A LOOK INTO

OPERATION
MANAGEMENT

Lilyana Olayo
BUS1010-403

JOB DESCRIPTION
Operation management could be defined as being chiefly concerned with planning,
organizing and supervising in the contexts of production, manufacturing or the provision of
services. (Dhoul, 2014). Operation management can also be very diverse, so the day to day tasks
could differ from company to company. Some tasks could include monitoring and managing
operation costs, making personnel decisions regarding hiring, compensations, promotions etc. And
the management of day to day, or department operations. (Operations Manager Salary, n.d.)
Another list of tasks that may be included would be product creation , development, production
and distribution.( (McNamara, n.d.) According to Carter McNamara related activities could also
include managing purchases, inventory control, quality control, storage, logistics and evaluation of
processes. What Ive learned researching the description of operation management is that there are
many definitions because this field is pretty broad and can mean different things for different
markets. It really just depends in the business you are working for and what they need from you.
GENERAL CAREER PATH
There was not too much information for reaching management level from an entry level
position. To become an operations manager would require a bachelors degree at a minimum. Your
best bet would be to start at entry level for a company in which you can promote into an operation
management position. Even though it is just an entry level position it can help widen your
knowledge of the company and get a general background of how things work which could later
work for your benefit. So while starting out as entry level might not get you to that management
position it will still give you more insight that will only help brighten your resume because you have
field experience.
GENERAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

As a bare minimum, this position would require a Bachelors in Operation Management,

Business Administration or related field. (Learning Path, n.d.) A degree specifically geared toward
operation management is not as common, but there are some online colleges that offer such
programs. The University of Utah actually has added operation management to their major list fairly
recently. If you pursue a Masters Degree that will also only improve your job outlook and salary.
AVERAGE SALARY
According to Payscale.com, the salary can range from $38,307-$97,803 annually. As an
hourly rate it could range from $11-$27.64. In this field, experience does play a moderate effect on
pay for this job. Entry level positions (0-5 years)would on average be around $50k, Mid-career
positions(5-10 years) would be around $60K, Experienced(10-20 years) would be $68K, and tops of
with $75K for Late Career(20+years).( (Operations Manager Salary, n.d.)
Salary.com proposes the range in salary to be between $75,895-$102,232, with the median annual
salary being $87,314 as of March 24, 2016. (Salary.com, n.d.) So there is great potential to achieve a
high salary within this field.
CAREER OUTLOOK
The outlook for this career according to Learningpath.org expects a 12% growth in
employment from 2012-2022. This 12% growth is optimistic and as fast as the average for all
occupations. In this economy this field is very important because every company want to run as
cost effective as possible. This way they are able to stay competitive and beat the competition
because they can afford to offer lower prices. Another great insight I noticed for career outlook was
student testimonials from the University of Utah. The great thing about their experience there was
that they had they opportunity to do internships for different companies, some even abroad to
provide them with field experience. With all 5 interviews, they all had jobs lined up at graduation

with many as early as 6 months before their graduation. So the outlook for this career looks to be
very promising.
BIO
To gain some more insight from a student perspective I watched interviews from University
of Utah students and learned some new things that I was glad to hear. What I learned from the
interviews was how versatile this degree but is also unique because its not offered in many schools. I
also learned their misconception about it was similar to mine; thatd youd work for a manufacturing
plant or warehouse only. (Operation Management Testimonials, n.d.) That if you like to think
strategically and enjoy challenging yourself this career is a good choice.
For more on hand experience I also interviewed my manager Leisha Heugly. She is the
manager of Branch Operations for the University Federal Credit Union. Her career path was not
the most common path, but has still lead her to her position. She has been in the banking industry
for 31 years and that experience is what has landed her in the position she was in. Her past
experience includes working for the Nevada Bank & Trust, The Peppermill Casino, Keybank, and
Bank of the West. Coincidently enough, this interview was the exception to my research in regards
to starting at an entry level position and promoting to operation management. Although she did not
receive any sort of degree in the business field, the hands on experience has led to her success in this
field. Her career path started as an entry-level teller and through promotions, and diverse work for
financial institutions gave her the background knowledge necessary for her current position.
I asked her what skills she believed were necessary for this field and heard the following:
great organizational skills, attention to detail, problem solving skills, flexibility, and most importantly
of all communication. I figured communication would be essential, but she could not stress how
important this was in particular. When you are leading decision maker for improving process you
find yourself working with a variety of people be it upper management, or front-line personnel. So

you need to be sure you are able to effectively communicate with all, to ensure a clear goal and clear
method.
I also asked what she liked best about her position, and her response was the ability to make
a difference. She really enjoys the ability to make things better and more efficient. When this is
done, it creates a chain reaction that benefits both the company and its employees.
Finally, I finished up the interview by asking her what piece of advice she could offer to
someone who would like to to join this field work. Her advice was to ask questions for clarification
so there are no misunderstandings and clear set of goals. Another important piece of advice was
teamwork and the ability work with everyone in a way that will be most efficient an effective.
PROS AND CONS
The cons to a position in this field that would come up many times from all my sources was
the high level of stress. The job can be very demanding with its long hours, causing a high stress
environment for those involved. When working in operation management you can find yourself
working with multiple departments, and when something goes wrong, you need to find a fix and its
got to be fast. Moments like these can be stressful, but as the decision maker of the company you
have to make a calculated decision. Another con is the experience companies demand to
accompany the degree. Its not enough to just have a degree but the experience is also looked upon
greatly, so this could prove to be difficult if you are fresh out of college and with no experience.
One of the pros this position includes is the good salary potential. With the right experience
you can be pretty well off in terms of salary in this field. I also see the opportunity to be the leader
as a pro. I think with this independence it really allows you to grow in career and learn to think
strategically and freely. The opportunities available also seem limitless! You can use this degree in
practically any field, you can work for a mega business like Amazon, a pharmaceutical company, or
construction. And the outlook for this career also seems really positive. While there was only a

12% employment growth, after hearing student testimonials from the University of Utah it seems
very optimistic.
FIT
I really feel like Ive found the career to suit me best because my skillset definitely comes in
handy for this type of career. I currently do work as a branch operations specialist for a credit union
so this experience has let me see that this is the kind of work that I am good at and enjoy. Before, I
was the lead teller at a branch, and that also helped me see that I could be an effective leader.
Leadership is a strong skill to have in this field, because you are essentially the shot caller and you
need to have the confidence to lead your personnel. My ability to think strategically is also another
great tool to have because there is a focus on improving processes. With the ability to think
strategically and think outside the box can be very useful for finding ways to get things done faster,
or improve the way things are processed. Working in my current position has truly helped me see
the things I do subconsciously, for example I always try different ways until I find what makes me
most efficient. As long as I understand the process and what tasks are expected from me I
gradually find ways to shorten the time it takes to get them done. This also allows me to fill in on
remaining tasks to be completed or to catch up on anything that is behind schedule. Another
strength that furthers my fit into this career is my attention to detail. You have to be able to see
things that will not always be in plain sight; you have to find patterns or trends especially if they
impact business negatively. In these case you need to develop a strategy to find a cause and reduce
them.

Sources
(n.d.). Retrieved from Operation Management Testimonials:
http://undergrad.business.utah.edu/page/operations-management-testimonials
Dhoul, T. (2014, April 30). What is Operations Management. Retrieved from TopMBA:
http://www.topmba.com/mba-programs/what-operations-management
Learning Path. (n.d.). Becoming an Operations Manager. Retrieved from
http://learningpath.org/articles/Becoming_an_Operations_Manager_Job_Description_C
areer_Salary_Info.html
McNamara, C. (n.d.). Operations Management. Retrieved from Management Help:
http://managementhelp.org/operationsmanagement/
Operations Manager Salary. (n.d.). Retrieved from Payscale:
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Operations_Manager/Salary
Salary.com. (n.d.). Operatioins Manager Salaries. Retrieved from Salary.com:
http://www1.salary.com/Operations-Manager-Salary.html