Career Talk JDR

Many truly great Technology Leaders and Executives find themselves in the job market unexpectedly and sometimes, have not actively sought a position in a long time.  However, getting interviewed and hired is all about distinguishing oneself and engaging the audience.  If you become downsized and unexpectedly find yourself “in transition” and looking for a new opportunity, it is time to reverse the interview process and become an interviewee!

CIOs and Technology Leaders should  be focused on the importance of demonstrating a comprehensive understanding that there is now a greater need than ever for companies to have: a competitive edge, cut costs, increase productivity, deliver superior service to customers and to deliver innovate new products.  A successful IT executive can utilize his or her background experience to show that technology is a powerful enabler toward increasing productivity, cutting real costs, fostering creativity and improving collaboration among employees, partners and customers.  Companies need this experienced technology leadership to ensure the realization of their business goals by balancing the science of technology selection with the art of a competitive business edge.

Heading back into an interview setting when you are a little rusty, keep in mind the type of candidate that you would want to hire for your own team.  Make sure you have done your research and arrive well prepared, with a full arsenal of knowledge about the company, products or services and a strong familiarity with the backgrounds of all interviewers.  It is especially helpful to identify anything you might have in common with an interviewer, so that you are ready to work that commonality into the conversation to increase rapport.

Be prepared to answer tough questions like these:

·         What significant contribution did you make for your last employer?

·         Can you explain how you saw a business problem and implemented technology to solve it?

·         Can you explain to me your understanding of ROI?

·         How did you save money and improve the bottom line, and in what ways did you measure these savings?

For a professional at this level, you might think interviewing would come easily; however, things are much different when you are on the other side of the table!  Remember, your goal is to focus on what you’ve accomplished, so write down and review many examples of past contributions you’ve made, so that you can quickly and easily articulate them.  Now, you’ve brushed up and you’re ready to go get that new job!