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Office manager

Alternative titles for this job include

Office managers oversee the day-to-day running of an office or department.

Average salary (a year)

£18,000 Starter

to

£35,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

38 to 40 a week

You could work

between 8am and 6pm

How to become

How to become an office manager

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

University

You could do a degree in:

  • business management
  • human resource management
  • public administration

Once you've completed your studies, you could apply for a trainee manager position, for example through a company's graduate training scheme.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can start by doing a higher apprenticeship in business administration.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could work as an office assistant or supervisor in a company, then move on to become a manager through internal training and promotion.

More Information

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of Administrative Management for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming an office manager from the Institute of Administrative Management.

What it takes

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • business management skills
  • administration skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

What you’ll do

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As part of your day-to-day duties you may:

  • establish policies and procedures for staff
  • develop quality control processes
  • carry out staff appraisals and measure performance
  • deal with disciplinary issues
  • prepare reports and give presentations to the senior management team
  • manage the office budget
  • support staff career development
  • attend conferences and training events
  • deal with staff recruitment

Working environment

You could work in an office.

You may need to wear smart business dress.

Career path and progression

Career path and progression

You could take on more responsibility for managing projects, or provide cover for senior management duties.

Other career options include moving into buying and procurement, financial management, business development and operations management.

Current opportunities

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Level 3 Business Apprenticeship (School based Admin)

  • Wage: £144.30 Weekly
  • Location:

Business Administration Apprentice

  • Wage: £12,000.00 Annually
  • Location:
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

BA (Hons) Business and Management

  • Provider: WAKEFIELD COLLEGE
  • Start date: 01 September 2021
  • Location: Wakefield

Business and Management (Pre-U)

  • Provider: NORTON HILL ACADEMY
  • Start date: 01 September 2021
  • Location: Radstock
Find courses near you

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