Wondering how to become a manager without experience? Your interview skills may hold the key to success!

You know you're ready to take on your first management position, but you don't have any “actual” management experience – or do you? Depending on your past roles, duties, and achievements, you may actually possess the skills employers are looking for in their next manager. Of course, when it comes to figuring out how to become a manager without experience, you'll need to know how to interview for that role.

In this article, we'll help you learn how to prepare for an interview when you're applying for a manager position without experience. We'll also include some interview tips and examples that you can use to highlight your management skills and capabilities.

Related reading: How to Move Up in a Company: Tips to Help You Advance Your Career

How to prepare for a management job interview

When interviewing for a manager position without experience, you should be ready to answer behavioral-based interview questions. These types of questions tend to focus on how you've performed in various jobs throughout your career, added value for employers, and influenced results. The interviewer will try to gain insight into how you've led others in various situations.

Specifically, you should prepare for these three types of questions:

  1. Problem-solving queries, particularly about your current job

  2. Scenario questions about how you have managed or would manage certain real or hypothetical situations

  3. Queries that explore your creativity and lateral thinking skills

You should also take time to research the company you're interviewing with to understand its operations, culture, business goals, and status in the industry. Check Glassdoor for employee comments and review the website in depth for annual reports or other data that could offer insight into the company.

Doing this will help you better understand your potential role within the organization. It will also greatly impress your interviewer, as you can offer ideas on what you might do to help your team and company be successful.

Related reading: How to Answer “What Can You Bring to the Company?

If you're wondering how to become a manager without experience within your own company, do the same research on your organization. As an “insider,” you also have the option of talking with various department employees, as well as your boss, to learn more about what they do so you can better understand the needs of the company.

Behavioral job interviews can be challenging, so you may want to consider working with an interview coach who can help you learn how to present your management abilities in the best possible way.

Related reading: Crafting a Compelling Response to Why This Position Appeals to You

How to show management skills in an interview

The key to becoming a manager without experience is to show how your existing skills and experience will make you successful in a management role. Some specific areas to highlight to the employer or interviewer include:

Transferable Skills

Some transferable skills can include presenting at a company retreat, collaborating on new department policies, hiring and training new team members, having sole responsibility for planning and implementing an event, or proposing a new initiative to upper management. All of these scenarios require managerial skills.

Current Expertise:

You may not have managerial experience, but chances are that you possess a wealth of industry and job expertise that can make you an invaluable addition to any management team. Make sure to demonstrate your knowledge about your team's dynamic, the key details of your job, and your understanding of the industry to showcase your overall expertise and readiness to lead.

Management Education/Training

A great way to facilitate becoming a manager without experience is to beef up your knowledge and skills through additional training. This is particularly impressive if you did it on your own initiative since it demonstrates a desire to improve your skills and advance toward career goals. It's important to discuss why you wanted to sharpen your management skills, what you learned, and how you believe those new skills can help you be successful as a new manager.

Related reading: 15 Signs an Offer Is Coming After Your Interview

How to answer management interview questions effectively

Learning how to sell yourself to become a manager without experience under your belt requires keen attention to detail and the ability to focus on conveying value. As you answer each question the interviewer asks, you'll need to be specific about what you've done, why you've done it, and how your actions have provided positive benefits for your past employers. By adopting that approach to answering questions, you can send a strong message to employers that you're ready for the challenges that come with management. Here are some examples you can use to help shape your own answers:  

  • As a sales team leader, I spearheaded prospecting challenges, created individual and group goals, and helped establish best practices that led to increased close rates by 20 percent.

  • Though I have not officially served in a management capacity, I have always been a keen observer of different management styles. I believe in delegation, an open-door policy, and a brainstorming environment where everyone's ideas are invited. For example, if I had the opportunity to manage the sales division of this company, I would build on your existing record of accomplishments by introducing a new lead-tracking system and setting ambitious, yet realistic earning goals.

  • I have served as the department lead for the last five years. During that time, I reorganized our staffing procedures, developed a peer review process, and led small-group initiatives that improved team efficiency by 15%.

Related reading: Using the STAR Method in Job Interviews: A Strategy Guide

Learn how to become a manager without experience and pursue your career goals

If you're convinced that you're ready to take on a management role, go for it – and use the tips above to learn how to become a manager without experience. Just remember – every new manager starts somewhere. Just make sure that the focus of your interview is all about making sure the interviewer sees your potential! 

Not sure how to best showcase your management skills during your next interview? Our TopInterview coaches can help you shine.

This article was originally written by Lisa Tynan in August 2021. It has been updated by Ken Chase.

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