Want to be CEO by 2020?

Britain’s Senior Executives Give Job Hunters Secret Tips For The Top


If you have been inspired by Sir Alan Sugar’s Apprentice and enter 2010 full of bright ideas and CEO aspirations be warned, you may have to wait and work longer than you think. A study of TheLadders.co.uk’s members and senior positions reveals the average tenure of a Board level executive in the UK is 21.7 years.

TheLadders.co.uk discovered that nearly all of its CEO level candidates had 21 years plus experience. Whilst reality style TV persuades ambitious managers that they can become a CEO overnight or at the very least expect to be fast-tracked, evidence shows that be prepared to put in the time. However if you have your sights set on promotion, here are ten golden tips from the top as provided by C+ executives registered with the site:

1. Ensure you have a good knowledge base from different businesses and industries.
2. Network, network, network. Online and offline, a good network is invaluable.
3. Leadership skills that have been challenged.
4. Dedication. Job hopping from one position to the next for more money or a title does not always reflect favourably on the individual.
5. A profile. PR yourself and your work. Win accolades for your business and demonstrate your worth.
6. Be brave! Senior executives who have made big Career Moves when they were young, have often managed to hang on and be part of a company’s big succession plan.
7. Work across different industries, taking-on different positions to show you know how a business works from all aspects of the chain.
8. Having a broad range of skills. This means that you will be well equipped to handle most situations thrown at you.
9. Listen. To your teams, to your peers, to your predecessors. This is not a natural skill for an entrepreneur which is why the best ones work alongside a CEO.
10. Stick at it!