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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYLance B. Eliot, Feature Editor, Eliot & Associates CIO Jobs Are Back!by Lance B. Eliot Eliot & Associates The job of Chief Information Officer (CIO) appears to be making a recovery. Welcome back, CIOs. For those readers not familiar with top level Information Technology (I.T.) executive positions, the CIO position was heralded several years ago as the newly minted job position that finally recognized the importance of I.T. managers. Indeed, the position stood for ``Career Is Outstanding'' by some proponents. Rather than burying the top I.T. manager down deep inside an organization, the CIO position was intended to raise the visibility of I.T. by placing the top I.T. executive on the same footing as the other top level executives. It worked for a short while, and then the tide turned the other way. Suddenly, CIO stood for ``Career Is Over.'' CIOs were getting booted out of their positions, and worse yet, many non-I.T. executives began to take the CIO position. Imagine the marketing function being taken over by a finance executive, or the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position being taken over by a manufacturing function executive. The matching of non-I.T. executives into an I.T. position is an embarrassment to the I.T. function and has been demoralizing to upcoming I.T. managers who once thought their career efforts would ultimately lead to the highly sought CIO position. There are several explanations for the CIO position difficulties. First, many firms say they want to infuse I.T. throughout their organization, but are not willing to make the sacrifices and expend the resources to truly make it happen. Thus, some CIOs were brought in under one guise, and then saddled with the unenviable job of not receiving the cooperation needed to fulfill their alleged mission. Second, some CIO's were not suited for the CIO job. Though someone may look qualified on paper, their true ability to work at the top executive positions must be carefully scrutinized. For example, even if the organization fails to ante up the resources needed to make I.T. a real part of the organization, the question remains as to whether or not the CIO did everything required to make the organization understand the need to use and fund I.T. In fact, one of the most common criticisms of CIOs is that although they may have the proper technical skills, they lack the business acumen expected of a top executive. The placement of non-I.T. executives into the CIO spot is a visible example of the perceived importance of business and management skills over the need for technical skills. But, firms are now realizing that non-I.T. CIOs have often led the firm down the wrong technology path (due to a weakness in technology experiences). Fortunately, with the help of a revitalized economy, firms are taking another look at staffing CIOs. Also, more positions are available because CIOs who were dearly holding onto their jobs (because of the scarcity of openings) are now looking around. So, CIOs are getting hired and other CIOs are leaving their current jobs or getting pushed out as organizations fit themselves to the emerging I.T. mania. The media's hammering away at the information superhighway and the emergence of I.T. in our lives has added to the feeling that I.T. is an important aspect of modern organizations. CIOs couldn't be more thankful. In working with organizations who need CIOs, I have participated in identifying, screening and selecting CIO candidates, and have helped newly hired CIOs transition into their position. As a result of my experiences, here are some insights into seeking a CIO position. The CIO Resume CIOs often neglect to prepare a professional looking resume that properly describes their technical and business background. I am saddened when I see a CIO resume that obviously represents a complete lack of awareness as to how to prepare a resume. Worse still, some CIOs dig out an old, rusty resume from years past that is filled with technology buzzwords and even fails to indicate what they contributed at their former positions. Get your act together. Update the resume. Place the technology stuff toward the back of the resume. Emphasize projects overseen, impact upon the business, dollars saved, new systems implemented that changed the business, etc. I prefer resumes that are modular in structure. The first page is a summary of accomplishments and experiences, and the remainder of the resume provides the details behind the summary. I realize that many resume preparers will steer you toward a two page resume, but with the modular approach you can reasonably have a longer resume that will be read. Peer Networking Many I.T. managers seeking CIO jobs have not been active members of the I.T. community. Thus, the question immediately arises: who is the person (if no one has heard of him or her), and how active and committed to the profession the person really is. Such I.T. managers usually tell me that they didn't have time to spend outside their jobs on attending conferences, making presentations, and doing other external activities. I tell them that they failed to invest in their own career by not making such time available, and had better start doing so right now if they truly wish to have a career. Peer networking via active participation in the I.T. community can also lead to awareness of possible job openings. Plus, having colleagues who can serve as references is always helpful during the early stages of a job search and job application review. Generally, if you remain in your own closet, do not complain that nobody is breaking down the door to get you to take another great job. I assure you that more savvy people are out there already trying to get that job. Vision and Leadership When describing your accomplishments, make sure that you include a sense of your vision of I.T. in organizations and how you exhibited leadership in your prior jobs. Did you work directly with the CEO of the firm? Did you break out of the technology-only role? Prospective hiring firms want to see examples of how you will translate business goals into specific I.T. activities. They want to see that you did more than react to business needs. What kind of strategic planning did you do? What types of systems were implemented during your tenure? Conclusion Searching for a CIO job is a lot of work. Expect the effort to require much preparation and homework. Often, you may hear that a colleague suddenly landed a wonderful CIO job. I'll bet that the þsuddenþ nature of the opening was really due to being positioned in the right way for the right opportunity, and I urge other prospective CIOs to take a step now to make sure they can step into the CIO opening when it appears. If you are stuck trying to move your career along, or wish to have your resume reviewed, send it to me and I'll be happy to give you my feedback and perhaps get you headed once again toward the top I.T. job. Remember that your input is welcomed. If you have projects addressing the information technology area, and you would like to share this with readers of "Information Technology", please write to Dr. Eliot, Eliot & Associates, |