Area Manager
To be an area manager in any industry means that you are in a highly trustworthy position, so what does it take to become an area manager?
Area Manager careers: What's involved
As the area manager it is your responsibility to ensure that the daily operation of the business runs smoothly and effectively.
You will need to monitor and evaluate the performance of managers, supervisors, and operatives to ensure the client is satisfied with the standard of work.
How much money can you earn as a Area Manager?
These LMI Job Trends give you a sneak peek of how much you could earn starting out for this career, and how much your salary could grow with experience.
Salary guide for Area Manager jobs
A cleaning area manager’s role can vary in salary, if you are new to the role and have very little experience than your starting salary can be around £25,000 per annum. The more experience you have within this role the higher your salary may be, of course it is dependent on the company you will be working for, the highest salary you earn in this role would be around £35,000, however there are other aspects that can affect this. If you are working in an area that has a higher living cost than your salary will be higher, you will also have to take into consideration whether you are working full-time or part-time. On average a cleaning area manager tends to make £28,000 per annum.
Cleaning and facility management career FAQs
To progress your role more speedily, or, to gain insight into these fantastic roles, why not take a look at some of the great training offerings that are out there?
Some examples include:
- BICSc Licence to Practice Qualification
- Certificate in Cleaning and Support Services Skills
- Certificate in Cleaning Principles (RQF)
You can find out more with the British Institute of Cleaning Science.
You can also try out these amazing FREE certified courses to build your CV!
Assistant Technical Specialist Kelsey Hargreaves is a young person who has got far in the world of cleaning, hygiene and facility management. She shares her top reasons for getting into the world of cleaning after university, and her reasons might inspire you too:
- I wanted to help create safer environments
- I wanted to help give people opportunities
- I enjoyed working alongside hard working people
- I wanted a career in an industry that was trying to solve environmental issues
- I wanted a career where I could develop
- I wanted to work in an industry that was diverse and vibrant
- I wanted a career where I would be listened to
Domestic cleaning used to be called the ‘invisible industry’ but times are changing because it is such a huge market. It is now getting the benefit of more attention, better resources, and more support and development for your career.
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Becoming a Chartered Practitioner in Environmental Cleaning involves one of two routes and is great recognition of your achievements in the industry as you grow in experience.
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If you’re wondering just how big the UK cleaning industry is – and who can help you get ahead – then check out this megalist of organisations in the sector and how they can help you get ahead.
Find out more…
Skills you need to become a Area Manager
Each job role has its own set of skills that will help you in that role, below is a list of specific skills for a cleaning area manager:
Useful skills to put in your CV:
Leadership skills: You will have to be responsible for your team and be able to lead them by guiding them in the right direction, it is also about being able to motivate and encourage your team whilst remaining good natured.
Communication skills: Is the ability to convey or share feelings/ideas effectively without any misinterpretation, misunderstandings, or misleading people.
Motivation: Have the ability to encourage and inspire colleagues and employees.
Work under pressure: Being able to deal with situations that can result on strains in your day-to-day work that may be beyond your control. You can deal with this pressure and remain good natured.
Decision making skills: Being able to make an informed and rational decision, selecting the right choice for the company/employees but doing it with confidence.
Organisation: Be able to manage your time effectively, set goals and prioritise tasks o you can achieve set goals.
Problem-solving: Being able to recognise and identify a problem either before it occurs or being able to implement the best solutions afterwards.
Analytical: Be able to identify a problem and investigate it further, focusing on the relevant facts and then find the best solution.
Teamwork: Be able to work well within a team and work together to achieve the same goal
Top Skills-boosting Tips
Do some personal research into how the cleaning industry puts a big focus on safety, health and the environment.
They are all really important in the world of cleaning!
How Do You Get These Skills?
Vocational qualifications and work experience will help you build these skills over time.
What Qualifications & Training Do You Need For Area Manager Careers?
There are three main pathways you could explore if you want to become a Area Manager: apprenticeships, university, and working your way up.
Apprenticeships
As an alternative there are apprenticeships available for this type of study and are great way to gain an insight into working life. If. You are looking at a level 2 apprenticeship you will need to be 16 or over and not in full time education, if you are looking into an apprenticeship at a level 3 then you some employers may require you to have at least three GCSEs or equivalent at grades 9 to 4 (A* – C) some places may also require some work experience. It is always a good idea to keep a CV that is up to date with all your relevant experience, if you have any experience in leading a team it will reflect well on you.
For more information and guidance on courses at a university level and apprenticeship please follow the link to the UCAS website – https://www.ucas.com
University
If you are looking to stay in education then a degree in business management, marketing, economics, or accounting would be beneficial to you. Naturally the entry requirements for some of the course will vary depending on what kind of degree you are wanting to pursue, are you looking at a foundation degree or a bachelor’s degree? For a foundation degree you will usually need a minimum of three A Levels.
https://www.ucas.com/explore/subjects/business-and-management-studies
Training
For more information and guidance on courses at a university level and apprenticeship please follow the link to the UCAS website – https://www.ucas.com
In addition, you can also obtain certification and qualifications through The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) they wish to help managers and future managers become successful and confident. CMI courses do come at a cost, if you are in the position where you are already working for a company then there is every chance that they may fund it for you as they may find it beneficial to develop you for the company needs. Below are some recommended courses:
CMI level 5 in management and leadership – https://www.managers.org.uk/education-and-learning/qualifications/qualification-library/level-5-management-and-leadership/
CMI level 8 in strategic Direction and Leadership – https://www.managers.org.uk/education-and-learning/qualifications/qualification-library/level-8-strategic-direction-and-leadership/
CMI apprenticeship – Chartered manager degree – https://www.managers.org.uk/education-and-learning/apprenticeships/level-6/
What Work Experience Do You Need For Area Manager Jobs?
A cleaning area manager will ideally have 4 years of experience working within a business, hopefully this way you will have been able to demonstrate leadership skills and making decisions because that is a huge part of the job.
Those who usually have experience in their chosen field usually become the best area managers because they understand what the job entails and because of this there tends to be a mutual respect between the operatives and the managers, which helps to create a healthy work environment.
What Does An Area Manager Do?
As the cleaning area manager, you are usually expected to work around 40 hours a week, normally Monday to Friday but your hours may be flexible it will be based on your company’s needs. Not your typical office job.
During your 40 hours at work a week below is a list of things that will fill your time:
In all parts of the industry you can expect to:
- Setting sale, turnover, or profit targets.
- Motivate their staff to meet targets.
- Hiring new staff and overseeing promotions within their area.
- Provide training opportunities.
- Mediate disputes between employees.
- Identify areas for development and improvement within their area.
- Implement action plans.
- Ensure quality and consistency across region.
- Communicate with client
- Responsible for budgets.
- Determine staffing levels
How To Find Area Manager Jobs: Next Steps
Of course, you can search and apply for the role online, you can sign up for email job alerts, below is a list of job search engines where you can find available applications.
- Indeed
- Reed
- Totaljobs
- Glassdoor
It may also benefit you to sign up and become a member of The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) you will gain access to their magazine which showcases their events and exclusive content, it is a good way to network and meet other people who share the same passion for management as you,
You can take a look at our database of local opportunities to see if there are any relevant jobs, work placements, or careers events and workshops to help you get started.
Get Into Cleaning Careers With Caring Employers
These employers and organisations are here to help. They care about your potential and desire to learn, not just your qualifications and experience. They may be able to offer traineeships, apprenticeships, graduate schemes, first jobs, careers advice, wellbeing support and much more.
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