General Managers - Military veterans preferred

General managers plan, oversee and coordinate the operations of businesses and organizations. They also formulate policies. General managers often have overall responsibility for a company or an organization. A general manager oversees all the departments. They achieve their objectives by directing employees. They should be skilled at hiring effective middle managers. Those in general management positions oversee the cost and revenue aspects of a company. They also direct strategic planning functions. General managers take directions from top executives. A general manager needs to organize divisions or departments in order for employees to know precisely their role in the company. They also need a thorough understanding of the activities of each department. Presidents and chief executive officers are basically the general manager of their business. Those with job titles such as managing director, product manager, segment manager, regional vice president and branch manager also have general management responsibilities. Some companies provide the title of general manager to employees in charge of separate operating units, such as one store of a department store chain. In consumer product businesses, general managers are sometimes called brand manager or category manager. In professional services companies, a general manager might be given a title such as managing director, managing partner or senior partner. General managers are often called executive director in non-profit enterprises. Other job titles are plant manager, plant superintendent, store manager and warehouse manager. Responsibilities Direct the activities of all the departments Determine if the company has reached its goals Manage activities of producing products or providing services Evaluate sales and activity reports and financial statements Determine areas that need program improvement and cost reduction Manage staff and assign specific tasks Oversee a company's financial and budget activities Establish and implement objectives, policies and procedures Determine goods and services to be offered Write reports for senior executives Job Characteristics General managers are usually provided with comfortable offices. General managers work at least 40 hours per week. They often work overtime. Travel is often part of the job primarily due to traveling to the head office or to meet with managers from other divisions. A general manager should have strong communication, interpersonal and motivational skills. Strong administration and management abilities are important. They should be good at problem solving, be detailed oriented and effective at delegating responsibility. They need to have good judgement to make good decisions. Being an effective leader is a vital part of the occupation. Employment Outlook Salaries for general managers vary greatly, however, in 2008 the median annual wage for general managers was $91,570. Most general managers receive stock options and/or bonuses. Employment of general managers is forecasted to grow as fast as average for all occupations through 2014. Those in general management positions often move up to top executive positions. They may also be hired as general managers by larger companies. Education, Certification, and Licensing The education requirements for general managers vary depending on the type of business. Employers usually prefer general managers to have at least a bachelor's degree in business administration or an appropriate subject. Some companies prefer a master's degree in business administration. However, occasionally employees move up to general manager positions without a college degree. Useful college courses include accounting, management, industrial relations and finance. Many businesses provide executive training programs. Typically, personnel at college placement offices can help graduating students connect with organizations that have executive training programs. The most important qualification of a general manager candidate is proven success in lower management positions. Often general manager positions are filled by company employees, however sometimes the job is filled from outside the company. The major employers include private companies, nonprofit institutions, public sector organizations, building equipment contractors, and architectural, engineering and related services. Other major employers are manufacturing industries; professional, scientific and technical services, government and retail trade. Schools for General Managers are listed in the Browse Schools Section. General Managers Skills

Below are the skills needed to be general managers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest). Skill Name

Importance

Competence Active Listening

4

4 Coordination

4

3.88 Monitoring

4

4 Social Perceptiveness

4

4 Speaking

4

4 General Managers Abilities

Below are the abilities needed to be general managers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest). Ability Name

Importance

Competence Oral Comprehension

4

4.12 Oral Expression

4

4 Problem Sensitivity

4

3.88 Speech Clarity

4

3.25 Written Comprehension

4

4 Below are the knowledge areas needed to be general managers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 7 being highest). Knowledge Area

Importance

Competence Administration and Management

4.35

5.21 Customer and Personal Service

3.95

5.06 Personnel and Human Resources

3.76

4.43 English Language

3.71

3.68 Mathematics

3.56

4.16 General Managers Work activities

Below are the work activities involved in being general managers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest) and competency level on a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest). Work Activity

Importance

Competence Making Decisions and Solving Problems

4.42

4.48 Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

4.33

4.46 Getting Information

4.26

4.14 Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others

4.24

4.49 Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

4.15

4.79 General Managers Work styles

Below are the work styles involved in being general managers according to their importance on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest and 5 being highest). Work Style

Importance Leadership

4.59 Dependability

4.54 Initiative

4.35 Stress Tolerance

4.33 Self Control

4.31 Metro Areas Sorted by Total Employment for General Managers

Listed below are the 10 largest metro areas based on the total number of people employed in General Managers jobs , as of 2019 Metro Area

Total Employment

Annual Mean Salary Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim

96,500

$138,740 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

65,040

$134,340 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land

55,680

$127,510 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell

55,440

$123,390 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

47,650

$111,690 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward

44,500

$155,850 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale

41,880

$112,500 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn

29,910

$132,310 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

27,650

$139,660 Salt Lake City

23,490

$88,750 Compare Total Employment & Salaries for General Managers

Select State Total employment and salary for professions similar to general managers

Program Employment Sales Managers

402,600 Administrative Services and Facilities Managers

307,280 Administrative Services and Facilities Managers

307,280 Marketing Managers

263,680 Public Relations and Fundraising Managers

79,160 Total Number of People Employed Program Sales Managers

141,690 Administrative Services and Facilities Managers

106,550 Administrative Services and Facilities Managers

106,550 Marketing Managers

149,200 Public Relations and Fundraising Managers

132,630 Source : 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov; O*NET® 24.3 Database, O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, Employment & Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, onetonline.org General Manager Training Schools by State We have some additional detailed pages at the state level for General Managers. Numbers in parentheses are counts of relevant campus-based schools in the state; online schools may also be available.

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