Sharon Mandell, chief info officer of Juniper Networks, has held varied CIO and CTO roles over the previous 25 years, every constructing upon her earlier expertise and matching her present life part. In her present position, Mandell is answerable for IT technique and implementation for an enterprise that gives high-performance networking and cybersecurity merchandise to service suppliers, companies, and public sector organizations.
In a latest electronic mail interview, Mandell mentioned the choices obtainable for CIOs trying to additional advance their careers.
What must be the following logical profession step for a present CIO?
That basically will depend on the person CIO, their time within the position, the scope of their duties, the dimensions of the businesses they’ve labored for, and most significantly, their private pursuits and aspirations.
The following step might be one other CIO position at a bigger firm in the identical business, or a shift to a special business — smaller, same-sized, and even bigger — if the problem is compelling. It might be a smaller group with a mission or alternative that you simply’ve all the time wished to tackle.
Some CIOs tackle adjoining or further features — buyer help, engineering, advertising, HR. I have not but seen a CIO transfer into CFO or chief counsel, however with the fitting background, it is not out of the query.
You can step right into a COO and even CEO position. Some [CIOs] transfer into enterprise capital or advisory roles. There isn’t any single «proper» subsequent step — it is about what is sensible in your distinctive path and objective.
When is the perfect time to make a profession transfer?
If you really feel such as you’re not having a big influence or including significant worth in your present position. I’ve typically felt taking up new roles can really feel like being thrown into the deep finish of the pool — fully overwhelmed at first, however finally you develop a imaginative and prescient and start driving change. When these adjustments begin to really feel incremental as an alternative of transformative, it could be time to maneuver on.
Generally, alternatives present up if you’re not actively trying — one thing that fills a spot in your background, stretches you in an enormous method, or gives a problem you’ve all the time wished to tackle. Even in case you’re blissful the place you’re — not that the CIO position is ever actually comfy — you’ve acquired to be open to these moments.
When is the perfect time to remain in place?
I do not like leaving a task after I’ve taken a danger on a challenge, a know-how, or a metamorphosis and have not but seen it by way of to a strong or secure end result.
I additionally do not wish to go away a management staff holding the bag, particularly if I have been pushing them exterior their consolation zones. I need my friends to know why I’ve made sure choices, and that normally means staying lengthy sufficient to ship actual outcomes.
That stated, typically alternatives will not wait. You’ll need to weigh whether or not staying to complete one thing or making a transfer gives extra long-term worth. On the finish of the day, I need the individuals I go away behind to wish to work with me once more ought to the fitting alternative come up.
What is the greatest mistake CIOs make when planning a profession transfer?
Chasing title, status, or compensation as the only driver of the choice, or assuming that «greater» is all the time higher.
On the finish of the day, what issues most is the individuals you encompass your self with, the influence you are capable of make, and what you be taught alongside the best way. The best position ought to stretch you, problem you, and mean you can contribute meaningfully to the group’s success. That’s what makes a profession transfer actually value it.
Is there anything you want to add?
I’ve by no means been somebody who obsessively mapped out a profession trajectory. I’ve made choices primarily based on what felt proper for my life on the time. There have been factors after I took smaller roles as a result of they gave me the steadiness I wanted as a single mother. I handed on massive alternatives as a result of I did not wish to relocate. I’ve moved forwards and backwards between CIO and CTO roles greater than as soon as.
The widespread thread has been this: I search for roles that problem me, develop my perspective, and provides me massive new experiences to develop from — even when I do know they will not be simple or enjoyable. These are those that construct grit, resilience, and fervour.
The cash, title, and scope are likely to observe in case you execute effectively. I’ll not find yourself with the most important job or the best wage, however I’ve had one heck of a experience, and that’s what makes all of it value it.