Do you want to become Chief Executive Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Accounting Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, or Chief Technology Officer? Well, what we achieve all depends on how we see the world.
If you’re like me, you love to dream big, even impossibly big. But the word impossible doesn’t stop you. Deep down you know the impossible can become reality when you muster the grit. After all, the 1% elite, making billions of dollars, are not necessarily any smarter or harder working than you. But they are risk-takers and visionaries and seek every way to excel. And we can be the same way!
Do you know what I think the key characteristic of a C-Suite officer is? Lots of education. Not just your university education, although that’s critical. It’s the lifelong education! You don’t just get a degree and stop there. No, you keep on mustering the credentials, but not just any credential. There are certain credentials that’ll take you to the top.
As an example, let me show you the role of education in becoming a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). To become a CMO, the first step is to obtain your post-secondary, perhaps from the AU business school. Better still, get an MBA with a marketing specialization from AU. Personally, I’m relying on my MA degree.
After you acquire your university education, the next step is to begin your marketing career. Get any marketing job at any level, with the intention of working up to a leadership role. You’ll need ten years of experience with four years of leadership in marketing to reach the goal of Chief Marketing Officer.
As soon as you can, set out to acquire the Certified Marketing Management Professional certificates. I investigated these certificates. They consist of four levels of certification, all of them affordably priced. The levels, from lowest to highest, include (1) Associate CMMP, (2) Manager CMMP, (3) Executive CMMP, and, what you’ll need for a CMO role, (4) Chartered CMMP. Ideally, you should get all four levels in a row, or skip a level or three, depending on your education.
For the CMMP levels, the self-study program fee ranges from $395 to $925 for each successive level. As an additional cost, the certification exam fees are $250 apiece. To me, this seems very affordable.
The above listing of degrees and certifications will give you a great foundation for applying for CMO jobs. However, you’ll strengthen your application with an additional certificate in accounting, finance, or data analysis. I’m acquiring certifications in copywriting and sales, but I’d also like to get a finance certification. AU has a certificate in finance that looks quite good.
By pursuing the above, you can gain a solid educational foundation for pursuing a role as a C-Suite marketer.
But you may be more interested in becoming a CEO or CTO or CFO or some other c-suite role. All of these levels require additional education as well. Research them and begin your path to a c-suite job today.
But why am I sharing this knowledge with you, especially when it means more competition? I read a book where the author says he gives away all his best secrets for free because he thinks people are lazy. Therefore, he claims, they won’t end up as competition. But that’s not why I’m sharing. I’m sharing this with you because I plan on seeing you in the c-suite!
