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Career Counsel

April 28, 1998

At a crossroads in your career? Career Counsel is a great entry point. Your questions will be answered by Paul Daversa, president and CEO of Resource Systems Group, a technology executive search firm.
I've just graduated with a bachelor's degree in business logistics and I work for a telecommunications company in purchasing. My role is to support the implementation of SAP for our purchasing organization along with having responsibilities in buying products and services. As far as training, my company has been excellent. I' m pursuing a master's degree in information management and a certification i n project management (upon completion in 1-2 years). My confusion is with SAP. Is it limiting to receive only purchasing experience in relation to SAP or should I continue to emphasize in that area and become an expert? What kind of options do think I can expect in the next 2-4 years? Would I need an MBA for certain top IT positions or will my Masters in information and the project management certification suffice?

As a recent grad, your exposure to SAP's purchasing module is excellent visibility. Of course, it is limiting if purchasing is all you're ever exposed to. An MBA is an excellent decision--and if your company provides tuition reimbursement , start it now! With early exposure to ERP solutions and a fundamental knowledge in distribution and logistics, you'll have a plethora of opportunities across technology and process re-engineering. Pass on the certification and hunker down on the operational visibility you're c urrently exposed to.

I'm a senior systems engineer for a leading telecommunications company. I've been trying to get into management but I've been denied because I don't have a college degree, for which I'm now pursuing. My background in telecommunications is 10+ years with various vendor certifications and corporate training certificates. My dilemma is this. I make the salary of a manager but cannot land a management position. I'm currently paid too much to accept a lateral position. While I'm pursing my degree, how can I market myself to obtain a key management position?

It's a tough upward battle, but not impossible. At the onset of your discussions with either recruiters or actual companies, assert early on that you are pursuing a degree with every intention of completing your bachelors. The rest is really packaging! This m arket is driven not so much by what you've done but by how you describe what you've done. Were you part of a group or did you lead the group? Were you implementing change or were you part of driving the change? Were you implementing new systems or were you part of a reengineering initiative that had bottom-line impact on the business. Get the picture?

I am 41 with a bachelor's degree in economics and an MBA, both from prominent schools. For the last six months, I've been working in a startup consulting company on E-commerce applications for small businesses. I would prefer working for a larger, high-tech company whose customers are in multimedia (media, entertainment, "content"). I am having difficulty finding a company that's interested in my qualifications. I have extensive global business development experience in more than 50 countries. Prior to joining the consulting company. I worked for a diversified manufactur ing company in several domestic and international managerial roles. Most company candidates are reluctant to take a risk due to a lack of extensive high-tech, media and product branding background. The resume submission process and headhunter routes aren't providing any results. Any suggestions?

In scenarios like yours, where you really have a passion and interest in media/entertainment and have exhausted the mailings and headhunter route, the most effective process is to work the search yourself. Make a list of target companies that are on your short list of interest. Call these companies and ask who is the VP of marketing and/or commerce development. What very few candidates realize is that if you pick up the phone and ask who handles what area , nine times out of 10, they'll tell you. (That's the exact process recruiters take) From that point, call the line manager, introduce yourself with a brief overview pitch and expr ess interest if there are any opportunities. You'll be amazed at the results! Most people never work their search like this and those that do are tremendously successful. If you receive voice mail, leave a message consisting of your pitch and follow with a resume.



View Past Issues Of Career Counsel:
April 21, 1998
April 7, 1998
March 24, 1998
March 12, 1998
February 24, 1998
February 17, 1998
January 27, 1998
January 13, 1998
December 23, 1997
January 27, 1998
November 25, 1997
November 17, 1997
October 14, 19 97
September 29, 1997



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