Career overview

General and Operations Managers

O*NET-SOC 11-1021.00

Median pay / yr$102,950

OutlookNumerous Job Openings

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

What it takes

The skills, knowledge, and credentials employers look for in General and Operations Managers.

Skills employers look for

Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Knowledge areas

Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Production and ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.