Is becoming an industrial production manager right for me?
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How to become an Industrial Production Manager
Most employers require industrial production managers to have a bachelor’s degree and two-to-five years of related work experience. Most have a degree in business administration or industrial engineering.
At large plants, where managers have more oversight responsibilities, employers may look for managers who have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a graduate degree in industrial management.
Some managers begin working at a company directly after college or graduate school. They spend their first few months in training programs, becoming familiar with the production process, company policies, and safety regulations. In large companies, many also spend short periods of time working in other departments, such as purchasing or accounting, to learn more about the company.
Some industrial production managers begin as production workers and move up through the ranks. They first advance to a first-line supervisory position before eventually being selected for management. Most get a university degree in business management or take company-sponsored classes to increase their chances of a promotion. Production managers who join a firm immediately after graduating from college sometimes work as first-line supervisors before beginning their jobs as production managers.