One of my closest friends had a really big interview. He was interviewing for a “C” level position at a 1 billion dollar company. He asked me to review his resume. While it was chock full of serious accomplishments and business speak for his industry, it was lacking a few key components.

The first suggestion I made was to watch/listen to a few analyst presentations. By listening to these it is very easy to get a firm understanding of what is needed in order to assume a level “C” role. The same thing rings true in evaluating client needs. If you understand at a “top” level what questions and needs are being raised by shareholders or stakeholders, then you understand what the mission of the organization will be over the next few quarters.

This simple investment will pay big dividends as it allows you to “live” within the shoes of the leadership of the company that you would like to serve. By the way - he didn’t get the job, but he is in an even better situation now.