation and collaboration. That said it will also be some of the most satisfying and rewarding work you ever take on. There will always be a mentor because someone has done the job in the past and the organisation will care that you succeed.

techmgr's picture
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 Thanks for the suggestions.