The market might be quieter but recruiters and search firms don't stop seeking the right CIOs. In the first of a two-part feature, leading recruitment consultants tell us how they're looking, and where
It's flattering to be headhunted: at least somebody has recognised that you've got something, although you could say the same about being burgled. But a good search executive can also be a wise counsel and a good mentor. But how do you find the right one? Or how do they find you? We spoke to a selection of leading DO recruiters to ask them about their roles, the market and what CIOs should do to get themselves noticed.
Satnam Brar
Managing director, Maximus (specialist ERP recruiter)
There's not much demand for a CIO who specialises in driving ERP projects in the current climate, is there?
True, companies have tended to cut back on non-essential software projects, but there is still a surprising amount of demand - more so abroad, because their economies aren't suffering as much as ours. As a company we're not seeing a slowdown, but we're not a strictly UK-centric company, there is a lot of negative thinking in the UK, but in the rest of Europe we're seeing growth.
Companies can't afford to stop certain software projects, so there are still opportunities out there. The good thing about working the foreign markets is that the exchange rate is in your favour if you're being paid in foreign currency.
Where are the opportunities?
There are niches with positive growth. But in general in the UK there is zero growth. In France and Germany and in central and eastern Europe there is at least some growth. Spain and the Nordic countries are also quite attractive. The UK though, offers the lowest growth at the moment - we're standing still and we may even see a period of retraction.
What are the niches where demand is currently high?
Anyone with change management skills or experience [is in demand]. It's all driven by mergers and acquisitions, so integration project management skills are at a premium. I'd work the phrase 'WA liberally into my CV if t were a CIO in these moments of uncertainty, business intelligence skills are at a premium. Companies are desperate to know everything they can about what's going on, both in the markets and within their own organisation.
Anyone who can help them drill down into the masses of information they own, and identify patterns and trends will be in-valuable to them. Anyone who knows how to get the most out of Oracle, Cognos or SAP experts, for example, will be a target.
How would headhunters find them?
On your Linkedln profile, for a start. One of the best tools for the headhunter these days is Linkedln. Anyone career-minded these days should have a detailed Linkedin profile prepared.
But be warned: don't put fantastic claims down on your CV or your Linkedln profile that you can't backup. People want to see credible sites, a stable background and a Chemed environment. For example, they like to see a common thread throughout all your work, such as project management or cost management.
Achievements should be clearly stated, and the value you brought to any project must be tangible and provable.