Looking for a J-O-B?? The latest and greatest…. April 29, 2009

 

It’s been a while since I’ve written…Things got crazy, the economy got crazy – and I had to get creative and use all my time “keeping my job”.  Well, I’m still here, and I’ve found a few things that I’ve pointed job seekers to – if they want to find a job in the latest and greatest “Web 2.0” way.   It’s time to step up and use EVERYTHING you have at your fingertips.  It’s been a tough “job” world out there and because of this, more and more people have adopted multiple methods of looking for their next gig.  You can no longer just submit your resume and expect to receive a phone call, unfortunately.  Pull out all the stops, job seekers!  Or you’ll get passed up. 

 

I realized this morning (as I was on ANOTHER phone call) that I’ve had almost the EXACT same conversation with multiple friends/clients looking for jobs.  Each and every time I point people in the same direction….

 

1.       DIFFERENTIATE your resume!  Spend some time on your CV.  Write it, review it, send it to a friend in the “hiring” space to look over it.  Revise it again.  Re-word it.  Make sure the formatting is solid and easy-to-read.  SELL  YOURSELF with a “Summary of Qualifications”.  If you have questions about this, feel free to ask  my advice @ mburns@aasearch.net.  I’ve spent a lot of time re-writing/fixing VP/exec level resumes, recently.  Don’t worry, folks…even CEO’s have trouble selling themselves on a resume. 

2.       I never point people to the major boards anymore (or at least it’s been over a year since I have).   I do specialize in hiring for start-ups in Boston – and most of my candidates specialize in working with start-ups here in Boston.  If you’re a start-up employee type, I always point candidates in this direction to at least find IDEAS as to where they want to work:  www.craigslist.org, www.startuply.com, www.ventureloop.com,  www.webinnovatorsgroup.com, http://www.mitx.org/careercenter/view_jobs.cfm, www.indeed.com (to pull up company information), and ALWAYS the user group of whatever skill set you’d qualify in (ie if you’re an RoR professional – here: http://bostonrb.org/jobs).

3.       Now that you have an idea about the job you want, promote yourself via social media!  I’ve had MULTIPLE friends land jobs via the “Web 2.0 way”. 

·         If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile – GET ONE!  Then, ask your connections who know you (and your work ethic) well to recommend you.  Regardless if you feel LinkedIn is worth a lot of time, the person hiring you (or the HR rep) WILL check out your profile.  And if you have some solid recommendations, it may just make the difference in you getting hired over someone else. 

·         Join Twitter if you haven’t already!   First step – make up a username that is professional and simple (ie some part of your name).  There are so many new ways to use Twitter.  Check out:  http://www.cheezhead.com/2009/04/21/ved-the-best-job-apps-on-twitter/  - this will teach you all you need to know on how to search/utilize Twitter to find out what is out there!  If you have NO idea how to use Twitter, I would advise checking this out, first:  http://www.kokasexton.com/word/03/everything-twitter-tips/

·         Do you use Facebook?  If not, I’d suggest getting an account.  You don’t need a ton of friends…but some of the following apps can help you out.  Almost every single person I work with has a Facebook account.  I’ve received a TON of information on who’s hiring, etc, just by checking my Facebook posts.  If I can find that info, you can too!  Also, add these apps to stay in the “know” – which will actually send you updates on jobs in your area.  http://blog.bincsearch.com/?p=1108

*** Utilizing all these – use your “status update”!!  Do you want to know about a certain company??  ASK!  (ie “Does anyone know one an executive team member at ______ company?”).  Do you want to know about a certain kind of job? ASK! (“Does anyone know of a super cool Linux Admin gig around?”).  People in your social network WILL respond if they know the answer! 

 

4.       Build a relationship with a trusted recruiter in your local area.  Ask your buddies (or your old managers) – who a reputable recruiter is.   Questions to ask:  Who actually HELPED you find a job in the past?  Who always responded to you in a timely manner or at least responded to tell you a job didn’t work out?  Who has a good network of people in the area?  I’m sure you see where I’m going here….My executive buddy, John Moore, says it quite well in his blog (you can take this advice as either a hiring manager OR someone searching for a job – the questions apply to both):  http://johnfmoore.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/find-the-right-recruiting-partner-for-your-startup/

This is a solid starting point to finding a job.  You need to pull out all the stops and put some energy into it!  Right now, more than likely, a job isn’t just going to fall in your lap, unfortunately.  If you have any more questions, feel free to email me – or hey – just follow me on Twitter!  ID: marieburns. 

 

BEST of luck to everyone! 

Boston Technology Recruiting 2009: Q1 should bring more jobs! December 10, 2008

Here at A&A Search, we too, are feeling the effects of our current recession.  We are doing everything in our power to help out our technology clients and candidates; ensuring good employment matches for candidates and the best candidates for our clients.   What we’ve seen is that there are still technology jobs to be had, but things seem to be moving at a snail’s pace.  Not really much of a shock to us, considering what’s going on out there…

However, there is good news, techies!  Our economy is going to continue to be hit, but luckily for us, most (if not all) companies can’t function without their technology employees.  ESPECIALLY in a market like we have here in Boston and New England.  There have actually been technology jobs specified as “recession proof”; including systems engineering, networking, general software engineering, QA, data warehousing, business intelligence, Web 2.0 technologies such as Ruby on Rails, AJAX, etc.  We’ve kept up with the market, and time and time again, we’re seeing that Q1 should bring additional technology jobs (an overall increase by 3%).  Additionally, with the near-inauguration of Obama, he’s already forecasting an increase in IT spending to “renew our information superhighway”. 

Don’t get frustrated…things will turn around soon!   Here at A&A Search, we still have a healthy number of technology jobs for all different functions.  If you need additional advice or help with your technology career search here in Boston or the New England area, please email us at: info@aasearch.net or me specifically at mburns@aasearch.net

Once the Big “lay-off” happens, Where and How to Find an IT Job in this Economy November 3, 2008

Yikes!!!! The word lay-off…probably one of my LEAST favorite words in the English language…and I’m sure most of you would agree with me!

A few days ago, one of the most respected Web 3.0 start-ups in the area closed it’s doors without notice. I then questioned the validity of the “recession-proof” jobs within the Web 2/3.0 world. With the obvious financial issues our economy faces, I guess nothing is “perfect”…

But – yes, there is a huge but – the more research I did after this company’s doors closed – and some wonderful folks lost their jobs, I still, 100% agree that start-ups are the place to be – especially those funded for the next few years by reputable VC’s (Northbridge, Sigma, Northridge, to name a few).  Some of the folks who just lost their jobs – have (within record time) – found other amazing roles in the Web 2.0/start-up world.

If you don’t believe me, check out some articles that will continue to give all of us IT professionals some confidence and hope. Here’s the hope - and here’s the how.  IT professionals may even get salary increases?! Who woulda thought?

If you’re an IT professional who just went through a lay-off, here at A&A Search, we do have some openings you may love…I still *heart* my start-ups!

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re an IT Professional, you can rest easy during this downward economic spiral… October 27, 2008

…and still go SHOPPING (sorry, I just had to put that in there for my own sanity during these “interesting” times).

The rest of the nations’ jobs are going to be hit pretty hard. There will be some growth spurts and some hiring freezes, but at the end of the day, technology is pretty safe. EVERY company needs its’ technologists to actually survive! Who would EVER be able to survive without their Web site, resource systems, networks, etc…ummmm…absolutely NO ONE!

A major change I see coming, is a movement from hiring consultants to bringing IT folks on full-time.  With our current economic pain, I imagine many companies will not want to pay the extra fees that come along with consultants. Instead, they’ll want to bring people in-house, train, or promote and train from within. Consultants, you may want to find a spot you can stay a while…HOWEVER, any of you in technology shouldn’t worry too much. There are plenty of jobs to be had.

I read the COOLEST article the other day about recession-proof IT jobs. Did they say RECESSION-PROOF? Yes, they (they – being a reputable source) did. The folks that will more than likely NOT be impacted (or at least be able to find a decent job, quickly) include: Web 2.0 technologists (I TOTALLY KNEW IT, see my About Me section) – this include SEO, social media/networking/front-end technolgies, networking professionals, database administrators, data warehousing/business intelligence/data analysis, mobile/wireless and VoIP technologies, systems folks, QA experts, software design engineers, etc. Well, those professions cover a WHOLE lot of the industry.

Looks like all of us in technology should worry a “bit”, but not toooooo much…Tonight, I think I’ll get a good night’s sleep.

 

 

 

 

I have something to say…and it’s kind of a big deal. October 23, 2008

Ok, well maybe not life-altering, but it means a ton to me!   My whole world of work (aka recruiting technology folks and building tight relationships) has officially changed.  Now, this hasn’t been over-night change, but there is a continually changing trend in recruiting - moving slowly but surlely from traditional recruiting to Web 2.0/social networking.  AND, I absolutely LOVE IT!  

I no longer have to train teams how to “read resumes”, or make that scripted phone call that would make any candidate cringe…NOW, I get to train our employees how to recruit by using Generation Y social web tools.   I don’t remember the last time I did the “traditional” recruiting thing in it’s full life-cylce.  Now, I spend my days chatting with people on their blogs, via Facebook, LinkedIn, or better yet – all these social media events in Boston – like Mashable events, PopSignal parties, mobile mondays, etc….

What I do know, being trained as a “traditional recruiter” – or more like a monkey….is this way is a HELLOFALOT more fun.  A person I look to for ideas puts it best in this article: gives you more insight into more of the process- and why things have changed.  Thanks, Rob!  http://marketo.jobvite.com/sourcingHRcom.html.

Finally Jumping on the Bloggers Bandwagon August 14, 2008

Okay, okay…I’m a sales person in the technology world (I guess you could call me that)….and I think it’s *that time* to jump on my fellow-techies bandwagon of this neato little blogging world. First things first, I’m not quite sure I’m really going to have any life-changing (and really hopefully not life-thretening) things to say, but hey, I think my ideas are pretty darn cool.   And really, now that I’m writing my sh*t down on the internet, maybe I’ll hold myself accountable for some really cool things I dream up and actually DO something about them….

Main, simple, yet grandiose thought of the day (thanks to my convo with Stephi):   Why be ordinary when there are so many other options?! 

Who the hell really wants to live a monotonous life.  Well, for those of you who do, kudos, but for the rest of us, being ordinary only gets you so far….and it’s scary to me that I’ve been that way for far too long.