Category managers need a variety of skills and often a college degree. They are responsible for maximizing the profitability of a specific category, creating a marketing strategy, setting sales targets, and working with vendors. Communication, negotiation, flexibility, math, research, and subject matter knowledge are important. A college degree is preferred, and work experience is desirable. Certification and continuing education opportunities are available through the Category Management Association.
A variety of skills and often a college degree are required to become a category manager. This job combines some of the duties of jobs in various fields including marketing, advertising and business. This allows for a variety of options if and when potential category managers decide to pursue college degrees. It can also give you ideas on what kind of work experience one could get in order to increase the chances of becoming a category manager, because work experience is often a requirement as well. There are also certification and continuing education opportunities in this field.
A category manager is usually responsible for items in a specific category, known as a business unit. The objective is to maximize the profitability of the business unit, and creating a unit marketing strategy is usually part of the job. Interpreting market data is often part of creating a marketing strategy. Category managers also set sales targets and work with vendors.
Because this job often requires working with a variety of people, including consumers, manufacturers, and suppliers, written and verbal communication skills are important in becoming a category manager. In this sense, negotiation skills are also important, especially when working with suppliers. Flexibility is another quality that someone must have to become a category manager. In addition, math and research skills and subject matter knowledge are also important for this position.
A college degree may not be required for this position, but it can give someone who wants to become a category manager an advantage when looking for a job, as many employers prefer their employees to have a college degree. A business degree is the most common degree people earn in this field, but a degree in marketing or advertising would also be helpful because skills in these fields are often used in this job. In fact, category managers are sometimes referred to as marketing managers. Work experience in any of these areas is also desirable by employers, so it will give someone looking to become a category manager an advantage.
The Category Management Association is a professional association for category managers. Getting certified as a Certified Professional Category Manager (CPCM) can give someone who wants to become a category manager a professional edge when it comes to landing a job. There are also continuing education programs that can be helpful for people in this field. These programs range from workshops to conferences and seminars.
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