Office manager
Office managers organise and supervise all of the administrative activities that facilitate the smooth running of an office.
An office manager carries out a range of administrative and IT-related tasks, depending on the employing organisation, and the work may vary from running the administrative side of a small employer’s business as a sole administrator to overseeing the office work of numerous staff.
Although the work of an office manager differs greatly across organisations, they all have the responsibility for ensuring that their office runs efficiently. Job titles vary and office managers are often called office administrators, especially at more junior levels.
The role varies according to the type of employer, the size of the organisation and the management structure, but activities typically include:
Although this area of work is open to all graduates and diplomates, relevant degree and HND/foundation degree subjects include business, management and IT. In particular, the following degree/HND/foundation degree subjects may improve your chances:
Many employers will consider candidates with relevant HND or foundation degree qualifications.
Experience is highly valued in office management positions, so some employers do not ask for a degree as this may block applications from experienced non-graduate candidates. Entry without a degree, HND or foundation degree is therefore possible for those who have relevant skills and work experience.
A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not necessary, but may be considered desirable by some employers, particularly in a business-related field.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following skills and personal qualities:
Experience of working in an office is essential, so relevant work experience is important, particularly in a related industry. Graduates can gain experience through recruitment agencies or junior administrative posts.
Candidates will also need to demonstrate good team-working and management skills. Taking on an extracurricular project or managing a team of volunteers is a good way of acquiring these skills, particularly if you have not had the opportunity to apply them in a work environment. A familiarity with legislation in the areas of employment, equality and diversity and data protection can also be useful.
Competition varies between employment sectors, but office manager positions usually attract a large number of applications. Relevant office experience, particularly with the same organisation, can dramatically improve your chances.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Training opportunities depend on the employer and the nature of the post, although most employers offer at least basic training. Large organisations often provide training in-house, while smaller organisations rely more on regional and national training organisations. Informal on the job training is also common.
The type of training provided will depend on the nature of the post, but most organisations provide training in the following areas:
Office managers who take on substantial extra duties, such as managing the office finances or personnel policies, may need to study for a diploma, HND or degree in the relevant subject area.
In smaller companies, training courses are usually taken on your own initiative, but are often paid for by the employer. Training budgets may be restricted so it is likely that office managers will do much of their training informally and on the job.
An office manager role is not usually an entry-level position, and you will be expected to have gained previous administrative or managerial experience, preferably in a related sector.
Once in the post, career development may take a variety of routes. It may involve taking on extra responsibilities, such as managing more staff or taking on some senior management responsibilities, or it may involve managing a different office in the organisation, usually one which has a larger workforce or carries more responsibility. For example, the employee may move from managing a small team in the finance section to managing the whole finance department. However, after extensive experience as an office manager, career development is likely to involve a step up into senior management and later to head of department.
Stages in career development often depend on the organisation and employment sector you work for, but most organisations encourage office managers to take on extra responsibility. This may be in such sections as finance, human resources and strategic development.
Bottlenecks can occur for senior posts, particularly when there is a large number of office managers in the organisation. Developing a specialist area may help if it is relevant to the post.
Office managers are employed across the board in the public, private and charity sectors - in short by any organisation that runs an office, from small businesses to public bodies and multinational corporations.
Typical employers include:
Recruitment agencies commonly handle jobs in office management. For details of specialist agencies, go to Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) .
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