Getting a coordinator position is usually only possible if you are at an intermediate level or higher within a certain industry or field. The exact requirements for being a coordinator may vary greatly among industries such as marketing, human resources, sales, health, volunteering and event planning, so it's best to do research on a specific career track from entry level to coordinator. Generally speaking, a coordinator position is often somewhere between a supervisor and manager in rank in many companies. Being well organized with at least a bachelor's degree and supervisory experience, plus "hands on" experience in all of the positions that report to a coordinator is likely to be a good start to help you get the job.
You should have a good ability to handle details if you want to work as a coordinator. You'll likely be expected to work among departments to solve problems. Getting a coordinator position may mean you'll be required to follow strict budgets and policies, so excellent reading comprehension is crucial in this job. Organization is extremely important, as coordinators are often the ones who bring teams together from different departments to complete tasks on time.
Some coordinator careers involve travel, so be sure to check job descriptions carefully if this is something you're not prepared to do for family or other reasons. In any case, you are likely to be in frequent meetings with employees who you supervise as well as with your boss, department heads and clients. Since you'll probably be working on client projects in a coordinator position, being professional and well spoken are strong assets. You may have to provide clients with progress reports, so an ability to follow up on project details is important in this job.
If you already have several years of supervisory experience at your job and you're interested in getting a coordinator position, letting your boss know your career goal can be a good idea. An appropriate time to discuss this could be at your performance review. Many of these reviews include questions to the employee about what he or she plans to do next in his or her career, so that topic can be the perfect segue for you to broach the subject about becoming a coordinator. Even if the opportunity doesn't seem likely, you may want to plan to eventually become a coordinator at another company.
