CIOs Lost and Found

Most of us have faced a job search at some point in our work life.  How you handle finding new CIO opportunities or having new CIO opportunities find you is definitely an art.  The marketplace is full of job seekers and the positions are limited.  Sometimes being rejected is part of the game.  How you handle rejection will say a lot about your character and professionalism.  I understand this situation, because I am usually the one who has to deliver the disappointing news to candidates.  I have also faced being rejected for a position when I was a candidate.  Here are some thoughts for health system CIOs on how to be found and not get lost in the CIO job shuffle.

Direct resume submission

Sending your resume to perspective employers or recruiters is the direct approach and fairly easy.  The best way to avoid rejection is to read the job posting or position description carefully.  Your background and experience has to match the stated criteria.  Most HR departments and recruiting firms will keyword your resume, and if there are no matches, it is deleted.  If you are happy in your position and not looking, it is still wise to take calls or answer e-mails from executive recruiters.  You may hear of great opportunities that are not posted.  My best candidates are those who had no intention of looking, but answered my call or e-mail and submitted their resume.

When I receive a CIO resume, I will call or e-mail a response to thank the person.  If the background is solid and matches the key criteria of the position, you can be assured that I will follow up.  If the background is not a match, I will explain why not.  Believe me, not every recruiter does that.  If my client wants eight plus years of CIO experience at an academic medical center, and the person inquiring does not have that experience; it is best to be honest and tell the individual directly why their background was rejected.  I tell them their resume will be saved in our database for future opportunities.  Build relationships with executive recruiters, don’t be discouraged, and take every search opportunity as a learning experience.  Blasting off an email, voicing anger or trying to justify why you are qualified when you may not be will leave a paper trail that can be attached to your record.

Posting online

Posting your resume or profile online has become commonplace.  It gives you another avenue to use if you are actively seeking a new CIO position.  Be careful if you are currently employed, and seek confidentiality instead.  Here are some of the sites to post your resume or profile.

• There are 90 blinded resumes of CIOs on “CHIME Members Seeking New Positions.”  Access is strictly handled through CHIME, so if an organization is interested in someone’s background, they can ask CHIME to contact the person, and if the person is interested in the position, they will send their contact information and full resume.
• On HIMSS JobMine, it is “pay for view,” so if an organization or recruiter wants to reach out to one of the 180 “CIO job seekers” on their site, you must pay $38.  HIMSS then contacts the person to see if he/she is interested.  If the job seeker does not want to pursue the opportunity, you are not charged.
• On ACHE, members can browse over 500 posted resumes of individuals with IT leadership experience.  The names and resumes are open and free to download, if you are an ACHE member.
• The majority of health system CIO profiles can be found on LinkedIn, where thousands of current or previous health CIOs have posted their profiles and backgrounds.  Of course, not everyone is seeking a new opportunity, but it is open and accessible to members and members of specific health IT groups.  If you are approached in an in an email about a CIO job opportunity and you are not interested, be helpful and maybe refer someone else.

The road to the next CIO opportunity can be bumpy and uncertain in these times.  Try as many avenues as possible to be connected and seen.