How do you progress into a management role, when all mgmt job adverts ask for manager experience?

[Nidan2Sandan]

Just that really.

I want to progress, and my current employer is very vocal about not liking to promote from in house staff. So my only option would be too look outside my current employer.

There is a job available locally, I am interested, it is very much a step up, but states experience in management as a requirement. This is something I have repeatedly found.

Work wise I am one of the highest performing in my team, and I have a lot of varied experience in the sector as a whole.

Do I just apply anyway, ignoring their experience request?

If you’re one of the highest performing people you probably do more than the others? Do you lead a small team of people to deliver a task? Do you have any mini managerial responsibilities? Do you act as leader if for example the manager is away? Lead team meetings? Look up the role as manager and fit your experience around it to give examples of where you do it in your current/ past jobs

If you are not getting the opportunities to manage people or project teams you might need to make a sideways move first to another role in either your own or another company where there are opportunities to progress. It is going to be difficult to step into a management role in another company if there is absolutely nothing on your CV in that area.

Doesn't your role involve managing anything at all? Maybe a project or an assistant? You probably do have management experience, you need to draw that out in your application.

You talk about project management, mentoring of others etc.

Volunteer - school governor, board of a local charity, become a scout leader.,.

@LacasadeBernadaAlba

Volunteer - school governor, board of a local charity, become a scout leader.,.

Its asking for mgmt experience in our sector, I cant imagine they'd be interested that I own a karate club

@WeAllHaveWings

If you are not getting the opportunities to manage people or project teams you might need to make a sideways move first to another role in either your own or another company where there are opportunities to progress. It is going to be difficult to step into a management role in another company if there is absolutely nothing on your CV in that area.

Sideways move is still no good, my company refuse to promote in-house. Full stop. So I couldn't apply for a team leader role in another team for example.

You don’t need official line manager experience ; most high performers will have managed something of some sort whether it’s deputising for team lead, leading discussion etc.
Draw it out as much as possible and no harm in applying anyway! Worst they can say is no

@Endpress

If you’re one of the highest performing people you probably do more than the others? Do you lead a small team of people to deliver a task? Do you have any mini managerial responsibilities? Do you act as leader if for example the manager is away? Lead team meetings? Look up the role as manager and fit your experience around it to give examples of where you do it in your current/ past jobs

It's not so much that I do "more", it's more that my caseload is better managed (by me) and I often deliver early on tasks.

No mgmt of people at all, just casework. Occasionally help my line manager with tasks, maybe some reviews of others cases or getting together evidence so she can respond to complaints. Or even just getting figures together for her for various projects. Nothing major.

All of that is definitely management if you worked alongside her! Just use proper diplomatic wording

Unless it specifically says ‘line management experience’

Occasionally help my line manager with tasks, maybe some reviews of others cases or getting together evidence so she can respond to complaints.

Big this up. This will do!

If your manager is off on leave do you cover any of that role? Can also then say that you’ve done management cover

Apply anyway. Some places will make the leap if they like you. But yes it's shit

Please apply. You'd be amazed at how you can pad out some of the tasks you're already doing! Turn that 'Occasionally helped my line manager' to 'Facilitated / Executed XYZ'.

And just apply, the worst they can say is no and you'll have the makings of how to stitch together your background/skills in one neat cover letter ready for future applications!

A sideways move doesn't need to be internal. You could look for a role at your current level in a new company, with a view to taking on management experience in that place.

You might find you can big up some of your experience and go for a mgmt role now, but when I have hired managers in the past I've expected them to have direct experience managing staff and have asked questions about their management style etc. (How do they handle conflict / poor performance etc, are all questions I'd ask when hiring managers).

But I would respond very well to someone applying for a non-management role who said that they wanted to start gaining management experience over time - and would consider that a point in their favour when hiring.

Particularly if they were making a lateral move. (I wouldn't expect them to come in demanding it as such, but it would form a good part of answers to questions around why they wanted to join, ambition and so forth, and I'd expect them to ask me about career progression in the interview).

Clearly you need to leave current role. Refusing to promote internally is bananas and firmly confirms you'll never get anywhere. But you may need to move to a role the same level or that's a slight jump up rather than straight into a management position.

I think by sideways move the PP meant take another non-managerial job at a similar level to the one you do now, but at a more supportive/progressive company where you would have the opportunity to develop your management skills and potentially be promoted from within.

But TBH I think apply for some management jobs first and see where you get to, you can demonstrate the skills required for management without having formally done it as part of your job, of course it depends on your industry/area and how the market is but personally I am usually prepared to take on someone into a first tier/junior management role (including external candidates) without them having been a manager before, providing their other experience and skills stack up and they show the right aptitude for it. Obviously if I have 2 or more equally qualified candidates I would choose the one that does have the experience but that's not always a luxury you have as a hiring manager - of course if you consistently find you aren't being shortlisted or aren't getting jobs then maybe consider the sideways move thing then...

Why don't they like to promote internally? That's so odd - doesn't it mean everyone ends up leaving after a few years.

@Camomila

Why don't they like to promote internally? That's so odd - doesn't it mean everyone ends up leaving after a few years.

They say it creates too much friction with colleagues. To go from being their counterpart to their boss

I once got called upon to run a whole dept meeting on behalf of my line manager who was off sick I've also helped reviewing failing staff members cases to identify the issues, and currently acting as a staff mentor to a new starter.

It's so frustrating, my company as a whole are very good. But I'm stagnating now.

Can you offer to manage a project within your team? Or oversee a team or train up new people? Or attend a management training within your company? Then put all that on your CV and apply anyway, just like men do.

Just read your last post. I'd put all that on my CV as evidence of prior management experience.

Just because you don’t have ‘manager’ as a job title on your cv doesn’t mean you don’t have relevant experience.
Think of all the discreet tasks, experiences or responsibilities you’ve undertaken that are that of a managerial role.
Remember as well that a large part of management is leadership, and that’s a different skill set but also very valuable.
I bet a man in your situation would apply.
Lots of useful advice on here, have a stab at it!
Good luck

I did a short 6 week Harvard University online management course during lockdown. I got my first management job thereafter.

OP that's 100% manager experience! Just without the title. Alwas remember to use decisive verbs and not softeners like 'helped', or 'occasionally'
@AlwaysColdHands yep, at a career coaching workshop HR managers said that women apply only if they exceed requirements, men apply if they meet even 50%.

Half the stuff on JD's are made up buzzwords anyway.

"They say it creates too much friction with colleagues. To go from being their counterpart to their boss

I once got called upon to run a whole dept meeting on behalf of my line manager who was off sick I've also helped reviewing failing staff members cases to identify the issues, and currently acting as a staff mentor to a new starter.

It's so frustrating, my company as a whole are very good. But I'm stagnating now."

"It's not so much that I do "more", it's more that my caseload is better managed (by me) and I often deliver early on tasks.

No mgmt of people at all, just casework. Occasionally help my line manager with tasks, maybe some reviews of others cases or getting together evidence so she can respond to complaints. Or even just getting figures together for her for various projects. Nothing major."

"I own a karate club"

So here's how I would write this in an application and speak about it in an interview.

Current responsibilities and relevant experience - job

• mentor new starters
• conduct case reviews for underperforming staff members, develop action plans to support improvement and provide progress reports to management. Recognising strengths and weaknesses, building on strengths to improve overall performance.
• act as deputy for direct line manager: leading department meetings, investigating complaints, collating team metrics.

Current responsibilities and relevant experience - Karate Club

• managing club finances including :profit and loss, professional membership fees, special events fees etc
• maintaining membership numbers via targeted marketing: identifying relevant demographics, creating promotional material, developing a brand that's recognisable and trusted, addressing Customer service issues to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.
• keeping up to date with local/regional/national competitions and events and identifying opportunities that meet the skill sets of my students and develop their strengths
• remaining current on legislative requirements such as safeguarding and health & safety

You do have relevant experience and if you look at the job spec and person spec you will be able to identify activities you have been doing that will meet the majority of the bullet points,

So just apply. Make sure if you get an interview you talk about what YOU did not what WE did. The interviewer wants to hear about your part in the role.

I get what you are saying OP..I struggled for years to get recognised. Is there anyone in management you get on well with who could mentor you? This was my breakthrough

I was too good and reliable in my own role that they wouldn't let me go upwards. It ended up with me looking elsewhere, when they realised they were losing me anyway they started looking at promotion and management training. I got it a year later after being noticed by one particular high flyer and she started to mentor me.