What steps do IT executives need to take to get on the
"A" list for a high-profile job opening? Is it bad form for IT
managers...
Thomas Hoffman, Computerworld
Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0700
What steps do IT executives need to take to get on the "A" list
for a high-profile job opening? Is it bad form for IT managers to reach out to
an executive search firm?
These were a few of the questions that were posed yesterday to three
executive recruiters during a session at the 2008
CIO Executive Leadership Summit held in Stamford. The recruiters who
fielded the questions were Rhona Kannon,
a partner in the information technology practice at The
Cambridge Group Ltd.; Beverly Lieberman, president of Halbrecht
Lieberman Associates and Phil Schneidermeyer, a
partner at Heidrick & Struggles.
Is it a mistake to reach out to a search firm?
No, absolutely not, Lieberman said, but cold calls are tough for recruiters
to respond to. Instead, she recommends that IT executives contact her and other
recruiters through a source that both parties know and trust. "It's
similar to how we get to know you," Lieberman added.
Another way to get on a recruiter's radar screen is by acting as a referral
for a friend or colleague, Schneidermeyer said.
How does someone get on an 'A' list for an IT executive search?
Executive job searches are somewhat subjective but do include defined
criteria, Lieberman said. Critical qualities include a job candidate's
personality, such as whether they're affable. Strong communications skills are
also a must, she said. Recruiters and employers look to see how job candidates
"package themselves" in their resumes, she added.
Job candidates who lack a bachelor's degree face an uphill battle, Lieberman
said. "If you don't have a bachelor's degree, God bless you," she
said, and "if you're applying for a senior role, you'd better be
enrolled" in a bachelor's degree program.
Another "A" list factor is the candidate's current or previous
employers. "We get to know companies in different verticals that are known
for developing strong talent," Schneidermeyer
said.
One thing Schneidermeyer warns against is too much
citing of industry awards that an IT executive has received. "I had one
recent job candidate who filled the back side of his resume with awards, and it
got me to wondering when the hell he found the time to do his job," she
said.
Lieberman recommends that IT executives who have developed a relationship
with a recruiter shouldn't let their guard down during the interviewing
process. For example, it's bad form to dress informally for an interview with a
recruiter, she said. Also, don't use slang language during the discussion or
talk freely about personal issues.
How long should your resume be?
If a resume
is more than three pages long, "forget about it," Lieberman said.
"Crystallize" your achievements into three pages or less, she
advises. "Most CEOs want to see two pages."
Still, it's important to cite individual project, cost-cutting and other
achievements in a short paragraph for each, Schneidermeyer
added.
It's critical for job seekers to cite their objectives on their resumes, Kannon said. "No one wants to read through a resume
and try to figure out who you are," Kannon said.
If reading through a resume is a chore, she added, "no one's going to want
to read it."
Instead, she advises IT leaders to think about resumes they've read from IT
job applicants they've screened that have appealed to them.
What's the typical career progression to CIO? Is this changing?
Seventy percent of the CIOs who have a background
in IT typically have some experience or roots in application development,
Lieberman said.
But there's an increasing number of organizations
that are bringing in executives from outside of IT to serve as CIO, she said.
For instance, Lieberman pointed to Harriet
Edelman, CIO at Avon Products, who was brought into the role seven years
ago after running the company's global supply chain.
A third pathway to the CIO office is working for a major consulting firm,
such as McKinsey
& Co., PriceWaterhouseCoopers or Accenture,
Lieberman said. Those types of consultants "are highly regarded by CEOs."