Production manager : Career development

Graduates often start off as graduate trainees and gain experience in a number of different aspects of production management (such as materials management, inventory control, configuration analysis, production control, purchasing management) before moving on to become production supervisor or shift manager.

Some production managers eventually pursue a more strategic role and become involved with long-term planning rather than day-to-day operations. There are often opportunities to move into general management. In larger organisations a production manager may well be responsible for production on a number of sites, and opportunities to set up and manage operations overseas may arise with multinational firms.

There is no one tried-and-tested way of moving up in the profession. This depends on your personal motivation and interest as well as your career choices. The role varies significantly among different sectors and, therefore, you may end up specialising in one sector.

Many who are new to the profession find that they are encouraged by their employers to acquire a professional qualification, and it may well prove advantageous to do so. In any case, managers need to continually update their knowledge and experience as new systems and processes become available.