Introducing her new series of articles, Val Andrews looks at the dilemmas we face when we reach that critical crossroad, and decide we need to make a change of career direction
The route into school business management is just about as diverse as the roles within that profession. For some this is a first step into the world of business management, having worked in schools in other roles and identified this could be an exciting challenge and change of direction. For others it might involve a total reassessment of priorities and direction, a review of career aspirations, a need to review personal circumstances or an overwhelming desire to be directly involved in the education of the next generation or a combination of these factors.
Whatever has brought you to this decision, the first VITAL first step is to be completely sure that you are doing this for the right reasons.
Pause and Reflect
If this is a knee-jerk reaction to something that’s going on in your current workplace, I’d recommend a period of reflection to be sure you are not able to have some difficult conversations to try and make things better. Sometimes we feel dissatisfied and frustrated because we hit a “bump in the road” and can feel unchallenged, undervalued, overwhelmed etc. In which case, you may want to pursue this further, let people know how you feel, and see if “stick” is the right option for you. However, if this isn’t just a “bump in the road” and you feel that perhaps a toxic working environment is impacting on your own mental health and well-being, you’ve already had those difficult conversations to no avail, then perhaps this is time to “twist” and look at what might be an alternative option for you. Be sure you understand the rationale for making the change and that this is the right decision for you.
Research
The next step, once you’ve made up your mind is to understand exactly what the role entails – which can be very different in a variety of settings. You need to be clear about the qualifications and skills required to undertake this role and undertake a mapping exercise to look at your existing skill set to see where there is alignment and where further professional development might be appropriate.
Like most roles that involve a degree of management and leadership responsibility, the SBM role is diverse and varied and in most settings is demanding and challenging. It can feel overwhelming and isolating at times, but the rewards are endless, and the majority of practitioners will tell you it’s one of the best jobs in education!
Research the role and be clear about the scope of the role, the likely challenges and how the responsibilities differ in various settings. You can achieve this by looking at some job advertisements and accompanying job descriptions and person specifications. I’d also recommend attending a local/regional SBM networking meeting and talking to other practitioners to get a “warts and all” view of the role. There are lots of research documents available online about how the role has evolved in the last 25 years that would be useful to understand. You can also reflect on the potential contributions SBMs can have to school improvement and ensuring efficiency of resourcing. You can also access various best practice guides online and it would be a good idea to use the ISBL website and review the professional standards for the role. These standards are not mandatory but will give you a benchmark for the career progression available within the scope of the role.
Self-Analysis
Next you need to conduct some of your own introspective analysis – something we often feel uncomfortable doing BUT it’s necessary to be clear about where there is a match between your own existing skills, experience and qualifications and those required for the SBM role. What general skills/qualifications do you need for this role – this list is just an example of what you will find online but isn’t exhaustive: –
Experience in financial management and/or HR management
Experience of leading and managing people
Experience of managing projects and introducing change
Good communications skills
Experience of problem solving
Good negotiation skills
Endless patience
Good sense of humour!
In terms of qualifications – most SBM adverts require the DSBM Level 4 qualification as an essential requirement. Broader qualification requirements can be found on the ISBL website. Do your own gap analysis and assess the likelihood of being in a position now to start applying for SBM roles, or whether you need to undertake some more professional development to make sure your skills are more fit for purpose before considering applying for a role.
Summary – do your own risk assessment. Be sure you are looking at this role for the right reasons. Do you have the right skills set to start applying now or do you need to prepare for that by undertaking some more training and development. Next time, I’ll be looking at the process of identifying a role and starting to think about applying.
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