Tips for becoming an IT executive for a company

Armymanis

If I wanted to become an IT excutive for a company, what would I have to do? Also are those IT excutives considered higher then a IT manager?

crrussell3

Stop pursuing the technical route and pick up a Masters in Business and learn to schmooze with the best of them?

It all depends on the company and how they title the positions. But generally speaking, I would say an executive, which I would consider to be more of a CTO/CIO than a typically manager, would be higher on the food chain.

chrisone

10+ years experience in IT management

DevilWAH

Really simple, study hard, work hard, be dedicated and work your way up by proving your self.

You can have all the experince / certs in the world. but to be up at the top, its how you handel people that counts.

no one gets given postitions of power in a company, you have to have the balls to go get them.

Essendon

crrussell3 wrote: »

Stop pursuing the technical route and pick up a Masters in Business and learn to schmooze with the best of them?

So true.

Personally, I wouldnt want all the politics that comes along with it, not to mention the reporting side of things. The most I want to go up to is get a Domain/Systems Architect kind of role.

Armymanis

Yeah after I found out that I was like nope. I want to do more tech stuff.

powerfool

The path is a lot different than people can imagine, especially if you are talking Fortune 500, or even Fortune 1000.

You are looking at one of two paths:

1) Start a new company and grow into into something like Microsoft, Google, or Facebook.

2) Have 20+ years of progressive experience in IT focusing more and more on enterprise solutions and the dollar figures. It is extremely rare for someone to become an executive at anything other than a small business by starting at a lower level and getting promoted. You have to strategically move from one opportunity to another. You will likely want to seek mentors that are already where you want to be. And let me tell you, when you do, most of them are going to just flat out ignore you, others may respond in a hostile manner. I emailed the CIO of a local international company and said that I want to have his job in ten to fifteen years; it scared the #$%% out of him.

Bottom line... you can't do the things that everyone else is doing, or you will end up like everyone else.

UnixGuy

Have a silver tongue, and start hanging out with your boss

darkerz

Be close to your boss, learn from them, suck up- while at it, excel at technical capabilities and flaunt successes.

Give it 15 years. But don't count on it, no ones retiring anytime soon. Nest egging a position is huge in America.

bigmantenor

Sell your soul, buy a suit.

ehnde

Don't listen to any of us, because none of us are executives

Xcluziv

powerfool wrote: »

The path is a lot different than people can imagine, especially if you are talking Fortune 500, or even Fortune 1000.

You are looking at one of two paths:

1) Start a new company and grow into into something like Microsoft, Google, or Facebook.

2) Have 20+ years of progressive experience in IT focusing more and more on enterprise solutions and the dollar figures. It is extremely rare for someone to become an executive at anything other than a small business by starting at a lower level and getting promoted. You have to strategically move from one opportunity to another. You will likely want to seek mentors that are already where you want to be. And let me tell you, when you do, most of them are going to just flat out ignore you, others may respond in a hostile manner. I emailed the CIO of a local international company and said that I want to have his job in ten to fifteen years; it scared the #$%% out of him.

Bottom line... you can't do the things that everyone else is doing, or you will end up like everyone else.

Concentrate on this sentence; "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did"

Reading and being assertive in the Corporate arena is what seperates you from the rest of the pack.

I bet even though the CIO might have been scared, he will look at you a little later and wonder...hmmm..I wonder if this guy has what it takes to phase into my position...

Management is all about effective relationships with other people. PEOPLE JOIN PEOPLE....THAT JUST DON'T JOIN YOUR BUSINESS; whethere you are a mom and pop shop or a Mega Fortune 500 company. The difference between any company and the next, regardless of what they do, are the PEOPLE

MrRyte

Armymanis wrote: »

If I wanted to become an IT excutive for a company, what would I have to do?

Show that you're willing and able to accept more responsibilities than your current position demands. Always look for ways to improve IT operations and volunteer for projects to oversee. Eventually word will get to the higher-level execs about you, you'll be considered the go-to-guy and the first in line for a higher level job opening.

PS: just remember; the execs are the first ones to get the can when $$$$ is tight. And management sometimes means "babysitting" in the sense that you'll have to deal with some childish issues amongst your workers on a regular basis.

Having been in a supervisor position in another field, I for one wouldn't want to deal with the headaches of being in charge.