Naked CIO: Top 10 reasons to be a CIO

Do the pros of being an IT leader outweigh the cons? The Naked CIO says yes - see what you think.

I have wanted to do an article like this for a while - lighten things up because we should all hope our jobs are as much about passion and joy as they are rigorous and demanding. And in today's economy, doesn't everyone need a bit of cheering up?

So here goes… the top 10 reasons to be a CIO followed by the top 10 reasons to change your career. You choose which touches the most chords.

Top 10 reasons to be a CIO

1. Brilliant people do amazing things - and there is no other department where creative, driven and talented workers can develop and implement profound innovation that changes everything.
2. When all else fails, you can talk a language no one else in the company understands.
3. When you are bored you can come up with all sorts of words that the I in CIO means - like innovation or intelligence (if you're in a good mood) or imperfect or inferior (if you're feeling down). You get the idea.
4. When you go to a party, no one will ask you too much about what you do.
5. At the end of the day, the business wouldn't be able to function if it wasn't for your team.
6. Everyone thinks you know more than you do.
7. Despite what some say about the skills gap, Britain still has some of the best and most refreshing young IT minds in the world - and we get to work alongside them.
8. We are on the front line of every corporate change.
9. Everyone loves their BlackBerry and iPhone - and you are responsible for fulfilling their gadget desires.
10. It is so much better than any other C level job - at least in my opinion.

But there is always a down side…

Top 10 reasons to look for another career

1. I hate being referred to as the 'IT guy'. It is similar to the feeling I get when my mother refers to me by my kiddy name.
2. When looking at cross sections of staff, it always appears IT workers have more personality disorders than other company workers - and as CIO you have to deal with them.
3. People only ever remember when it doesn't work!
4. Somehow other executives believe it is possible to colonise Mars in two weeks - and they expect you to make it happen.
5. When I go down to the shop floor and hear my team talking, I realise how little I know.
6. I still don't know the difference between a CIO and CTO and am afraid one day someone will ask me to explain.
7. When I write memos I have to be careful because when I type IT incorrectly (it), the meaning of the sentence can be career-limiting.
8. One failed project can make you a failure - unlike everyone else at the boardroom table, evaluated on the sum of their successes not just on that one project which the business never supported anyway.
9. Somehow no matter how much you try to fit in to your company, you still feel like an outsider.
10. In a world so connected, there are too many people and companies that can screw up and make you look bad even when it's not your fault.

In the end though, I have always felt every negative in my career is outweighed by the positive. I just can't get over that feeling that CIOs, our departments and the incredible people we have working for us truly are the brave new world.