Team Directors: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of team directors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for team directors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of team directors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for team directors.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Team Directors?
Do team directors need a degree? What kind of experience do team directors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for team directors to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Team Directors
Jobs Postings for Team Directors By Education
- Master's degree: 16,739 (47%)
- No Education Listed: 11,041 (31%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 5,120 (14%)
- Bachelor's degree: 1,980 (6%)
- High School or GED: 597 (2%)
A master's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of team directors. According to job data, a master's degree was required for 47% of positions. In 31% of job listings no education level was listed and in 14% of postings a ph.d. or professional degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Team Directors
Jobs Postings for Team Directors By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 12,744 (84%)
- 2-3 Years: 1,988 (13%)
- 4-6 Years: 321 (2%)
- 7-9 Years: 12 (0%)
- 10+ Years: 43 (0%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for team directors. In 84% of job postings for Team Directors, employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience. In 13% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 2% of job postings for team directors.
What Kind of Degree Do Team Directors Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for team directors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 10 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective team directors, and in 2023 a total of 210,860 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective team directors.
Top Degree Programs for Team Directors
Top 5 Degree Programs for Team Directors (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 30,483 |
| Counseling Psychology. | 10,826 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 6,780 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,310 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 143,660 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching. | 30,483 |
| Counseling Psychology. | 10,826 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis. | 6,780 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other. | 6,310 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,777 |
| School Psychology. | 3,573 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other. | 2,396 |
| Developmental and Child Psychology. | 1,929 |
| Clinical Child Psychology. | 126 |
What Skills Do Team Directors Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by team directors to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for team directors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Team Directors
Based on 29,276 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Team Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| School Psychology | 27,605 | 94% |
| Psychology | 16,981 | 58% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 12,966 | 44% |
| Special Education | 6,205 | 21% |
| Student Services | 5,086 | 17% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Team Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 5,455 | 19% |
| Positivity | 3,687 | 13% |
| Research | 2,632 | 9% |
| Planning | 1,872 | 6% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 1,778 | 6% |
Based on 29,276 job postings related to team directors, school psychology was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 94% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for psychology, individualized education programs (iep), special education, student services and intervention plans were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for team directors, followed by positivity, research, planning, ethical standards and conduct and interpersonal communications.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| School Psychology | 27,605 | 94% |
| Psychology | 16,981 | 58% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 12,966 | 44% |
| Special Education | 6,205 | 21% |
| Student Services | 5,086 | 17% |
| Intervention Plans | 4,327 | 15% |
| Child Advocacy | 3,622 | 12% |
| Mental Health | 3,520 | 12% |
| Psychological Evaluations | 2,779 | 9% |
| Crisis Intervention | 1,983 | 7% |
| Zoom (Video Conferencing Tool) | 1,619 | 6% |
| Educational Evaluation | 1,591 | 5% |
| Disabilities | 1,559 | 5% |
| Pediatrics | 1,490 | 5% |
| Microsoft Teams | 1,353 | 5% |
| Google Classroom | 1,350 | 5% |
| Educational Psychology | 1,347 | 5% |
| Preschool Education | 1,157 | 4% |
| Behavior Management | 959 | 3% |
| Autism Spectrum Disorders | 936 | 3% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 5,455 | 19% |
| Positivity | 3,687 | 13% |
| Research | 2,632 | 9% |
| Planning | 1,872 | 6% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 1,778 | 6% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,763 | 6% |
| Presentations | 1,637 | 6% |
| Problem Solving | 1,637 | 6% |
| Teaching | 1,370 | 5% |
| Scheduling | 1,236 | 4% |
| Report Writing | 1,224 | 4% |
| Writing | 1,222 | 4% |
| Management | 1,148 | 4% |
| Consulting | 1,120 | 4% |
| English Language | 1,066 | 4% |
| Advocacy | 1,051 | 4% |
| Multilingualism | 884 | 3% |
| Leadership | 802 | 3% |
| Coordinating | 662 | 2% |
| Progress Reporting | 643 | 2% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about team directors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for team directors.
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The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.