What do category managers do

This will make them a hero in their business and you a hero in yours. Look at your role as being more than just placing product on a shelf. You are so much more than that.

Recognising your own contribution to your business means you can do some Category Management PR and some personal brand building. Dare I say it, Category Manage yourself!

Know who your customer is and the problem you solve for them. Get a very clear understanding of the commercial elements of your job. These are critical to your own success and set you up to know how to grow your business. A General Manager that can grow a whole Category not just their own business is going to be an invaluable partner in a future where sustainable growth models will have greater focus.

What can businesses do to help? Share This Post With Others! Related Posts. Burgers and Retailer sell-in decks, what do they have in common? Here we explore the other personal qualities and skills required:. A category manager does not necessarily require any particular qualifications but a degree in business administration, marketing or another related field could be beneficial in your job search.

Completion of a qualification with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply CIPS could also help advance your career and set you above the competition. Learn more about the qualifications available here. Ready to start your job hunt? Many of the job responsibilities of a category manager can overlap with different areas of a business, however, they commonly perform the following tasks while on the job:.

Related: 14 Common Careers in Marketing and Sales. The following steps show you how you can enter your career as a category manager:. It's not always a requirement for category managers to hold a degree, however, many employers prefer to see a bachelor's degree in business management, marketing or another related field.

With a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, for instance, you can build the knowledge you need to enter a career in product category management. Several key topics to focus on in your education no matter the degree program you choose include marketing strategy, business statistics, consumer behavior, managerial accounting and promotions and advertising. While it may not be a requirement, completing an internship in marketing and sales can help you gain valuable experience in the industry.

Working in a marketing internship can help you develop skills and knowledge of market analysis, product development and promotion, sales techniques and product category management. Additionally, building your industry experience during your educational program can give you a competitive advantage after you graduate.

After you graduate with your bachelor's degree, consider an entry-level role that gets you started in your career and helps you advance to management positions. Taking on a management role in retail, marketing or sales can help you build your experience in a managerial role, which can help boost your employability when you find your role as a category manager. As you gain experience in your career, think about pursuing professional certification in your field.

While certification may not be a requirement for all employers, having this credential can boost your employability and showcase your qualifications to stand out from other candidates in the job market. Category managers can advance their careers in a number of ways. Many category managers advance to senior category managers in their careers as they gain experience. Other advancement opportunities can mean taking on additional responsibilities, expanding your management teams to include entire departments and taking on managerial roles in purchasing, supply chain management and other activities related to category management.

This average can vary between employers and locations, and your experience level can also impact your earning potential. Category managers can also advance to senior category management roles, where they may often earn a substantially higher income than average.

Similarly, category managers who oversee a majority of sales, marketing and promotional activities may earn more than managers who direct smaller teams and fewer processes. But this is much less common than the other way around. The description itself tells the whole story. So there you are. Please forward this article to anyone in your network in Procurement, to help everyone understand the differences between these two vital procurement roles.

Thanks very much to the Argentus Recruitment team for contributing their expertise to th i s article! Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Submit Comment. Like any other industry, supply chain management comes with its own myths and misconceptions that can easily mislead many businesses. This is especially true when people try to seek out the best way to optimize their supply chains — only to actually be slowly sabotaging them and making them more inefficient than they should be when they fail to do ample research.