Step 6. Interviewing
Once you have your foot in the door (by using the strategies above), you will likely be called in for an interview. Now it's time to prepare, prepare, prepare. Interviewers expect you to know almost everything there is to know about what the company does and what challenges it faces, as well as recent company news. Failure to research is suicidal in a job search.
There are many places that you can get valuable information on the companies you're targeting and/or interviewing with, and most of it is free. Some of my favourite resources are:
- Company Web sites, which typically provide corporate information on everything from brochures to annual reports
- Free portals and information hubs (Yahoo!, Excite, Alta Vista, and Google)
- Newspapers (online or offline) including local editions and national newspapers like The New York Times
- Paid sites like Hoover's and CorporateInformation.com
Interviews come in two basic types: Behavioural interviews that address such areas as your goals, objectives, strengths, and weaknesses; and experiential interviews, which address background, skills, education, and knowledge.
Be prepared to discuss virtually any aspect of these two areas in great detail and focus on presenting a positive image of yourself without compromising integrity and professionalism. Be sure to have examples from your past experiences from each of these areas to back up your claims.
In most organisations, it is no longer sufficient for a CIO to simply understand technology. As organisations reframe themselves for tomorrow, so must you, and the only way to do that is to build skills that go above and beyond the current needs of the industry.
As the cliche goes: "The only job security today is your own ability to get your next job." For a CIO, that means having the appropriate mix of business and technology experience within the industry vertical. According to most experts, this mix is weighted 2-to-1 in favour of business over technology.
Conclusion
According to John Lucht, author of the Executive Job-Changing Workbook and Rites of Passage at $100,000 to $1 Million+, job seekers absolutely must offer employers two essentials:
- Something they need and want (not to be confused with the job seeker's needs and wants)
- Proof that the candidate can be relied on to deliver those requirements
Once you've done the market research and you've redefined your professional identity to fit perfectly into the industry's needs, you will be ready to embark on the quest for the perfect CIO job.
The perfect CIO job is out there, but it is going to require hard work and dedication to find it. Too many professionals think that simply creating a resume and responding to a few online or offline job ads will get them their perfect CIO position. Nothing is further from the truth.
A job search requires your full and undivided attention. It is a 40-hour per week job, and you get better at it as you keep doing it. Track your progress (time, conversations, mailings, interviews) and results on a spreadsheet. Be sure to use all the resources available (books, libraries, counselors, peers, friends) as you go through this process. And, lastly, don't forget to make networking your new favourite pastime.
Sanjay Anand, MSc, MS, MBA, MSF, is President and CEO of CLA Solutions Assurance Systems, and founder of the non-profit group, Career Path Work Team, for professionals in career transition.
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