There are various types of supervisor qualifications that can lead to a person obtaining a job as a supervisor in some form of industry. Some of the most common supervisor qualifications are on-the-job experience that may begin at the entry level, corporate supervisor training, and educational degree programs or certificate programs. Any of these supervisor qualifications, although they each take a different path, can lead to a supervisory job, depending on the needs of the company and the demands of the job itself.
One of the most important supervisor qualifications, whether it goes along with qualifications such as degrees or training programs or stands on its own, is on-the-job experience, often beginning at the bottom. Supervising people is a demanding task, but it can be much more difficult if people in the supervisory position have not actually done the work their subordinates do on a daily basis. People who begin at the ground level and work their way up to a supervisory job are in a position to understand the pressures, demands and skills required to complete the work and, therefore, can have a greater understanding of how to supervise the workers and their output than someone who has not had this opportunity.
Some businesses offer supervisor or manager training programs and require this as part of their supervisor qualifications. These training programs are often offered in-house or in a workshop format at a separate location and emphasize the supervisory skills and industry knowledge specific to the company for which they are designed. They may have concurrent on-the-job supervisory experiences and duties that are required so supervisor trainees can show that they meet the required competencies and skills to supervise workers effectively. People who take these training courses and workshops often are people who are already employed with the company with which they are training, although some companies offer these beginning supervisory training courses to qualified applicants from outside the company. After successful completion of supervisor training, people may be given a supervisor position immediately or may be allowed to apply for new openings as they occur.
Another type of supervisor qualification is earning a degree or certificate that gives the potential supervisor the knowledge and training that will help him or her to be successful. Some companies require that supervisors have earned a master's degree in administration, while others require different degree programs or certificates. Whereas some employees may earn these credentials while employed by the company by which they want to be employed as a supervisor or by a similar company, some people may wait until after they have completed the degree or certificate program to apply for supervisory positions. This can be a way to begin a supervisory position, although it is advisable to have practical experience in the industry in question to augment qualifications.