How do I Become an Area Coordinator?

There are four critical skills required to become an area coordinator: organization, communication, project management, and conflict resolution. An area coordinator is typically part of a large organization. He or she is responsible for a specific geographic area or region. The area can be quite large or very focused, depending on the number of clients in the region and the industry.

In order to become an area coordinator, most firms require candidates to have some formal post-secondary education. This may be a two- or three-year diploma from a community college or a university degree. There is no specific program that provides the skills required for this job. Instead, a general degree provides training in research, writing, and communication. A general program in business administration or liberal arts is very common for candidates in this role.

Superior organizational skills are necessary to become an area coordinator. The primary tasks of this position include a significant amount of collaborative teamwork, integration with other teams, and communication. The ability to balance multiple priorities while integrating services with both internal and external resources are skills usually learned over time. Many people who want to become an area coordinator have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy being in the middle of a storm of activity.

Written and oral communication are the foundations of all the tasks completed by an area coordinator. The ability to share the appropriate information with the correct people, quickly and efficiently, is central to success in this role. Many people take additional courses in communication to improve these essential skills. Talk with your human resources professional to determine if these courses would be beneficial to you.

The term project management covers a variety of skills, ranging from time management to resource allocation. Project management skills are very important if you want to become an area coordinator, as many responsibilities are project-oriented. For example, the implementation of a new sales tracking method is a project, as is increasing the number of customer contacts. The ability to build a team and maintain the ideal structure for performance is a complex skill that must be learned.

Conflict is a natural byproduct of most working relationships. Different priorities, perceived rank within the group, and personality conflicts are all very common. As an area coordinator, you should be able to identify the warning signs, diffuse situations, and negotiate resolutions to the issues.