Our education and experience is what makes us eligible to apply for a job, but what will make you successful in various roles? Management skills are what employers look for in their employees and managers. In most management roles, these skills are needed to sustain most roles and to be successful. Management skills or employability skills are skills that are not specific to a particular job or career path but are helpful and applicable across all employment sector. Employers are often looking for skills that go beyond qualifications and experience.
MBA jobs require candidates to have a particular set of management skills. These include various interpersonal and professional skills that can be used to accomplish different tasks, and/or manage the team handling them. An MBA is seen as the perfect course to train them in these skills. However, even if your MBA college does not cover the entire range of skills, you can always learn them through alternate methods, in order to give yourself a competitive advantage. Here is some information about the types of management skills employers seek, and how the students can become industry-ready.
The Management Skills Employers Look for
Management skills or employability skills are the building blocks of one’s career and often confused with soft skills. The current media and news frequently run stories about how MBA graduates lack these skills. B schools are blamed continuously for the outdated curriculum taught in business schools. Organisations nowadays put in a lot of resources in terms of time, money and expertise to train and re-train employees to increase retention. Though these skills are needed, honing and building these skills is a long term process.
The following are the management skills employers look for:-
Analytical skills
Analytical skills are easily one of the most used skills set from a management professional’s arsenal. They can be used to carry out a variety of tasks associated with MBA jobs, such as analyzing data, evaluating employees, solving problems, creating business strategies and much more. Companies understand the importance of these skills, which is why they put so much stress on finding candidates that have a good analytical mind. Even if you are not analytical by nature, there is no need to worry, as you can always develop these skills through practice and training.
Academic achievements
An MBA is a very taxing degree, in terms of the knowledge and determination required from the students. A student who has completed his/her MBA degree is the absolute upper crust and shows their commitment and determination towards their career. Possessing an MBA degree is in itself a great feat, as it requires serious attention and commitment to the business, and in order for this to happen, the student would have invested a lot of time and effort. The ones who are joining and completing their programs demonstrate a level of application and high performance, and this is a vital management skill employers look for.
Practicality
Many times we hear people using the phrase, “Come on, Be practical. Being practical is the ability for a person to set goals that are realistic and practical. Practicality is one of the most important management skill employers look for in their managers. Unlike technical courses that teach students the assumptions on which the hypothesis is based, an MBA degree is a highly practical one, working within realistic limits. Therefore, an MBA graduate automatically inculcate practicality as a management skill, which makes the recruiters sought MBA graduates out more.
Decisiveness
A person who is able to find facts using their skills and then judge with clarity and courage to come up with the most productive solution is a good decision-maker. Making the right decisions is a significant trait and a very important management skill that employers look for nowadays in a corporate business setting. A level of decisiveness is needed in every step, even in the small matters of life. An MBA curriculum, even though intensive, will provide the students the opportunity to learn the necessary skills needed to boost their decisiveness
Communication skills
Communication is not just a skill, but also a job responsibility for MBA graduates. MBA jobs require professionals to maintain proper communication between themselves, their team and their employers. Communication is one of the most important skill to have, especially to grasp and sustain one of the highest paying jobs of an MBA. These communication channels are used to facilitate the exchange of input and feedback between various departments, handle grievances, solve problems, manage employees, and carry out other types of managerial tasks. This is why communication skills are some of the most sought after qualities in MBA graduates. Communication skills include both verbal and non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication includes body language, tone of voice (even emojis) and listening.
Intellectual creativity
Intellectual creativity is the ability to develop new concepts and ideas that are innovative and engaging. The dynamic corporate industry is constantly looking for fresh and engaging innovations that can keep the business growing and thriving in this fast-changing world. An MBA helps develop a deeper understanding of the complicated and sophisticated working of the business world and intellectual creativity will help you make innovative solutions and decisions.
Conflict Resolution management skills
When you are in the field of business and management, conflicts are natural and frequent occurrences. Conflicts can come from anywhere, whether it is conflicts within the company, from the consumer side or with competitors. Management professionals are expected to know how to handle these conflicts quickly, and without damaging the company’s operations or reputation. If you are looking for good MBA jobs, then it is advised that you start working on these conflict resolution skills, in addition to other key management skills.
Teamwork management skills
Being able to work and grow as a team is an important ability to have for any job profile. It becomes even more important for MBA jobs, as you are also responsible for managing the team you work with. In addition, professionals in management jobs also have to work together with the upper management team to ensure that the goals and values of the company are being upheld. This can translate to all types of teamwork activities, such as maintaining communication, monitoring progress, training and integrating new team members, as well as bonding and motivation activities to improve team spirit. With so many uses, it is no surprise that job recruiters expect MBA graduates to have the skills needed to encourage teamwork.
Computer skills
Computers are not a new invention. However, recent advancements in technology have created thousands of new applications for this invention in the business space. Thanks to these new innovations, businesses can handle everything; from manufacturing to marketing, sales and even logistics through computers and/or computer-controlled machinery. This makes it essential for every management professional to have a healthy level of computer skills and technical know-how. You must focus on learning about technology, as well as the different ways it can be used to grow a business. Without this knowledge, getting good MBA jobs will be next to impossible in the current job market.
Project Management skills
One of the key job responsibilities in most MBA jobs is the planning, execution, and management of various projects. In addition, management professionals are also expected to do all this within a set budget, and in line with company goals. Good project management skills are crucial for handling these tasks. Once you learn these skills, you will also get an understanding of how each project fits in the company’s long term plans. This ability to see the big picture is a highly desirable quality in management professionals. Thankfully for MBA graduates, these skills can be learned through practice and can be used in all types of job profiles.
A willingness to learn
Sometimes in a more formal setting also referred to as personal development, a willingness to learn is being open to new ideas, opportunities and risks. When one is looking for opportunities to improve one’s skill set and knowledge, it gives way to the learning process. It is no secret that change is inevitable, in any setting, especially at the workplace, employers who embrace change both personal and professional, recognise it as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Emotional Intelligence
The ability to recognise, understand and manage one’s own emotions and that of others and to then use them positively to achieve the desired outcomes. This is a huge factor in how we interact with others and build a good rapport with our colleagues and clients. Emotional intelligence governs the skills that allow us to participate effectively as a member of a team and how well we work with other people.
Being Dependable
Being reliable basically means to do what one says they will do. However, it also means to be aware of what needs doing- and then doing it. Doing what you say you will do also requires one to manage their time effectively and to prioritise one’s goals in an organised manner. Being dependable is in a way working on one’s emotional intelligence and being conscience and trustworthy. This requires a level of self-regulation and management. Self-regulated and reliable people take responsibility for their actions and ensure that they live up to the values they claim to stand by.
Concluding thought
Inevitably, there are a wide range of skills that could be useful to employers. Each of us has a personal range of skills that make us unique and we, therefore, can make our own individual unique contributions to any organisation. Learning to recognise one’s skills and to use them appropriately is essential.
An open mind and a positive attitude is probably one of the most useful attributes you can bring to any organisation.