Change managers are professionals who help organizations to go through transitions smoothly by making sure that their employees are prepared to handle the adjustments. These individuals must have solid interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work with individuals at all levels of their companies. A person who seeks to become a change manager should complete four years of training after high school, acquire real-world experience, and gain certification in this industry.
If you would like to become a change manager, you need to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in the area of business administration or human resources. To get into this type of training program, you must submit your high school diploma or the equivalent certification and provide a copy of your high school course transcript to your chosen school’s admissions team. In addition, you should be ready to turn in your most recent standardized test scores and fill out the college’s enrollment form.
Business courses will prepare you to enter this field. You need to study how to effectively lead organizations and how they are structured, as a person who desires to become a change manager must master a way to lead organizational adjustments in a way that best fits the company’s existing system of operation. Classes cover methods to implement strategic plans at a business in an effort to help it to improve the way it functions so that it can better meet its long-term goals.
Human resources courses also are a critical part of training programs in this industry. These classes teach you how humans behave in an organization as well as how to help a company’s human resources department make staffing decisions that help to satisfy the establishment’s needs. You also will study ways to prevent employees from resisting change initiatives and how to cope with conflict, as you will experience these challenges when you become a change manager.
Completing an internship gives you hands-on experience, and gaining field certification in this career area also makes you more attractive to employers. You can contact your college’s career services department to find out about companies in your vicinity that are willing to hire an intern. This type of field training provides you with the chance to conduct change readiness assessments at an organization as well as create a plan to communicate business modification plans to workers. Pursuing test-based certification through an industry association additionally creates more job opportunities for you as you aim to become a change manager.