May 22, 2013
Trends in Career Reinvention: Cities Hiring ‘Chief Innovation Officers’
Well, reinvention wins again and its in the form of a new job title that’s gaining popularity in city governments. Chief innovation officers are being hired in cities including Kansas City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, San Leandro, Calif. and Davis, Calif. But what exactly do they do? Ashley Hand, who started the Kansas City’s first chief innovation officer just three months ago, told Fortune her role is “fostering a culture of innovation. Identifying the city’s future technology needs and then acting as a ‘facilitator’ to make them reality is part of the job. Hand’s background is anything but technology. She’s an architect by training who has worked in marketing and as a management consultant.”
Fortune also reports that this trend is likely taking a page from corporations such as Dell, Citi, and Coca-Cola, all companies that have hired CIOs to help them remain competitive in their respective markets.
This goes to show that in today’s fast-paced job market, reinventing one’s brand or applying traditional skills to nontraditional — or previously nonexistent— jobs is essential and lucrative. It’s yet another push to find unique and out-of-the-box opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.