Operations Management

An operations management professional plans and directs the production activities of an organization. This includes scheduling when certain processes will take place as well as monitoring operations in order to make certain quality goals are being met while remaining within the budget. In addition, operations management professionals must determine which machines to use and when productions will take place in order to make certain the organization's operations remain on schedule and productions are completed on time.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual earnings of an operations management professional is $77,670. Those who were involved in the management of companies and enterprises earn the most, with a median annual income of $88,820. Those who work in the plastics product manufacturing industry earn the least, with an annual median income of $70,180.

Although many companies promote their operations management professionals from within, most prefer to promote those who possess a minimum of a bachelor's degree in the field. Larger plants, however, generally hire or promote only those who possess a graduate degree. Those who are hired from outside of the company may also need to undergo additional training through the company in order to become more familiar with how the company operates.

A good candidate for a career as an operations management professional is someone who possesses strong interpersonal skills. Those with excellent negotiation skills who also possess solid computer skills are particularly well suited to this career.