These people are the big wigs; they’ve made it to the top. They’re the boss. They’re in charge. How do YOU get to be one of THEM?
What is a person with a C Level job’s Responsibilities?
Let’s pick one C Level job and exemplify. Let’s pick the one at the very top, which is the CEO or the Chief Executive Officer. They are the highest ranking corporate officer, the boss of the bosses. They are in charge of all the management of a company, an organization or an agency. Everybody in the company reports to them, and they report to a board of directors.
The CEO develops a strategic plan to lead the company in the right direction. This includes overseeing that all operations promote efficiency, revenue, quality, service and the company’s overall growth. They oversee all financial interactions, including the budget and fundraising. They make sure human resources aspects conform to current laws. They make sure the marketing, the projected image and the product development and delivery coincide with the desires of the company they work for. They provide conflict resolution between members of their staff.
Who are the people in C Level jobs?
The people in C Level jobs are people who are confident with themselves and good with others. They are “people” people. They take on hard tasks head on with full force. They are not afraid to make quick decisions in a timely manner. They are able to manage not only themselves but lead a team of people, ranging from a few to hundreds or more. They are task and goal oriented and able to see the big picture.
What Education and Skills are needed to get a C Level Job?
People in C Level jobs have at least a two year degree, but usually have even more (a four year Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree or a PhD). Typical subjects for these degrees are Marketing, Sales and Administration.
CEOs and their Education Degrees:
- 0.72% of CEOs have No Degree.
- 5.73% of CEOs have only a High School Degree.
- 5.85% of CEOs have an Associates Degree or the equivalent of a two year degree.
- 36.05% of CEOs have a Bachelor’s Degree.
- 40.57% of CEOs have a Master’s Degree.
- 11.05% of CEOs have a JD/MD/PhD.
Computer literacy.
- Budgeting and money management skills.
- Knowledge of current business related laws.
- Self motivation and being a self starter.
- Self discipline and self management.
- Knowledge of daily business operations.
- Knowledge of the best business practices.
- Good people skills.
- Experience in the field.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Ability to take action and discipline others where necessary.
- Ability to applaud others’ success.
Who do people with C Level jobs work for?
Every company has people in C Level positions, but space it limited at the top. C Level jobs are not easy to come by. While they must be posted for legal reasons, hiring usually comes from within the company. Exceptions are transfers made between companies from one C Level position to another, straight across the board. It is unlikely that an unknown will prance in and take charge. Networking and marketing yourself is a big part of landing a C Level job. It’s who you know as much as what you know.
Some examples of C Level Executives in the mainstream are:
- Steve Jobs (cofounder and CEO of Apple, Inc.)
- Sean “Diddy” Combs (Bay Boy Records)
- Robert A. Iger (Walt Disney)
- Ivan G. Seidenberg (Verizon Communications)
- Christie Hefner (Playboy Enterprises)
- Mark Parker (Nike), Indra Nooyi (PepsiCo)
- Jerry Yang (Yahoo!).
The other Executives under the CEO are all specialized in certain areas. While the CEO is over everything, the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) is over all monetary aspects of the company. The CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is in charge of the company’s marketing, image and promotion. The COO (Chief Operating Officer) oversees all day to day operations. And so on, the job may be narrowed and specific to the job title.
What Environment do people with C Level jobs work in?
A person with a C Level job works in an office environment. Typically they have a secretary of a personal assistant to help them with the scheduling and day to day aspects of their job.
People with C Level jobs are the bosses, so they have all of the responsibility of the people under them on their shoulders. Sometimes it may be stressful, but the road to obtaining a C Level job has many stressful points, so people in C Level jobs are used to it and are able to work well under stress by the time they hit the top.
What is the Potential Pay for someone with a C Level job?
The pay for a CEO typically can range anywhere from $85,000 - $900,000 /year (or more!), with the median salary being around $750,000 /year. There are many factors that come into play, such as location and region of the job, company size, industry, company’s annual revenue, sales and profit and the person’s own background and experience.
