We often talk about careers like they’re a journey. We’re told to go on a career path or climb the career ladder. In truth, this is the best way to think about your career as it means you’re always looking forward. You start off with an entry-level job and aspire to end up with an elite job that pays well.

Today, we’re going to discuss how you can get an elite job in the form of a high-paid management role. Believe it or not, anyone can achieve this, you just need to know how to improve your chances. Here are three things to bear in mind:

Gain Lots Of Work Experience

It’s very rare that a complete beginner will walk straight into a high-paid management job. Think about it, these jobs are very important to businesses, they won’t want to risk giving them to someone that hasn’t proved themselves. Consequently, you must prove your worth by gaining lots of work experience. Set your sights low and apply for jobs further down the pecking order. Then, work your way up the career ladder until you reach the top. The more experience you gain, the more trustworthy you seem and your CV starts to look very appealing to an employer.

Get An MBA

There’s always a great debate surrounding experience vs. qualifications regarding any job you apply for. We’ve already touched upon the importance of experience when searching for a management job, but what about your qualifications? Truthfully, you can get a management job without studying a degree, but your chances are far heightened if you have one. Then, they’re further heightened if you have an MBA to go with your degree. An MBA makes you seem like an elite professional that’s highly skilled in various areas of business. If an employer sees that qualification on your application, it immediately sparks their interest. You can normally get this qualification by studying a masters degree after you’ve graduated with your bachelor’s. However, there are some MBA online courses where you can apply if you don’t have a degree but do have a substantial amount of relevant work experience. So, if you’ve spent years working in the business industry but can’t quite give yourself the edge to be promoted up to the business management positions, apply for an MBA and see where it takes you.

Go Above & Beyond What’s Expected Of You

Finally, one great tip to help you get a management job is to do more in your current position. More specifically, go above and beyond what’s expected of you. If you’re always the person coming up with new ideas or staying late to work on projects and getting things done days in advance, then it looks good. You make a name for yourself as someone that’s always working hard and isn’t satisfied getting away with the bare minimum. If you’re first in and last out of the office, then your employers will notice it. They’ll be marking you down as one of the top candidates for promotion into elite management.

Consider these three tips, and you’ll be in a far better position to apply for management roles, get interviews, and work your way to the top of the career ladder.