Part 1 : The working environment

Paul, the Internet sector continues to grow, but there have also been well-publicized stock crashes, layoffs and bankruptcies - is your job getting easier or harder?
I would like to say that it is getting easier, but in all honesty I can't say that the executive recruiting industry has ever been easy. We now have an educated candidate. Some have the experience and wounds of working at start-ups that haven't been purchased at significant valuations nor gone public. These same candidates are not viewing the stock options with "rose colored glasses" anymore.

Has the gloss been taken off the Internet economy?
Yes, for some of the candidates, but not all. Most still realize that the Internet industry will be with us throughout our lives. The candidates who made the transition early on, took a substantial cash compensation decrease and didn't realize the financial reward of a stock options package are the people now viewing the industry in a more realistic way.

Are there any particular positions in this sector that are notably difficult to fill with quality staff?
The positions that are in greatest demand are VP Business Development/Strategic Alliances and VP Marketing. They are the most challenging to fill since there is a major need for this talent and a limited candidate pool. Today's horror story is that it takes longer to fill these positions than it did just 9 months ago.

Is it really fair to talk of a single "Internet working environment"?
No, the environment differs in many start-ups and spin-off divisions of blue-chip corporations.

Is there a special skill or character set that makes a person particularly well suited to working and succeeding in the online arena?
The core characteristics of candidates who succeed are resourcefulness, intensity, energy, entrepreneurial skills, and the ability to remain focused and a team-player.

Is age an issue - for a while there it seemed that anyone over 30 was considered "too old for the new economy" - is that still the case?
Actually that trend is reversing itself. The industry has returned to seeking out seasoned leaders who have the previous experience in executing business plans and providing a return on investment to the investors or stock holders.

Continued...