Custom Search Group Jobs Blog

Brightcove Goes Public

Brightcove, a Cambridge based software company, showed impressive performance when it went public on February 17^th. Its IPO price began at $11 and had climbed to $14.30 by the end of the day, an increase of over 30% in its first day of trading. Five million shares were sold at the midpoint of its expected $10 to $12 range.

Brightcove was founded in 2004 and has targeted its services to companies interested in adding video to their websites. The creation and hosting of online video requires the capacity to store and serve large video files, and many companies would rather pay another company than host their own servers. At the end of 2011, Brightcove had over 3,800 customers in over 50 countries. It’s
customers include technology, government, retail, financial services, media, and nonprofit companies.

We are excited to see what other successes the future will bring for Brightcove!

Happy Veterans Day

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our country’s soldiers, both past and present.
We are so grateful to have the freedoms that we do, and are truly thankful for those who make it possible. Wishing a wonderful day to our servicemen and women and all those who will be honoring them.

Great News for Hiring in 2012!

From what we hear out there, starting salaries for professionals are expected to increase in 2012. As the hiring climate becomes more competitive, companies are expected to raise their offers to attract the best candidates. In fact, we are already feeling the shortage now as top candidates are receiving multiple offers, which is a sign that the market is improving.

IT is the place to be! The starting salary for these jobs is expected to increase about 4.5%. For many areas in the tech industry, there are actually more open jobs than candidates. These areas include network administration, security, and application development. Positions in data warehousing, business intelligence and QA are also in high demand. Experience in mobile is highly valued as the
use of tablets and other mobile devices continues to grow. Starting salaries for mobile application developers are expected to rise about 9%. Professionals with expertise in AJAX, Java, or SQL can expect another 12% over the base ranges.

Creative and marketing jobs can expect an average increase of 3.5% in starting salary. The hottest
areas are internet related positions in SEM, web analytics, project management, and UI design. The demand for video content is growing rapidly, increasing the need for video producers who can
develop content for web, mobile and training. Healthcare is a high demand industry for analytics and interactive professionals to monitor online campaigns.

If you are looking to expand or refine your skill set, this could be a great place to look for some direction!

Tech Highlights

Here’s a sample of the most interesting tech highlights we’ve seen so far this week. Click on the links to satisfy your curiosity for more info and enjoy!

IBM Acquisitions in MA

IBM has been gobbling up more companies in Massachusetts than in California. Their most recent acquisition, Waltham-based Q1 labs Inc, is the 19^th since 2003. This has just surpassed the 18 companies IBM has acquired in the same time frame from California.

Raytheon Donates $1M to MOS

Raytheon has given the Museum of Science a $1 million gift to support the teaching of its engineering and technology curriculum. The money will be used to train elementary school educators who will teach the program in the classroom. Here’s to a bright future for Boston’s tech and science students!

New Jobs Increasing in Boston

Boston has made the list of 77 metropolitan markets that have posted job increases in the past year. The capital of The Commonwealth ranked number three in the country with an increase of over 50,000 jobs since last August. We’ve certainly been busy here at Custom Search Group!

Uber to Expand to Boston

How would like an app on your phone that lets you to request a car service? Apparently this could be possible in Boston as Uber makes a move to expand. Uber allows you to use your mobile device to request and track a private car. Although the company faced oppressive opposition from cab drivers and the government in its home town of San Francisco, they plan to bring their service to Massachusetts.

 

Hiring Increases Expected

According to real estate industry research published by Marcus & Millchap, Boston firms are expected to increase hiring by opening up 22,000 new jobs in the second half of the year. This would bring employment levels in the area back to what they were in 2007.

The company predicts that established office districts will see the most benefit and prime office space will fill up quickly in areas such as the Back Bay and Fenway. Cambridge, Charlestown and Somerville will benefit the most from tech firm expansions.

At Custom Search Group, we’ve certainly seen a rise in marketing and tech positions. Stay tuned for more openings to come!

Tips for a Great Resume

We all know how important resumes are, but many people don’t know the tips and tricks to creating an effective one that will get the job done (pun intended!). After sifting through hundreds of resumes and scanning a few articles, here are some of my best basic resume guidelines:

- Introduce yourself. Start with your name and contact information that the top of every page. This
generally includes your phone number, email, and address. You can also include links to your Linkedin
profile, blog, or personal website as long as all of the content is professional.

- Explain yourself. Anyone looking at your resume should be able to understand what your company does. Don’t assume just because it’s a big name that people will know exactly what happens in your division or what your title means. Basic information like the industry and a brief summary of the product or service goes a long way in putting your work into context.

- Keep it simple. Avoid fancy fonts that can be difficult to read and try to keep everything consistent. Keep boldface, italics, and underlining to minimum. These are best used to highlight your name, company names, and/or titles. Word documents are best because they can be easily opened on most computers, avoid tables or templates that may not be. It’s ok if your resume is longer than one page, but try not to let it go over two.

- Be logical. Use reverse chronological order, start with your most recent position at the top and work your way backwards as you move down the page. Be sure to include the dates, start and end, that you held each position.

- Be specific. Using bullet points is a great way to highlight your achievements without being too wordy. Include numbers or percentages where possible as well as action verbs and strong adjectives to make an impact. Illustrate the contributions you have made to the company; anyone reading your resume will want to see how your strengths can be applied to their organization. You want to sell the benefits of your skills.

- Tailor your resume to the job that you are applying for. You may have a wide range of experiences and talents, buy not all of them will be relevant to each position. Edit your resume to include the skills that best pertain to the role.

 

Remember that the objective of your resume is to get you an interview, where you can really sell yourself!

 

 

Boston's "Innovation District"

 

Boston’s Seaport is enjoying a boost in popularity as Mayor Menino announces a plan to attract start-ups and venture capitalists to the area he has dubbed the “Innovation District”.  The goal is to encourage collaboration between entrepreneurs, who have ideas, and investors, who have the capital and ability to bring those ideas to life. The Seaport is an area “that offers opportunity for all sized companies and I am proud to say that in the past year, we have added over 1,900 jobs in the South Boston Waterfront alone” said Mayor Menino.  Several companies have already jumped onboard and are moving to the area:

- Vertex Pharmaceuticals was one of the first to announce their intent to relocate to the Fan Pier complex, owned by developer Joseph F. Fallon.  Mayor Menino called it “a jumpstart for the entire South Boston waterfront.”

- Heartland Robotics Inc. nearly tripled their office space when the moved to a loft in a former factory back in January. CEO Scott Eckert said they chose the area because “the workforce that we have and that we’re trying to attract is an engineering- and tech-oriented and sophisticated sort of person that wants to be in and work in a dynamic part of the city.”

- Allen & Garritsen, an ad firm in the Boston market, recently announced their move.  They expect to benefit from new neighbors such as Vertex Pharmaceuticals, AisleBuyer, and Babson College. CEO Andrew Graff says “the Innovation District will be the perfect home”.  The company was also announced as the top place to work among advertising agencies by Advertising Agency magazine.

- Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc. will be moving after securing $27 million in Series B funding.  They will be leasing space in the Seaport Center, a 450,000 square-foot building owned by The Beal Cos. The new headquarters will include offices and labs, most notably two biosafety labs to be completed this summer.

- Brightcove, a purveyor of digital media products, is moving to the Atlantic Wharf complex next April.  They are the latest to join the collection of technology companies in the area.

- It is believed that the Boston Herald will also be moving to the Seaport district. They would be sharing a building with Acetylon Pharmaceuticals and several other companies.

The evidence is pointing to the Seaport as the new hotspot for companies and entrepreneurs to collaborate and thrive. It’s an exciting time for Boston!

For more information, you can visit http://www.innovationdistrict.org/

Building Your Social Media Resume

 
Social media resumes have become an excellent way to draw awareness to your credentials.  Instead of just submitting your resume, it allows a way to be found by recruiters and hiring managers.  It’s also the perfect way to create an image of yourself that truly reflects your personal brand.  So how do you do it?  According to Dan Schawbel, there are six steps:

The first step is to start a website or a blog; both are free and easy to create and maintain.  Bravenet.com is a free option for building your website.  If you are willing to pay Bluehost, Godaddy and Microsoft Expression Web are also available.  WordPress.com and Google Blogger can get your blog started free of charge. Typepad.com (which I can recommend!) is a great paid option.

The next thing to think about is your URL.  Using your domain name (yourname.com) is the most recommended but you could also go with yournameresume.com or something equivalent.  The purpose is to create something easy to remember that you can promote on your paper resume, other social networks you may use, and your business cards.

Then it’s time to decide on the format and design of your website or blog.  The easiest way to start is by using your paper resume as a guide. You can use each section as a separate tab (education, work experience, etc.).  Including sections for awards, speaking events, volunteer experience or other such activities will add dimension and more depth to your personal branding. Also think about the colors and fonts that you choose, they will create different impressions.  Whichever colors, fonts, and headings you decide on, be sure to keep them consistent.

Now you can take full advantage of your social media website and add multimedia.  This is where paper resumes are truly lacking; multimedia can make your website or blog more fun and interactive. You could add a video or MP3 describing yourself and your credentials, a video of a recent speaking engagement, or professional photographs of you at conferences.  This is the most effective way to convey your personal brand, use it to pitch yourself to any hiring manager or recruiter that may be watching. 

The next step is to link your blog or website with your other social network profiles.  First be sure that anything you are linking to is professional and appropriate.  If you prefer to keep your Facebook account for personal use and friends, keep it separated from your social media resume.  If your other profiles support your professional branding, link them up.  Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter allow you to create profile badges that you can embed on your website or blog.  You can also put a link to your social media resume on your Facebook or LinkedIn profile.  Be sure the image you are creating with all your profiles is cohesive and supports the same personal branding message.

You’ve finally made it – the last step!  Make your resume shareable. The top three sharing utilities are Share This, Add to Any and Add This. You can embed these onto your social media resume and allow your website or blog to be easily shared. This will ensure maximum visibility and career possibilities!

Is PR recession-resistant?

It used to be thought that PR was the first department to go when budgets had to be cut, but recent findings are showing otherwise.  It seems that PR budgets are now more likely to remain, or even grow.  Through the ups and downs of the past ten years, the public relations industry has expanded. It is expected that this will continue to be the trend, with annual spending on PR expected to reach $8 billion by 2013, up 55% from 2008.

Buy why? Public relations experts manage the news that reaches the public in good times and even more so in bad times. With social media creating an almost instant outlet for news and a constantly changing communication landscape, PR is especially valuable.  It is also believed that PR provides more cost-effective results than marketing and advertising.

PR has proved its resiliency in the past, and will continue to do so in the future.

 

By the way… we are currently searching for a Sr. PR Manager with a mix of agency and corporate
experience and strong social media skills. If this sounds like you, please send us your resume today!

Here is the link for more information:Sr PR and Social Media Manager

Bostonians rejoice- New Dunkin’ K-Cups

 
Dunkin’ Brands has announced franchises will begin selling single-serving K-Cups for Keurig coffee makers. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Keurig machines are popular in offices country-wide, as well as homes in Dunkin’s core New England market. Dunkin’ CEO Nigel Travis calls it “an East Coast phenomenon.”  “The assumption is that lots of our Dunkin’ fans have a Keurig machine and that they’ve actually been using other brands. We clearly need to change that behavior,” he reports.

The new K-Cups will be supported by TV, print, radio, outdoor, and digital media advertising.  There will also be a promotional giveaway, surprising 12 lucky coffee-lovers with a Keurig coffee maker, year’s supply of K-Cups, and a $1000 prize.

Green Mountain Coffee was founded in 1981 and began selling their popular Keurig coffee maker in 2006. Their success is reflected in their stock price, currently trading at $104.33, up from $31.01 this time last year.  Dunkin’ Brands has also enjoyed recent success; their second-quarter earnings of $157 million are up 4.4% over last year’s. 

But at our office we find ourselves asking… will Starbucks be next?