Targeting your first management position

By Ken Pelczarski, Contributing Editor | TLT Career Coach January 2026

These recommendations can help you prepare yourself to stand out from the competition.

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Management level positions become available regularly in the lubricants industry for reasons such as retirement, expansion, internal promotion and employees leaving voluntarily or involuntarily. These positions are in demand and are usually filled internally if possible but are frequently filled with external candidates.

Perhaps you have never officially held a management role in your field and have now decided to pursue such a position. How difficult will this goal be for you to achieve with a new employer? It is likely that you will face a big challenge for the following reasons:

• Many employers have the opinion that nothing beats proven managerial experience.
• You will be competing with individuals with strong management experience.
• The employer may give preference to internal candidates with similar leadership background.

It is important to recognize the difference between being a good leader and being a good manager (as described on www.indeed.com): 

Leaders
• Leaders are visionaries.
• Leaders think ideas.
• Leaders inspire people.
• Leaders think about the future.
• Leaders form the company culture.

“Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.” — Stephen Covey

Managers
• Managers follow the vision.
• Managers execute ideas.
• Managers drive employee success.
• Managers focus on the present.
• Managers endorse the culture.

“Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.” — Steve Jobs

This article focuses on the pursuit of a management position as opposed to a general leadership role.

Primarily when you interview with a prospective employer and to a lesser degree when you write your resume or cover letter, below are my recommendations for effective ways to convince an employer that you will do well in your first management role. 

If you are pursuing a management position internally with your current employer, your potential to be a successful manager will be seen more readily than that of an external candidate. Even though you may be given preference for a position as an internal candidate, some recommendations below are still relevant.

Recommendations for promoting your management potential:
• Discuss your management experience in work that is unrelated to your profession. Have you had complete management responsibility, including with individuals reporting to you, in a job that is unrelated to your career path?

You may have previous managerial experience in areas such as retail, financial services or insurance that speak loudly to your management capabilities. Many of the same management qualities you utilized in these prior roles will also apply to a management position within your profession. Stress to an employer that you believe your combination of industry experience and prior management background will result in you being a highly effective manager.

• Describe unofficial management duties you have carried out. Have you carried out management tasks without the official title or responsibility?

Emphasize to the employer if you have unofficially acted as an assistant manager in positions within your field. Perhaps you have been asked to develop goals and strategies, monitor team performance or be a team leader on projects. Providing examples of your track record in these tasks should give a clear picture of your management potential to an employer.

• Talk about experience you have had while filling in for an absent manager. Have you taken over management responsibilities for your boss when he/she is sick or on vacation?

Be sure to tell an employer if you have carried out managerial responsibilities when your boss was out of the office, especially if this has occurred on multiple occasions. The consistent delegation of management responsibilities to you displays confidence by your employer in your ability to effectively manage daily operations.

• Stress the management training you have acquired through seminars, webinars and formal schooling. Have you acquired special training to prepare you for being a manager?

Convey to a prospective employer if you have been encouraged by a recent employer to attend management seminars and webinars. When a company actively supports continuing education, they invest in an individual who they believe is well-qualified to move into an official management role. Formal education in business management disciplines matters a great deal as well. If you possess a master of business administration degree, stress your specialty in marketing, operations or finance if it is related to the open position.

• Mention experienced industry leaders who have recommended you for management. Have you worked with industry leaders who know you well and believe you would be an outstanding manager?

State to the prospective employer if industry professionals have touted your management capabilities. Mention the names of these individuals, especially if they are well-respected industry executives. In addition, discuss the types of management positions for which you have been recommended, including when that took place.

• Describe the management style you would implement. Have you thought about the management style you would actively practice if given the opportunity? 

Employers will be evaluating whether your management style will fit well with the company culture and the team you will be managing. Emphasize to the employer that you have a good handle on which of the following type(s) of management styles you would utilize: 

- Facilitative/coaching (develop employees’ skills through training and support)
- Collaborative/democratic (include employees in the decision-making process)
- Transactional (utilize a system of rewards and punishment to motivate employees)
- Delegative (give employees autonomy in decision-making and provide minimal supervision)
- Visionary (provide inspiring long-term vision for the team)
- Transformational (focus on inspiring and motivating the team to achieve a shared vision)
- Autocratic (make decisions with minimal input from employees)
- Persuasive (make decisions without input and sell ideas to the team)
- Servant (prioritize needs of the team with focus on empowering employees)

It is recommended that you stress your ability to blend different management styles depending upon the situation and the needs of individual team members.

• Highlight any previous leadership experience. Do you have leadership experience that you believe will help you in a management role?

It is important to convey your leadership background even though there are some distinct differences between being a leader and being a manager. This is crucial because many employers are looking for a manager who is also a strong leader. In addition, many characteristics of a strong leader are also desirable characteristics for an effective manager.

Whether or not you have had the official title of team leader, project leader or group leader, emphasize the responsibilities and success you have had in leading teams. Stress your strong leadership traits such as communication, inspirational, motivational, vision-sharing, problem-solving, decision-making, empathetic and optimistic that are all valuable in a management position.

• State what you want to accomplish in your first official management role. Have you thought about what you want to accomplish if you are offered the first management opportunity in your career?

Depending upon what applies to your situation, emphasize priorities such as the following:

- Team unity
- Shared vision
- Employee morale
- Consistent communication and transparency
- Regular performance feedback
- Following established company policies and procedures 
- Avoiding major crises
- Encouraging ideas and innovation
- Meeting sales and profit goals

Most employers will be happy that you are not simply satisfied with attaining your first management position but are already envisioning yourself being successful in the role.

• Discuss your motivation for wanting a management position. How sure are you about moving onto a management track and what are the main reasons?

Express your sincere desire for personal growth, new learning, greater challenges and more responsibility. Convey that you would like to have a bigger influence on the success of the organization. This will dispel any notion that money or status is your primary motivator. 

• Summarize ways that you have prepared for your first official management role. Have you been thinking for a long time about moving into management and how have you prepared yourself?

Perhaps you have worked alongside and studied management practicing successful ways to direct a team in daily operations or crisis situations. Describe to a prospective employer the scenarios that you have closely observed, the actions that were taken and your readiness to tackle these types of responsibilities. 

It would mean a lot to a prospective employer to know that you have put a lot of thought into the ramifications of being in management, and that you look at it as a long-term proposition. Be sure the employer knows that you realize it might mean extra work hours, greater challenges, different relationships with co-workers and possibly an adjustment in work/life balance.

You may want to stress to a prospective employer that you have been successful in whatever you have endeavored throughout your career, and that a management role is the next logical step for your career path. Remember that all successful management professionals had no previous managerial experience before moving into their first official management role. 

In pursuit of the first management position in your field, you will inevitably face solid competition from individuals with previous management experience. To win the battle, spend a lot of time in preparation so you can promote the personal qualities you possess that will make you a successful manager. Ken Pelczarski is owner and founder of Pelichem Associates, a Chicago-based search firm established in 1985 and specializing in the lubricants industry. You can reach Ken at (630) 960-1940 or at pelichem@aol.com.