Students should obtain as much experience in the field as possible by participating in summer internships and part-time jobs. New graduates can get experience by working as coaches, assistant athletic directors, physical education instructors, or in other related positions.
To be successful in this career, you need to have a love and knowledge of sports. Since athletic directors must juggle many different tasks at once, you need to be organized and able to delegate tasks. Developing strong people skills will help you work effectively with people from all types of backgrounds. You must be dedicated to academic excellence and have a high degree of integrity, as well as have strong management and leadership skills. Athletic directors are under constant pressure to create winning, financially sound programs. For this reason, you must be emotionally steady, a good judge of coaching ability, and expert at business and financial management.
- Adapted Physical Education Specialists
- Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
- Aerobics Instructors and Fitness Trainers
- Art Teachers
- Bicycle Mechanics
- Biophysicists
- Book Editors
- Cancer Exercise Specialists
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- College Administrators
- College Professors
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Computer Trainers
- Cooking Instructors
- Curriculum Coordinators
- Dance School Owners and Managers
- Distance Learning Coordinators
- Driving School Owners and Instructors
- Education Directors and Museum Teachers
- Edupreneurs
- Elementary School Teachers
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- E-Sports Professionals
- Exercise Physiologists
- Fitness Directors
- Flight Instructors
- Guidance Counselors
- Health Club Owners and Managers
- Health Educators
- Instructional Coordinators
- Instructional Designers
- Jockeys
- Journalism Teachers
- Kinesiologists
- Learning Innovations Designers
- Library and Information Science Instructors
- Lifeguards and Swimming Instructors
- Mathematics Teachers
- Music Teachers
- Nursing Instructors
- Personal Trainers
- Physical Education Teachers
- Physical Therapists
- Physical Therapy Assistants
- Preschool Teachers
- Professional Athletes, Individual Sports
- Professional Athletes, Team Sports
- Recreation Workers
- Recreational Therapists
- School Administrators
- School Nurses
- Secondary School Teachers
- Ski Resort Workers
- Special Education Teachers
- Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
- Sports Agents
- Sports Broadcasters and Announcers
- Sports Equipment Managers
- Sports Executives
- Sports Facility Managers
- Sports Instructors and Coaches
- Sports Photographers
- Sports Physicians
- Sports Psychologists
- Sports Publicists
- Sports Scouts
- Sports Trainers
- Sportswriters
- Stadium Ushers and Vendors
- Strength and Conditioning Coaches
- Teacher Aides
- Tutors and Trainers
- Umpires and Referees
- Yoga and Pilates Instructors