CTOs have all the fun ... and money, too

Regardless of the current state of the world economy, a senior-level job in IT is still one of the more rewarding jobs a person can have.

Regardless of the current state of the world economy, a senior-level job in IT is still one of the more rewarding jobs a person can have.

On one level, you get a ringside seat to watch the social, political and economic effects of technology adoption ripple across your organisation. On another level, you have a job that pays pretty well compared to most other professions.

So more often than not you have the best of both worlds in that you have challenging work for which you are reasonably well compensated. But we all know that compensation can vary widely based on geography, experience and sometimes, unfortunately, gender and race. The only way you can be sure that you are being compensated fairly is to check various salary surveys to see if your salary is in line with what your colleagues earn.

The other thing we can help our readers do is advance their careers. Probably the best job in all IT is that of the technology chief. Although many people have the title of CTO, just as many perform the function of CTO in their organisations under titles such as vice president, director of technology or even sometimes chief architect or scientist.

But people who have the CTO title tend to earn more than those who don't. At InfoWorld, we have been helping build the CTO community for several years. During April we will hold our third annual CTO Forum in San Francisco.

The truth is that talented, motivated IT staff are always in high demand regardless of the economy. But unless you have a title that accurately reflects your skills and experience, organisations outside your own may not comprehend your true worth. At some point, you need to think about your own bottom line and how to keep your career moving forward.

Of course, meeting CTOs will not be the only reason to attend the CTO Forum. We have recruited some of the brighter minds in the industry as speakers and panellists, including CTOs from General Motors, JP Morgan Chase, the US Department of Defence, the US government, Boeing, and Staples.com. On top of that, CTOs from vendors such as Intel, EDS, Rational Software, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, AT&T, Cisco, Loudcloud, Motorola, Xerox, Vitria, and Research In Motion will share their industry insights.

We'll be bringing their stories to you over the next few weeks.

Vizard is editor in chief of Infoworld (US) and InfoWorld.com. Send letters for publication in Computerworld NZ to Computerworld Letters.

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Tags staff retention

More about Boeing AustraliaCiscoDepartment of DefenceEDS AustraliaHolden- General MotorsIntelJP MorganLoudcloudMicrosoftMorganMotionMotorolaRational SoftwareResearch In MotionStaplesSun MicrosystemsVitriaXerox

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