Know-How Exchange : Career/Training

Big question.

In terms of salary, I'd start out with www.salary.com to search your geographic area for the kinds of titles you're thinking of.

I think also the type of business makes a huge difference. If you had a pizza joint, but were looking to join Boeing's aerospace division; maybe a little tougher. If you were a sole proprietor, that would also make a difference.

I think being able to prove that you can manage people and a budget would put you in good standing for a Manager/Director or even VP level position (depending on the structure of the company you wanted to go to). Also, companies are looking for executives/managers who understand how to create goals, develop strategies to reach those goals, and then execute and measure success. Entrepreneurs need to have that skill to survive (for as long as you did in the eship world). your biggest adaptation may be trying to align bigger corporate goals with those of your group/division/department.

While I'm throwing in my two cents... do you really want to go to a big company (especially one that has a fairly rigid process for operation)? They can often look at corporate entrepreneurship as "letting chimps loose with machine guns", and may not be as open to new-thinking innovators (then again some may -- definitely a question to ask in an interview or in researching a target company). There are tons of startups forming right now who would value innovative thinkers with serious entrepreneurial chops. Plus, it's a lot easier to get through to the decision-makers. It may be worth checking out places like venturebeat to see which companies have recently been funded. Worst thing you can do long term is take the first job that comes along because you need it (trust me, been there). It's like rushing in to marry the first person to say yes outside the bar after last-call just 'cause... well, I digress. Instead of trying to convince someone to hire you, really evaluate their needs vs. your strengths.

How they will view your self-employment experience: Keep in mind that many large corporations shy away from people who have owned their own businesses. The transition from boss to employee is a hard one. Some potential employers will be scrutinizing you to see if you will be ready to take orders and toe the company line even when you don't personally agree 100%. In your interview answers, try to work in phrases that make it clear you are both a good leader and a good follower.

I concur with Adrian, and add a couple of points. First, don´t forget to review Nelson Boll´s classic "What Color Is Your Parachute?", which certainly applies to your "reverse career change."

Second, consider looking for a B2B marketing position where the target market consists of entrepreneurs and SMBs, i.e. folk like you. You speak their language better than most corporate types.

Third, CEOs talk to CEOs, and your strong education (NYU) helps. As President of a start-up in Germany, at that time with half-a- dozen employees, I wanted some information while in the U.S. The company I thought would have it had 40,000 employees. I telephoned, hoping to be connected to a marketing manager. The "gatekeeper" asked my company name, and my position there.

A week later the "marketing manager" telephones me back, apologizes to me for the late response, and happily answers my questions. I complement him on his awesome expertise, and ask him what he does for the company anyway. "I´m the CEO." No joke. I was considerably embarrased, but delighted at the info.