Other qualities sought by large and small manufacturers are energy, leadership and a track record of proven performance, says Don Jasensky, president of Industrial Personnel LLC in Cleveland. My advice to managers looking to move up is to make sure they take something, run with the ball and do a great job with it. In general, opportunities in manufacturing are wide ranging and varied. He's seeking a vice president of human resources to oversee four locations of a division of a diversified manufacturing conglomerate. But demand may be strongest for executives who understand e-commerce and can help build Web sites, say recruiters.
Opportunities are available for presidents and general managers of their e-commerce businesses.
Finding executives with Internet backgrounds to join industrial manufacturers is becoming easier because such companies have established infrastructures and can deliver their products, unlike many Web start-up firms that haven't built delivery mechanisms, says Mr. Cuellar. These companies are profitable and have business models that work. For them, the Internet is just a new channel to drive revenues. Hiring also is strong for supply-chain executives who can help organizations improve logistics efficiencies, from buying raw materials to shipping final products, says Mr. Cuellar. Often, such candidates are recruited from the food industry, which has developed sophisticated logistics processes.