Requirements

Business development manager - requirements

As a business development manager, you’ll be focused on improving and growing the business and commercial side of the organisation you work for. Learn more about a career in business development, what it involves and whether it could be the right job for your skillset.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a business development manager?

You’re likely to need an undergraduate degree to apply for business development manager roles. Subject areas to consider include:

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a business development manager?

Most employers don’t ask for postgraduate qualifications for this role, but having one can definitely boost your skills and knowledge.

Examples of taught and research degrees at postgraduate level include:

Business and management
Business development
International business
International marketing
Innovation and entrepreneurship

What skills do you need to be a business development manager?

As well as excellent interpersonal skills, you’ll need to be self-motivated and show initiative.

Hard skills usually include:

Database management
Selling techniques
Upselling

Soft skills include:

Communication
Leadership
Management
Research
Presentation
Negotiation

Do you need work experience to be a business development manager?

You’ll need to build up industry experience before applying for a business development manager role. Doing an internship or placement while at uni will be really helpful for starting your career path. This experience is sometimes included as part of an undergraduate degree.