A management training program is an extensive training program designed for self-motivated trainees to explore various departments within a certain company.
It aims to prepare young leaders for future management roles by familiarising them with the ins and outs of an organisation. More often than not, these opportunities are usually offered to fresh graduates or young professionals.
While management training programs have been around for some time, some students fresh out of university are curious about the process of applying to them.
Research on which company you think you would fit in the best. While there is merit in exploring different industries, it’s good to find a company whose values align with yours.
A company that has the same advocacy or principle as you will more likely have training programs better tailored for you.
Being a management trainee means having to learn a lot. The management training program is designed to summarise all of the company’s functions into a compact training program.
Before applying for a management training program, be prepared to be placed outside your own comfort zones. At the end of the day, the goal of the program is to equip you with the tools to take on a higher-level position in the future.
Management training programs usually have personal development plans tailored to the key performance indicators (KPIs) of the trainee.
Before becoming a management trainee, it’s good to have a set of personal KPIs—know what you want to learn, acknowledge where improvements are needed, and recognise which strengths can be further developed.
As you receive feedback from your immediate supervisor or career coach, you’ll start to see which areas you excel the most in.
See these strengths as career openings. Consider what these strengths imply for your career path and whether these are the type of responsibilities you would prefer to take on in the future.
On the other hand, you may also receive negative feedback regarding your performance. Instead of being hard on yourself for your shortcomings, see your weaknesses as areas for improvement.
Whether or not these skills specifically align with your desired career path, these are skills you have to acquaint yourself with if you are to take on a management position in the future.
And if you realise later on that you don’t want to pursue a management career, you have to agency to pivot your career path in the direction you want it to.
It is not enough that a management trainee is open to feedback. What makes or breaks an aspiring manager is what they do with that feedback.
It is one thing to acknowledge where one excels and needs improvement. It is an entirely different thing to create actionable steps to build on constructive feedback.
Before applying for any position—and that includes the role of a management trainee—it is important to prepare yourself in any way you can.
Career path and growth is something you should definitely consider, whether you are a graduate or a student.
Do the necessary research. Mentally prepare yourself for the working situation you’re placing yourself in. And overall, be open to learning new things.
Remember: It’s better to be bad at something new, rather than never trying new things