Career change as a team leader

Career change paths

• Management consultant

  Also: Interim manager

  With on-the-job training

  As a consultant or interim manager, you bring this experience to other companies, analyze processes and lead projects for a limited period.

  What you bring:

  You have led departments, organized processes and implemented change.

  How to get there:

  Consultancies train managers with industry knowledge on the job within projects. As an interim manager, you usually work self-employed and get hired through specialized agencies, so plan for periods without assignments.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleHome office possible

  €6,768gross per monthMedian salary

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• Managing director

  Also: Commercial managing director

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As managing director of a small or medium-sized company or a subsidiary, you carry overall responsibility for results, strategy and team.

  What you bring:

  You are already responsible for the budget, staff and processes of a larger area.

  How to get there:

  Managing director positions are usually filled through recruitment consultancies or internally. You learn what the shareholders expect and what liability you carry. Courses on the rights and duties of managing directors take a few days.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office

  €8,555gross per monthMedian salary

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• Head of corporate development

  Also: Head of strategy and planning

  With on-the-job training

  In corporate development, you prepare strategic decisions, steer restructuring projects and work closely with management.

  What you bring:

  You know a company's planning, key figures and processes from your line management role.

  How to get there:

  The switch is easiest within your own company or industry. You get on-the-job training.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €8,238gross per monthMedian salary

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• Head of purchasing

  Also: Head of logistics

  With on-the-job training

  As head of purchasing or logistics, you are responsible for suppliers, contracts, warehouses and transport.

  What you bring:

  You negotiate with service providers, manage budgets and know what a business needs in materials and services.

  How to get there:

  The new employer trains you on the job in product groups and purchasing systems. Courses on strategic purchasing, for example at the Federal Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics (Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik), last a few days to a few weeks.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €7,515gross per monthMedian salary

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• Commercial director of a clinic

  Also: Hospital administrator

  With on-the-job training

  In clinics, care facilities or rehabilitation centers, you lead administration, finance and business operations.

  What you bring:

  From leading a larger operation yourself, you know its administration, buildings, staff and service providers.

  How to get there:

  Clinics and care providers also look for managers from the business world. You learn healthcare financing through on-the-job training or in a part-time further training course in hospital management lasting a few months.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office
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• Trainer for leadership and project management

  Also: Learning and development specialist

  With on-the-job training

  As a trainer or learning and development specialist, you train managers and project teams and plan learning programs.

  What you bring:

  You have led teams and steered projects yourself, and you can draw on real examples from practice.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training at training providers or in HR development. A trainer course alongside work helps, and its length depends on the provider. If you go self-employed, you need references and a network.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light

  €5,254gross per monthMedian salary

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• Lecturer in business administration in adult education

  Also: Lecturer in chamber courses

  With on-the-job training

  As a lecturer, you teach adults in courses leading to certified senior specialist (Fachwirt), business administrator (Betriebswirt) or master craftsperson (Meister), often in the evenings and at weekends.

  What you bring:

  You know organization, people management and cost accounting from everyday life as a manager.

  How to get there:

  Training providers and chambers look for practitioners as lecturers, usually on a freelance basis alongside their main job. A few weeks of teacher training for lecturers helps. You can also apply for full-time positions.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people

  €5,075gross per monthMedian salary

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• Property manager

  Also: Property administrator for commercial real estate

  With on-the-job training

  As a property manager, you look after commercial or residential properties for owners and handle tenants, maintenance and billing.

  What you bring:

  Especially if you have managed buildings, you know the technology, service providers, contracts and costs of properties.

  How to get there:

  Real estate service companies train career changers from facility management on the job. Further training as a certified real estate specialist (Immobilienfachwirt) is possible but not a must. If you go self-employed as a residential property manager, you need a permit under § 34c of the Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,238gross per monthMedian salary

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• Head of customer service

  Also: Head of a customer service center

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As head of customer service you are responsible for several teams or a location, plan staff and budget, keep developing processes and service channels, and represent the department to management.

  What you bring:

  You lead teams in customer service, manage availability, staffing and quality, and work with key figures every day.

  How to get there:

  This usually happens internally after successful work as team leader; at service providers and large companies it can also happen by changing employer. Management seminars and courses on key figures and staff planning, lasting a few days to a few weeks, help. Recognized further trainings that fit are certified senior specialist for office and project organization (Fachwirt für Büro- und Projektorganisation) or certified senior business specialist (Wirtschaftsfachwirt) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Both can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically lightIn an office

  €7,515gross per monthMedian salary

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• CRM manager

  Also: Customer experience manager

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As a CRM or customer experience manager you analyze customer data and feedback, shape customer contacts across all channels and work with marketing, sales and IT on improvements.

  What you bring:

  You know customer concerns, complaints and service key figures first-hand, and you know where customers become dissatisfied.

  How to get there:

  Larger companies also fill such jobs with experienced service managers and give them on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). You can add knowledge of CRM software and data analysis through courses lasting a few weeks. For marketing jobs with responsibility for strategy, some employers also expect further training in marketing or a university degree.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,707gross per monthMedian salary

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• Event manager in a company

  Also: Conference coordinator

  With on-the-job training

  As an event manager you plan conferences, trade fair appearances and company events, get quotes, negotiate with hotels and service providers, and coordinate the schedule on site.

  What you bring:

  You organize appointments, trips, meetings and company events and keep track of many people and deadlines at the same time.

  How to get there:

  Companies, associations and conference hotels hire organized people with office experience and give them on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Courses in event management at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and at training providers take a few weeks to a few months. Events often mean evening and weekend work.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Fixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,165gross per monthMedian salary

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• Executive assistant

  Also: Executive board assistant

  With on-the-job training

  As an executive assistant you prepare decisions and meetings, coordinate projects, prepare reports and presentations, and act as the link to all departments.

  What you bring:

  You organize office processes, appointments and correspondence with confidence and handle information confidentially.

  How to get there:

  Companies like to fill executive assistant positions with experienced office managers and give them a few weeks of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). Very good office skills, good German and usually English are expected. The further training course for certified senior specialist for office and project organization (Fachwirt für Büro- und Projektorganisation) improves your chances.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €3,810gross per monthMedian salary

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• CRM and service software consultant

  Also: IT business analyst for customer service

  With on-the-job training

  At a software provider or in a company's IT department you analyze service processes, configure systems to fit, test new functions and train users.

  What you bring:

  You know ticketing, telephony and CRM systems from daily use, and you know which functions service teams really need.

  How to get there:

  Software providers and IT service providers hire practitioners from customer service and give them a few months of on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) in their products. You can earn vendor certificates in courses lasting a few days to a few weeks. For technical adjustments, basic knowledge of databases and process modeling helps, and you can add it through courses.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an officeHome office possible

  €5,568gross per monthMedian salary

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• Branch manager

  Also: Store manager, District manager in retail

  With on-the-job trainingPromotion

  As branch manager you are responsible for revenue, staff, stock and the whole store.

  What you bring:

  You already lead cash desk or sales teams, assign shifts, and know billing, flow of goods and the key figures of your area.

  How to get there:

  You usually get there through the deputy branch manager role, often with internal management programs of the retail chain. Depending on the retailer, training in retail is expected for this. For district management over several branches you usually need experience as branch manager, and often also the further training course for certified senior retail specialist (Handelsfachwirt) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or a university degree. You can take the further training alongside a job, and it can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). You are admitted, for example, with a salesperson qualification and two years of work experience, or, without a qualification, after five years of work experience in retail.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Often at weekends
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• Purchasing planner in retail

  Also: Buyer

  With on-the-job training

  In planning or purchasing at headquarters you plan order quantities, negotiate with suppliers, and steer the product range.

  What you bring:

  You know sell-through, stock, delivery problems and what customers really buy.

  How to get there:

  You switch to planning or purchasing at headquarters, with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung). A commercial qualification such as retail clerk (Kaufmann im Einzelhandel) is usually expected. Part-time further training in purchasing at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or the course for certified senior retail specialist (Handelsfachwirt) prepares you specifically for it.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €4,200gross per monthMedian salary

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• Field sales representative for consumer goods

  Also: Territory manager for retail

  With on-the-job training

  In field sales for a manufacturer you look after stores in a region, negotiate placements, and check promotions.

  What you bring:

  You know the processes in the store, product placement, promotions and the decision-makers in retail first-hand.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at the manufacturer or wholesaler, usually lasting a few weeks to a few months. A class B driving license is almost always required. Look for a permanent position: as a self-employed commercial agent you usually work on commission only and bear the risk yourself.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of contact with people

  €4,456gross per monthMedian salary

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• Visual merchandiser

  Also: Visual marketing designer

  With on-the-job training

  In visual merchandising you design shop windows, sales areas and promotions for one or several branches.

  What you bring:

  You know from the sales floor which product placement sells and how to present goods attractively.

  How to get there:

  At large fashion and furnishing retailers, an internal switch into visual merchandising with on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) is possible. The recognized qualification is vocational training (Ausbildung) as visual marketing designer (Gestalter für visuelles Marketing), which takes three years and is often shortened with work experience.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Physically demandingLittle customer contact

  €3,117gross per monthMedian salary

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• Staffing coordinator

  Also: Recruiter in retail

  With on-the-job training

  In the staffing coordination of a personnel services provider or in the recruiting of a retail chain, this becomes your main task.

  What you bring:

  You plan shifts, look for temporary staff, conduct job interviews and know who is needed where.

  How to get there:

  You get on-the-job training (Einarbeitung) at a personnel services provider or in the HR department of a retail chain, usually lasting a few weeks to a few months. The recognized qualification is vocational training (Ausbildung) as personnel services clerk (Personaldienstleistungskaufmann), which takes three years.*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsPhysically lightLots of contact with peopleIn an office

  €4,046gross per monthMedian salary

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• HR officer

  Also: Certified HR specialist (Personalfachkaufmann)

  With further trainingPromotion

  As an HR officer you support employees from hiring to departure, run selection procedures and advise managers on labor law and personnel development.

  What you bring:

  You hold conversations with employees, plan staff schedules and vacations and take part in hiring and on-the-job training.

  How to get there:

  Alongside your job, you can take the further training course for certified HR specialist (Personalfachkaufmann) at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). It usually takes one and a half to two years and can be funded through Aufstiegs-BAföG (state funding for advanced vocational qualifications). With a vocational qualification in a commercial or administrative occupation you are admitted after two years of HR-related work experience, and without a qualification after five years. By the last part of the exam you also need the trainer aptitude certificate (Ausbildereignung).*

  * No guarantee of accuracy.

  Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an office

  €5,147gross per monthMedian salary

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Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.