I Want To Be An Executive Compensation Consultant!

One of life’s biggest decisions is the choice of a career or profession. In the past the choices were limited to traditional occupations like a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant. Today the choices are unlimited, creative and very complex. In fact, I just heard of a great career opportunity – an Executive Compensation Consultant.

If I were searching for a career that is the job I would want. Just imagine! A CEO of a major company is trying to decide how to compensate both himself and his senior officers for a job well done. It would appear to be self serving and probably avaricious to grant oneself a major bonus. The shareholders and the public at large would be up in arms if the executives were to receive a large salary increase. When the economy is declining, stock prices are dropping and the company is losing money the last decision a smart CEO would want to make is increase the compensation package of the company’s executives. Enter the Executive Compensation Consultant.

A consultant is not an employee of the company that is examining executive compensation and is thus considered a neutral third party. The third party examines the financial status of the company in question and then develops a compensation plan that has nothing to do with the financial facts.

Any consultant worthy of the prestigious title knows that his only decision is to determine how much and how elaborate an executive compensation he will recommend. He has nothing to lose by being extravagant and generous. In fact, the more money and perks that he suggests as just and fair compensation for a companies top executives, the larger fee he can probably charge.

You can be sure that the news of an extra generous compensation package will spread like VD to other major CEOs. A consultant, who has no problem making generous awards and bonuses, will be so in demand that he will probably have to develop a compensation package for his own hard work and effort.

In my next life I will become an Executive Compensation Consultant. If your recommendations are extravagant you will be overworked and if your suggestions are too low you will be given a second chance to enhance them. Talk about a win-win job! It’s kind of like being Santa Clause in a business suit!