Creating a Job

The Problem:

Martin had been a senior information technology executive for many years, most recently as CIO for a Fortune 200 company. Desiring more time with his family, tired of bureaucracy, and preferring a hands-on role, Martin left his lucrative position to start a solo practice. He found that he loved the work but hated selling his services and marketing his brand. On top of that, he wanted to relocate from the Northeast to the Midwest. He concluded that, while he hated big-company politics, he missed the team dynamic and dependable flow of work even more.

The Solution:

Job Guy helped Martin recognize that his drive for autonomy would be best realized if he could carve out a new role reporting directly to a company principal somewhere in Michigan. This required developing a target list of companies in the consumer space who did not yet have a CIO, and needed one, but did not know it yet.

Through research and networking, we identified a handful of companies that were adding physical locations, expanding inventory, and spending a ton on third-party IT vendors. We leveraged Martin’s existing relationships with vendors, investors, industry analysts, and consultants to build a network that could help him get an audience with everyone on his target list. From there, it was simply a matter of demonstrating value to those business leaders.

The Result:

Martin was hired into a newly created CIO position by the first company he seriously pursued, a small but growing grocery store chain. He endured no formal interviews and negotiated a salary that was solidly within his targeted range. Martin found his ideal job: He was hands-on, free from micromanagement, and happily settled in his targeted location.