How Do I Become an Executive Officer?

An executive officer is a professional who is responsible for making the largest decisions regarding an organization's plans, strategies, and image. A Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is an executive who makes all final decisions regarding a company's financial plans. A professional who acts as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) might decide how a company operates. To become an executive officer, it is helpful to get an education that allows you to become a top professional in the industry of your choice. It also may be necessary to work your way up to management in a business and continue to excel at your job until you are qualified to work at the executive level.

In most cases, an executive officer post is held by an individual who has reached the pinnacle of his or her career. Professionals in these positions have demonstrated skills and bodies of knowledge that prove to shareholders and directors that they are able to lead an organization. An executive often is masterful at developing strategies that can help an organization to remain sustainable over a long period of time and to increase profitability.

To become an executive officer, it can be helpful to get a degree in finance, management, or economics. In some cases, however, it can be more valuable to receive an education in a discipline related to a certain field. For example, a professional who is interested in becoming a Chief Technical Officer (CTO) might decide that a degree in computer science is a better fit. Likewise, an individual who would like to become an executive officer in the manufacturing industry can benefit from a degree in engineering.

It is most common for an individual who is hired or appointed as an executive officer to have years of experience managing in a particular industry. For this reason, you should begin your career path by taking management and leadership positions in the industry of your choice. Many professionals find it easier to earn promotions if they stay with one organization for as long as possible.

Another way to become an executive officer is to take part in the founding of a business. Some of the youngest executives who do not have much educational or professional experience earned these positions by starting companies themselves. To start your own business, you should find a service or product about which you are knowledgeable and which you have the skills to produce. In many cases, individuals start new businesses with friends or colleagues and approach investors for funding.