Business Development Managers and Directors

High School

The ability to communicate is extremely important for business development professionals, so be sure to take English and speech classes. Foreign language classes will come in handy if you end up working for a company that does business internationally, and joining the debate club will help you to develop your powers of persuasion. Psychology classes will provide you with an understanding of human behavior. Classes that help you to develop your critical-thinking skills—such as history, philosophy, and social studies—will also be useful. Other important courses include business, economics, marketing, and computer science.

Postsecondary Education

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in business, finance, marketing, sales, project management, or management consulting is needed to work in business development. Many firms prefer to hire those with master’s degrees in business administration. Business development managers and directors who are employed by tech companies may need degrees in computer science, software or hardware engineering, or database administration.

Other Education or Training

The American Marketing Association, Institute of Management Consultants USA, American Management Association, Association of Proposal Management Professionals, Sales Management Association, and other organizations offer webinars, workshops, and classes that might be useful to business development professionals. Contact these associations for more information.

Certification

Certificates in sales, marketing, business strategy, and communications are available through professional development programs offered at colleges and universities throughout the United States.