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Matthew Bitler Mr. Amersbach Period 1 Day 246 November 12, 2012 A Career as a CEO A CEO is the head of a company, and is the highest level of management. They come up with the plans that enable companies to succeed. They help the business operate as efficiently as possible. CEOs work in almost any industry. The job is very demanding, and there is a large amount of competition for the position. A career as CEO is very rewarding, but also very stressful. CEO stands for "Chief Executive Officer." In the United States, there were about 2,136,900 CEOs, with a below-average growth rate of five percent. expected over the next ten years. It is not an easy job to get. Decisions made as CEO determine how one's business operates, and affects large amounts of people. Furthermore, one is one's own boss as CEO. A job as CEO is very attractive because it offers a the challenging and changing work environment to keep one smart and on one's toes, and offers very lucrative bonuses and benefits depending on the size of the corporation that is run (CEO.com). A strong education is needed for a career as chief executive officer. The United States Department of Labor describes the training and education required to be CEO as, "at least a bachelor's degree and a considerable amount of work experience," although "education and training vary widely by position and industry." The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a school that offers both a bachelor's and a master's degree in business administration, is

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needed for CEO. At MIT, nine month's tuition costs around forty thousand dollars, and room and board costs almost twelve thousand dollars. The Institute is around three hundred and fifty miles away from Royersford, which equates to about a six hour drive. MIT is a very prestigious school, with the average SAT scores of accepted applicants are a 720 in reading, a 780 in math, and a 740 in writing, totaling to about an average score a 2235 for an accepted applicant. MIT is located in a city. Around eleven thousand students are enrolled. Major draws of MIT are the 33 varsity teams it hosts and the emphasis on math and science education regardless of the major chosen. Another draw is the "MIT hack," which are pranks that demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness. A business degree from MIT would be very useful in a career as CEO (MIT.edu). In an average day as CEO, the CEO meets with a board of directors to discuss the current state of the company and make decisions on how to move the company from there, going to meet with potential investors or partners, making decisions that can drastically alter how the company proceeds, and doing paperwork. As chief executive officer, about 45 hours are spent a week on the job, on average ("What Does a CEO Do?"). The average salary of a CEO is about one hundred thousand dollars, but the upper extreme can reach over a million dollars at larger companies ("Chief Executive Officer - US National Averages"). The starting salary is around the average, and can go up or down if the business grows or shrinks. If the company does become more successful under one's leadership, a major raise can be expected. Due to the large variety of industries a CEO can occupy, however, there is no average or standard salary increase based on continued education ("Top Executives"). Cities with a good job outlook depend on the industry, with areas like Silicon Valley being a good location for a technology business, or the south and Midwest for a food company (Buell 20).

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Because of those difficult tasks, skills for a successful career as CEO include strong leadership skills, as a CEO are in charge of the entire company, good communication skills, vital for making deals with partners and investors and getting one's plans across, and practiced problem-solving skills, as all of the problems within the company eventually end up on one's desk, and it up to the CEO to solve them. Also, good decisions making skills are useful for the same reason. Personality-wise, A CEO must be smart, likeable, perceptive, commanding, respectable, clever, and quick on one's toes. A CEO must be smart to lead the company, perceptive to see how to run the company more efficiently, commanding to set one's will into motion, and respectable to keep the company in line. Being clever and quick on one's toes helps the business succeed, too ("What Does a CEO Do?"). Industry-specific skills and personality traits can include computer and technology skills if the industry is a technology industry, or a good taste in food if in the food industry (Havenac 36). If the CEO manages to fill all of the skills and traits necessary, CEOs get unlimited vacation time, within federal and logical boundaries, as a reward. A CEO get to make one's own retirement plans and insurance plans as CEO, too. It is one's decision on how to run the company and what benefits are given, although going overboard can severely damage the company. A CEO can lavish oneself with large bonuses, too, if the company is doing well. Simply put, because as CEO someone runs the company, it is one's choice the benefits to get, but there are federal and technical limitations that can result in losing one's job or even getting thrown in jail if they do not remain within reasonable boundaries ("What Does a CEO Do?"). A CEO gets massive benefits if they do their job well. Although the benefits are great, it is very hard to find an opening for CEO. The openings in Pennsylvania are dropping and the nation growth rate is below the national average, at five

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percent. In the entire United States, there are 2,136,900 CEOs. If someone is qualified to become CEO, other top-level managerial positions, like chief operation officer, chief financial officer, chief technology officer, and other corporate titles, are suitable ("Top Executives"). CEO qualifies oneself for many other jobs. A career as CEO is very lucrative and very challenging. It is not an easy task to get the job and to keep it. Everything in the company is on one's shoulders. It will tax oneself to his limit and require effective use of all one's skills. A CEO has to be smart, and a degree will help someone prepare. Once that has been accomplished, a CEO can get lavish benefits such as large amounts of vacation time and a huge paycheck that can reach into the millions. A CEO will be tested to within an inch of his life, but will get as much as he puts in, out.

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Works Cited
Buell, Tanya. Careers with Successful Dot-Com Companies. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2001. Print. CEO.com. Domo. 2012. Web. 10 October 2012. "Chief Executive Officer - US National Averages." Salary.com. Kenexa. 2012. Web. 10 October 2012. Havenec, Eric M. Careers as a Content Provider for the Web. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2001. Print. Healthfield, Susan M. "What Does a CEO Do?" About.com. About. Web. 10 October 2012. "Top Executives." BLS.gov. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2012. Web. 9 October 2012.