In Depth

Bob Moore Knows How to Get Hired

CSOs will find few security job openings and a wealth of candidates for them. Here's practical advice on landing the right position.

By Daintry Duffy

stood him in good stead, but after 19 years in the oil and gas industry, he found that the pharmaceutical industry came with a new set of security and business issues that he needed to know. He took advantage of the experience around him to learn about the industry and its specific product security issues to quickly close that knowledge gap. Which brings us to the next point.Don't Have All the Answerssomeone with the self-confidence to ask questions than to bring in a know-it-all who bluffs his way through a conversation. "It gets down to having enough confidence in yourself to understand that you don't need to have all the answers," says Moore. He frequently compliments his security compatriot in Hong Kong for calling with questions despite the fact that he's 12 hours and 8,100 miles away. "It's a sign of strength in my view when someone asks a question rather than trying to project the image that they know something they don't," he says.

Get a Little Help

Cautionary tales of bridge-burning exist in every industry, but you especially want to think twice before you drop that match in the security world. By the same token, friends and associates in the industry can be an invaluable source of information and recommendations on jobs. Moore heard about the position at Merck from one of its consultants, a gentleman who also happened to be Moore's former boss from Amoco. Of course, Moore wasn't the only candidate in the running, but the fact that he landed the job was certainly due in part to his former employer's knowledge of his skills and character, and that personal recommendation carried plenty of sway. "It's still who you know," says Mike Coughlin, director of corporate security with Wyeth, a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. "It's a very small community. And I'm always amazed at how hard it is to find a good person every time I go out to try and hire someone."Be a SuperstarYou've got to know how to sell yourself. But don't confuse selling yourself with selling out. An effective technique for becoming known in the industry and developing some instant credentials is to speak at conferences and write articlesyou know, become your basic security industry superstar. If you're successful at making a name for yourself, you'll be more attractive to future employers and you'll have additional opportunities to network with the security illuminati. Moore represents Merck on the Overseas Security Advisory Counsel, he is a board member of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute and also a member of the International Security Management Association. He has found that the groups are a good way to get to know other people in the industry whom he respects. He suggests that CSO candidates look for similar opportunities as a way to build credibility. "It's a good opportunity to demonstrate leadership," he says. And you can't fool too many people at that levelespecially not in a large group. "CSOs are investigators," says Moore, "so they're trained to be skeptical."

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