You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:

• business management
• human resource management
• public administration

Once you've completed your studies, you could apply for a trainee manager position, for example through a company's graduate training scheme.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You could take a course at college that would teach you some of the skills and knowledge needed to apply for an assistant office manager position.

Courses include;

• business studies
• business administration
• T Level in Management and Administration

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

You could apply to an organisation for a place on a Business Administrator, or Team Leader, Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

These typically take between 1 and 2 years to complete. They combine workplace learning and time spent with a training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

You could work as an office assistant or team supervisor in a company, then move on to become a manager through work-based training and promotion.

You'll need:

• business management skills
• administration skills
• the ability to organise your time and workload
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• excellent verbal communication skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

As an office manager, you could:

• organise and co-ordinate day-to-day office operations
• develop quality control processes
• carry out staff appraisals and monitor performance
• deal with disciplinary issues
• prepare reports for the senior management team
• manage an office budget and expenses
• support staff with career development
• help to recruit and train new staff
• work closely with other departments, like finance and human resources

You could work in an office.

You may need to wear smart business clothes.