How to Become An Executive Director
In order to learn how to become an Executive Director, it’s important to first be familiar with the skills, education and training involved for the job. It’s also necessary to understand the duties involved and how to get your foot in the door. To get a better idea of what this position entails and the steps that need to be taken to get hired, let’s discuss the details behind what it takes to become an Executive Director.
Job Duties
First of all, the primary responsibilities of an executive director are to handle the day to day operations of an organization. Typically, this involves managing staff members, keeping track of finances and making sure that an organization functions as efficiently as possible. This position is usually ideal for people who are natural leaders with excellent interpersonal skills, and who are capable of motivating others. Essentially, an Executive Director is a person who keeps the members of an organization on the same page and strives to ensure a bright future for the organization.
Education
Perhaps the most integral part of landing this type of position is to first fulfill the necessary educational requirements. For example, a person must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Business Administration or in a related field. However, it’s ideal to have a Master’s Degree in ones of these fields and receive one’s education from an accredited college or university.
To optimize a person’s odds of finding a job, it’s also helpful to have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA while in college. Along with this, it’s helpful for an individual to have certifications in areas like customer service, project management or advertising. While these certifications are necessarily mandatory for some entry level positions, they are very helpful and increase the likelihood of getting hired.
Skills
Besides formal education, there are several skills that a person should posses. These include having an in depth understanding of the specific industry an individual is preparing to get into. For example, if a person is planning on working for a non-profit organization, he should be familiar with what role the organization plays and be up to date on current trends that are happening. Typically, this information can be found either by searching online, looking at an organization’s website or by reading trade magazines.
He should also be comfortable with leading others and have previous experience in a leadership role. An Executive Director will also need to have reasonable mathematical skills and be familiar with all aspects of financial management. In addition, an ideal candidate for this job will be highly organized and able to see the “big picture” when it comes to business planning.
Resume
An additional part of finding a job as an Executive Director is having a professional resume that is polished and up to date. For example, a person’s resume should contain information pertaining to education, certifications, training, experience and skills. Once all of this data has been compiled, a person should submit his resume to relevant organizations. Once he understands how to become an Executive Director, he should be prepared for an interview about be able to give concrete examples of his skills and explain why he would be a suitable fit.
