Someone planning to become an area business manager must typically complete a college degree and gain some industry relevant managerial experience. An area manager oversees operations at several different offices, factories or work locations. Aside from industry related experience, most firms require an area manager to have prior multi-unit supervising or managerial experience. Additionally, people working in multicultural areas often need to have second language skills to work as managers.
Many universities offer undergraduate courses in business administration, management and similar topics and someone wishing to become an area business manager may have to complete one of these programs. Additionally, many firms also require managerial applicants to have completed an industry related degree or postgraduate course of study. Therefore, an area manager employed by a financial firm may have to possess a degree in accounting, economics or finance as well as or instead of a business degree.
When area manager positions become vacant, some firms prefer to promote from within rather than employing outside candidates. Typically, these firms require in-house managers to have held a departmental manager role for a certain number of years before being considered for an area manager job. In some instances, those wishing to become an area business manager must first spend some time managing a large office or high volume work location. People who supervise small departments or offices are often less likely to be promoted into area management roles.
Departmental managers are often tasked with overseeing one aspect of a firm's production such as operational procedures or sales. In contrast, an area manager must oversee all aspects of the firm's operations. Consequently, someone hoping to become an area business manager should first try to gain experience working within a number of different company departments in a variety of operational and sales related roles. Experience working in other related industries may enable someone to land a job as an area manager if he or she is responsible for interacting with outside clients and partner firms. Some firms recruit managers from partner firms that operate in different arenas if the manager's basic duties in terms of operations and sales are largely similar.
In some industries such as mortgage lending and the securities industry, managers have to pass regulatory examinations before they can manage other licensed sales representatives. Consequently, those wishing to become an area business manager for such a firm must undergo extensive regulatory training and successfully pass the industry exam. Laws on licensing vary but in many instances, exam candidates have to pay a fee and pass a background check before they can take regulatory exams.
