You’ve been a warehouse loader for a beverage company for more than a year now. You make sure that all of the company’s pallets of products are moved from the warehouse and safely slid into a truck using a skate and track system. You like the company that you’re working for, but you don’t plan to stay as a warehouse loader for too long.
Given the company’s policy of encouraging workers to move up the ladder, you want to become a warehouse manager in a few years. The company operates all over the states, and there are always job openings posted on the company’s bulletin board.
You weren’t able to finish college, but now you are taking management courses part-time at a community college. You hope that this will equip you and qualify you to meet your goal. What else do you need to do to become a warehouse manager?
Storage Manager Employment
You probably need to have a deliberate strategy on how to land a job as a warehouse manager. Studying the data can be part of this strategy. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates that nearly 125,000 employees are working as transportation, storage, and distribution managers.
You will find the highest mean wage in the northeastern states, like Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, where the salary ranges from $108,000 to upwards of $140,000. Those are the areas as well with the highest employment with 230 to more than 7,400 workers employed. On the other hand, the employment market in states like Arizona might be less competitive, but you can still earn nearly $88,000.
Essential Requirements to Move Up the Ladder
You do stand to earn a better wage if you move up to the position of a warehouse manager. You might need to include in your plan the possibility of relocating if you want the best rate. Here are a few more things to consider when becoming a warehouse manager:
- Problem-solving and making decisions. Goals, resources, and schedules are some of the things you need to learn how to manage. This means that you must develop the skills to make the right decisions, particularly during stressful situations. Your workers are the soldiers on the battlefield, and you’re the general they will depend on to make the right decision to meet the company’s goals with regular efficiency. People are some of the resources that you must know how to manage well.
- Training and Certifications. The management courses you’re taking at the community college will undoubtedly broaden your knowledge and your skills, particularly about theoretical decision making. You must also obtain the necessary training to be good at your job. Entry-level positions like being a warehouse clerk or material mover help you get the required training and insights. Although your title says “manager,” you also need certifications for operating equipment, like forklifts, which third-party vendors provide.
- Other skills. Leadership and the ability to cultivate teamwork are some of the critical skills you need to develop as a warehouse manager since you will be supervising the work of many workers. Knowledge in safety and security and making coworkers stick to safety measures are also essential. Training from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will help enhance your ability to keep your workplace safe and secured.
You also need to be familiar with state and federal laws and participate in informational events like conferences and seminars. But these main points will set you on the right path.
