The job duties of a CIO can include:
- Participating in an organization’s strategic business planning processes
- Setting overall technology direction and goals in support of business operations and strategic directions
- Delivering technology applications and infrastructure to support business operations
- Procuring and/or development of technology applications to support business operations
- Managing people
- Managing important vendor relationships
- Managing business operations
- Planning and managing substantial budgets
- Researching and staying abreast of the latest technology trends
- Researching and staying abreast of the latest industry trends
- Evaluating technology
- Attending business and technology conferences
As with any senior executive job, the CIO‘s job can be very demanding. Long hours, including evenings and weekends, and frequent travel, can be a normal part of the job.
CIO job skills
As a senior executive, a CIO is expected to have a broad and varied range of skills. These include:
- Effective communications skills
- Strategic thinking and planning skills
- Understanding business processes and operations
- Understanding business strategy
- Understanding technology trends and market forces
- Understanding how to apply technology to business processes, operations, and strategy
- Leadership and motivation skills
- Self-confidence
- Managerial skills
- Basic business skills and judgment
- Ability to assimilate and evaluate large amounts of information
- Decision making skills
- Negotiation skills
- Financial management skills
- Sales Skills
- Thorough knowledge of technology operations
- Technology proficiency
- Political skills
Career path for CIO
· Enter as a technical engineer or financial analyst
· Work on numerous projects, building in scope and value (ROI) over time
· Move to a project management, business analyst, or consulting role
· Build business-based knowledge (academic, on-the-job, etc.)
· Move into a management function (operational, business, account executive)
· Build relationships at the executive level, develop presentation and speaking skills, change mindset from operation-focused to strategy-focused
· Take a senior management position (VP, Executive VP)
· Think about getting an advanced degree (MBA, MS)
· Foster organizational relationships
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Move to the CIO slot when available
