Want to Be a Sales Director? Job Listing Analysis Reveals What Recruiters Are Looking For [Data]

Maybe you fell into your first sales rep job. Maybe you went to all the sales job fairs that came to your college town. Maybe you worked a few other careers before trying your hand at the art of selling. But regardless of how you got into sales, one thing is certain -- you want to stay in it. 

Whether you're currently a BDR, a sales rep, or a manager, you have your eye cast squarely on a sales director position. Congratulations, you know what you want to do with your career. Only one problem. How do you get there? 

Software Advice recently analyzed approximately 200 sales director job listings to answer this very question. What they found can inform your career and education decisions to unite you with your dream job faster.

First, if you're lucky enough to know what you want to do in college and that something is sales, consider majoring in business. "Among the job listings in our sample, a business degree was most preferred (42%), followed by a degree in marketing (23%)," the report states. (Tweet This Stat)

Grad school? Probably not worth the trouble. The bulk of the job ads only required a bachelor's degree; just 17% indicated a preference for a master's. (Tweet This Stat)

As opposed to advanced education, experience is a key consideration: 62% of the listings asked for five or more years of sales work. And you're probably better off sticking with one vertical for the majority of that time -- "72% of employers in our sample cited industry-specific sales experience as necessary for the position," according to the report. (Tweet This Stat)

Lastly, sales director hopefuls should invest time in becoming a CRM expert. CRM experience was the top technological skill required, listed in 29% of job descriptions. (Tweet This Stat) Sales force automation was a distant second, appearing in 8% of the listings, and marketing automation took third place with 2%.

What does your company look for in sales director candidates?