Thursday, December 17, 2009

Boston Market | December 2009

If you have managerial experience, the four U.S. cities with the most job opportunities per capita are as follows:

  1. Washington, DC
  2. Boston
  3. San Francisco
  4. Seattle

Might it be more than just a coincidence that these four cities are major U.S. technology hubs?

Metro areas in the Northeastern U.S. dominate a monthly survey of the best places to look for managerial work. Cities in the Northeast hold six of the top 10 positions:

To learn more about the job prospects in your city, access the CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index.

The research confirms the general uptrend in hiring that Beantown Web first noticed in June and highlighted in Boston Market | November 2009.

Top 20 Web Technologies

Red ornaments ( ) outnumber green ornaments ( ) on this month's Holiday tree. Job opportunities declined ( ) in 17 of the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston. Many of the declines are in the double digit percentages from early November. This short-term trend is the first downturn since May and reflects a normal slowdown in job postings at the end of the year.

Here are the Top 10 Web-related skills that offer the most job opportunities in the Boston metro area:

  1. SQL | 600 job opportunities
  2. Oracle | 455 job opportunities
  3. Java | 381 job opportunities
  4. XML | 268 job opportunities
  5. SQL Server | 238 job opportunities
  6. JavaScript | 195 job opportunities
  7. C# | 172 job opportunities
  8. Web Services | 160 job opportunities
  9. Perl | 142 job opportunities
  10. HTML + CSS | 109 job opportunities

The complete list of Top 20 Web Technologies appears in the right-hand column.

Two-Step Plan

If you want to improve your prospects for landing a job -- or upgrading to a better job -- in 2010, consider the following two-step plan:

  1. highlight managerial or leadership experience in your resume and social profiles
  2. upgrade your technology skills and focus on improving one Top 10 Web technology skill

The New Year brings hope for improved job prospects. Managerial experience and technology skills will help you stand out among the competition.

[ NOTE: Facebook Fans of Beantown Web gain access to an expanded list of the Top 50 Web Technologies in Boston. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Thursday, December 17, 2009

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

.net Magazine Awards | 2009

The .net Awards celebrate the best in web design and development. Awards are determined via a combination of public opinion and the insights of a leading panel of judges.

The results of the 2009 awards are published in the latest issue (#197) of .net magazine, a U.K. magazine for web designers and developers sold in the U.S. as Practical Web Design.

Best of The Web

Here are the 16 best (and one worst) for 2009:

+ Web application of the year » Dropbox

+ Best community site » Twitter

+ Best API use » TweetDeck beta

+ Interactive site of the year » NVIDIA Speak Visual

+ Blog of the year » Smashing Magazine

+ Podcast of the year » Boagworld

+ Vodcast of the year » Revision3 | Diggnation

+ Design agency of the year » Clearleft

+ Innovation of the year » Google Chrome

+ Web personality of the year » Stephen Fry

+ Viral campaign of the year » Best job in the world

+ Standards champion » Jeffrey Zeldman

+ Open source application of the year » jQuery

+ Redesign of the year » Whitehouse.gov

+ Mobile site of the year » Flickr

+ Mobile app of the year » Shazam

- Infamy award » IE6

Details are available at the .net Magazine Awards website which lists two additional nominees in each category.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today and receive periodic bonus material! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Deloitte Technology Fast 500 | 2009

The 500 most promising technology companies in North America have been identified. This 16th annual list ranks companies based on five-year revenue growth and includes both public and private companies.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ covers companies in the following business sectors:

The average growth rate for these 500 companies over a five-year period was an outstanding 2,486 percent!

A press release provides highlights. The Fast 500 website provides access to a printable list of companies.

Fast 500 | Massachusetts

Listed below are the fastest growing technology companies in Massachusetts. Fast growing companies are most likely to be hiring as the economy emerges from recession.

  1. CombinatoRx, Inc. | Cambridge
  2. NxStage Medical, Inc. | Lawrence
  3. LiveWire Mobile, Inc. | Littleton
  4. Wave Systems Corp. | Lee
  5. Airvana, Inc. | Chelmsford
  6. Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Cambridge
  7. Rapid7 | Boston
  8. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Cambridge
  9. LogMeIn, Inc. | Woburn
  10. Mediaspectrum | Burlington
  11. IneoQuest | Mansfield
  12. Acronis | Burlington
  13. Constant Contact, Inc. | Waltham
  14. ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Cambridge
  15. Netezza Corporation | Marlborough
  16. Vertical Communications, Inc. | Cambridge
  17. Starent Networks Corp. | Tewksbury
  18. Hologic, Inc. | Bedford
  19. Acme Packet, Inc. | Burlington
  20. Bullhorn | Boston
  21. Nuance Communications, Inc. | Burlington
  22. Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Lexington
  23. Alkermes, Inc. | Cambridge
  24. SoundBite Communications, Inc. | Bedford
  25. Averion International Corp. | Southborough
  26. Salary.com, Inc. | Waltham
  27. BirdDog Solutions, Inc. | Andover
  28. Evergreen Solar, Inc. | Marlboro
  29. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. | Waltham
  30. Satcon Technology Corp. | Boston
  31. Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. | Waltham
  32. Spire Corporation | Bedford
  33. Virtusa Corporation | Westborough
  34. IPG Photonics Corporation | Oxford
  35. Akamai Technologies, Inc. | Cambridge
  36. DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Wilmington
  37. athenahealth, Inc. | Watertown
  38. Grandstream Networks, Inc. | Brookline
  39. Sepracor, Inc. | Marlborough
  40. Cynosure, Inc. | Westford
  41. iRobot Corporation | Bedford
  42. Double-Take Software, Inc. | Southborough
  43. Picis, Inc. | Wakefield

[ NOTE: Facebook Fans of Beantown Web gain access to an interactive list of Massachusetts companies sortable by city and primary industry. In addition, an interactive map is available identifying the companies that might be located right around the corner from where you live. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Web Innovators Group | WebInno24

If you are interested in previewing the latest innovations on the Internet and mobile devices, check out the next gathering of the Web Innovators Group.

This 24th installment (WebInno24) will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Details

Monday, December 7, 2009, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 900 hundred pre-registrants to determine if this networking event is right for you.

Registrants are encouraged to join the Boston Web Innovators Group on LinkedIn and connect with more than 1,000 members.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Elance Work Index | November 2009

This is the second of a two-part series exploring Web-related opportunities for freelancers. The first article is entitled Global Freelancers Survey 2009.

Freelancing, Part 2

A monthly index monitors trends in Web-related freelance opportunities. The index is available at Elance, whose tag line is "Hire, manage and pay experts to do your work."

Elance allows businesses to locate freelancers in eight categories of expertise, including the following:

Freelance vs. Employment

A comparison between the monthly Elance Work Index for freelancers and the monthly Beantown Web Boston Market for job seekers reveals some rather dramatic differences.

For example, WordPress, a popular content management (CMS) tool developed using PHP and MySQL, is a Top 10 technology in the freelance market. However, WordPress does not even rank in the Top 50 in the employment market with a scant three jobs mentioning this technology in job descriptions in the Boston metro area.

Joomla! and Drupal, CMSs also built on top of PHP and MySQL, offer even more dismal results in the Boston job market with a total of one job posted between the two technologies. Joomla! ranks #23 and Drupal comes in at #53 in the freelance market.

Elance Work Index

The Elance Work Index ranks 100 skills in freelance labor market. According to the Elance blog . . .

"PHP is the number 1 most in-demand skill for online work for all of 2009."

Playing for Both Teams

So, what if you want to play for both teams? Perhaps you already have a job, but want to supplement your income with freelance work. Perhaps you are temporarily unemployed and want to pick up project work until you land your next full-time job.

The best strategy for Web professionals who want to maximize their potential for finding both employment and freelance work might be to develop technology skills that are in high demand, both in the job market and in the freelance market.

Cross Training

There are eight Web technology skills that land in the Top 20 in both the Elance Work Index and the The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston which is listed in the right-hand column. They are the following:

Developing expertise in these eight technologies will most likely maximize your potential for playing for both teams -- The Freelancers and The Employees.

Access the first part of this two-part series at Global Freelancers Survey 2009.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today and receive periodic bonus material! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Thursday, November 19, 2009

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Global Freelancers Survey | 2009

This is the first of a two-part series exploring Web-related opportunities for freelancers. The second article is entitled Elance Work Index | 2009.

Freelancing, Part 1

A survey of freelancers was conducted in September and October of 2009. The survey was coordinated by LimeExchange, an online services marketplace for freelancers and small and large businesses.

The technical skill sets among the survey respondents included the following (among other skills):

Global Freelancers Survey

What is the primary reason that respondents give for freelancing?

The majority of survey participants prefer freelancing (with the same net level of income) over full-time employment:

So, it seems as if many professionals have a full-time job and use freelancing to supplement their income. More might become "full-time" freelancers if they could generate the same level of net income as they could from a full-time job.

Additional Findings

How do freelancers find projects?

What is a freelancer's largest source of income?

A summary of the Global Freelancers Survey can be found at the LimeExchange website. You can also search on current projects to see if you might want to use LimeExchange to bid on freelance opportunities.

The conclusion of this two-part series explores the technical skills that are in demand in both the full-time employment and the freelance marketplaces. Access the second part of this two-part series at Elance Work Index | 2009.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today and receive periodic bonus material! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Boston Market | November 2009

Which of these two images do you think best represents the current job market?

Debbie Downer

If you are in the Debbie Downer camp, there are no shortage of downbeat headlines to focus on. Here are two examples:

Up With People

If you are in the Up With People camp, there are an increasing number of people surveys that reveal an upbeat trend in the technology marketplace. Here are two examples:

This is my upbeat headline for November . . .

"Eight Technologies Lead Job Market Recovery"

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated and the complete list can be found in the right-hand column along with links to job postings that mention each technology.

Over the five-month period from early June to early November there has been an increase in job postings in all 20 of the Top 20 skills. (Only one of the Top 50 skills failed to post an increase!) The Top 20 technology skills that experienced at least a 50% increase in demand over this five-month period are as follows:

So, Web developers who can demonstrate expertise in Microsoft-centric technologies including ASP.NET, C# and SQL Server are in demand, even as unemployment rates continue to rise.

Fundamental Web design skills including HTML + CSS and Web programming skills including JavaScript and Ajax provide a foundation for creating user interfaces (UI) and improving user experiences (UX). The demand for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expertise demonstrates that organizations are continuously competing to position their content ahead of their competition's offerings.

These eight technologies are leading the job market recovery in the Boston metro area. Even as unemployment rises, companies continue to look for experts who can deliver technology-based solutions to increase revenue, decrease costs and improve productivity.

[ NOTE: Facebook Fans of Beantown Web gain access to an expanded list of the Top 50 Web Technologies in Boston. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Sunday, November 08, 2009

Monday, October 12, 2009

Boston Market | October 2009

As the nationwide unemployment rate approaches 10 percent, the web technology job market in the Boston metro area continues its impressive rebound. For the fourth consecutive month more Top 20 skills posted increases than decreases over the previous month.

In particular, 16 of the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston were mentioned in more job postings in early October than in early September.

Over the four-month period from early June to early October there has been an increase in job postings in all 20 of the Top 20 skills. The technology skills that experienced at least a 50% increase in demand over this four-month period are as follows:

One skill, not listed in the Top 20, experienced an impressive 357% increase during this four-month period. In early June this technology was mentioned in only seven job descriptions. In early October it was listed in 32 job descriptions. This accounts for a 10-position climb from #50 to #40. The technology climbing the charts with a bullet is jQuery!

The complete list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston can be found in the right-hand column. The list of Average Salaries in Boston has also been updated. Seventeen common Web-related job titles appear in the right-hand column along with their median salaries according to cbsalary.com, a free salary calculator provided by CareerBuilder.com.

This month's Boston Market analysis confirms that Web Developers are in demand and the pay is above average. An analysis coordinated by CareerBuilder.com reveals that the national mean salary for all workers is slightly more than $41,000. "Web Developer" was listed as one of 20 jobs with an entry-level salary higher than the national mean. Entry-level salary for a Web Developer is listed as more than $67,000. Access High Entry-Level Salaries for details.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to an expanded list of the Top 50 Web Technologies in Boston. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, October 12, 2009

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Web Innovators Group | WebInno 23

If you are interested in previewing the latest innovations on the Internet and mobile devices, check out the next gathering of the Web Innovators Group.

This 23rd installment (WebInno23) will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

A special break-out session will also be facilitated, "An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Bootstrapping PR."

Details

Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 700 hundred pre-registrants to determine if this networking event is right for you. To learn more about how you can use this networking event to connect with others check out an introductory video from the last WebInno event.

Registrants are encouraged to join the Boston Web Innovators Group on LinkedIn and connect with more than 1,000 members.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Sunday, September 20, 2009

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Fastest Growing Companies | Inc 5000

Fast growing companies emerge, even in a slow economy. More than one million employees work for the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the United States. These companies have a median annual revenue of more than $10 million.

This is the third is a series or articles about fast growing companies in a down economy. The previous two features were the following:

For the second year in a row, technology is the place to be. More companies are in the "IT Services" category than any other category, accounting for more than 13 percent of all fast growing companies.

The 5,000 fastest growing private companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine. The metro areas with the most fast growing companies are as follows:

  1. New York
  2. Washington, DC
  3. Los Angeles
  4. Atlanta
  5. Chicago

Fast growing companies need bright, energetic workers to help maintain their momentum. You can access an interactive Inc 5000 list and see which companies are growing the fastest in your city or state.

Fast Growing Companies in Massachusetts

Listed below are the 100 fastest growing private companies in Massachusetts:

[ NOTE: Simply log into your LinkedIn account on a separate tab, then click the "in" icon next to the company name below to identify the LinkedIn connections you might have within that organization. ]

  1. Kiva Systems | Woburn
  2. Ahura Scientific | Wilmington
  3. NWN | Waltham
  4. Nexcelom Bioscience | Lawrence
  5. Innovative Foods | Wilmington
  6. CJ Environmental | Sharon
  7. Mediaspectrum | Burlington
  8. Kaydon Group | Taunton
  9. Senior Whole Health | Cambridge
  10. Johnny Cupcakes | Weymouth
  11. eIQnetworks | Acton
  12. 2Is | Walpole
  13. Reveal Imaging Technologies | Bedford
  14. Rapid7 | Boston
  15. Zipcar | Cambridge
  16. Orbis Clinical | Woburn
  17. Watermark Environmental | Lowell
  18. DestinationWeddings.com | Framingham
  19. BackOffice Associates | South Harwich
  20. Plenus Group | Lowell
  21. eClinicalWorks | Westborough
  22. Acronis | Burlington
  23. AutomatedQA | Beverly
  24. Smart Destinations | Boston
  25. Blue Cod Technologies | Marlborough
  26. Universal Mind | Westfield
  27. XMLaw | Braintree
  28. Cambridge NanoTech | Cambridge
  29. Planet Shoes | Waltham
  30. AgilePath | Newburyport
  31. Reflexis Systems | Dedham
  32. MindLeaf Technologies | Bedford
  33. Apps Associates | Westford
  34. Exclusive Concepts | Waltham
  35. Pro-Teck Services | Waltham
  36. NuView Systems | Andover
  37. Pongo Resume | Northborough
  38. SEI Boston | Boston
  39. HUB Technical Services | South Easton
  40. ExtensionEngine | North Andover
  41. Globoforce | Southborough
  42. Communispace | Watertown
  43. IneoQuest | Mansfield
  44. Bullhorn | Boston
  45. Neighborhood Diabetes | Woburn
  46. Waveguide | Chelmsford
  47. S4 | Burlington
  48. Odyssey Systems Consulting Group | Wakefield
  49. Quantech Services | Lexington
  50. Senate Construction | Shirley
  51. Treeline | Wakefield
  52. Atalasoft | Easthampton
  53. PepperDash Technology | Allston
  54. Observant | Waltham
  55. Oasis Systems | Lexington
  56. LightWedge | Newton
  57. WorldAPP | Braintree
  58. Infoscitex | Waltham
  59. Glance Networks | Arlington
  60. TalentBurst | Framingham
  61. Graduate Leverage | Waltham
  62. Everon Technology Services | Boston
  63. Preserve | Waltham
  64. Veroxity Technology Partners | Bedford
  65. Crowe Paradis | Wakefield
  66. Syrinx Consulting | Waltham
  67. Massachusetts Technology | Allston
  68. Beacon Partners | Weymouth
  69. Atlas Travel International | Milford
  70. VoIP Logic | Williamstown
  71. SOURCEntra | Framingham
  72. Isis Maternity | Needham
  73. Daymark Solutions | Littleton
  74. Integration Partners | Lexington
  75. AgencyPort Insurance Services | Boston
  76. Beacon Hill Staffing Group | Boston
  77. Late July Snacks | Barnstable
  78. Decision Resources | Waltham
  79. Compressor World | South Easton
  80. 21st Century Biochemicals | Marlborough
  81. Strictly By The Book | Fall River
  82. BOC International | Boston
  83. Accounting Management Solutions | Waltham
  84. Beacon Application Services | Framingham
  85. Boston Interactive | Charlestown
  86. Integrated Design Group | Boston
  87. Safecore | Burlington
  88. SmartPak Equine | Plymouth
  89. Metatomix | Dedham
  90. Parietal Systems | North Andover
  91. OmniPresence | Marlborough
  92. Verndale | Boston
  93. Iatric Systems | Boxford
  94. Cape Medical Supply | Sandwich
  95. Chiller Technology | Woburn
  96. K logix | Brookline
  97. Merchant Warehouse | Boston
  98. Dennison Lubricants | Lakeville
  99. Tri Wire Engineering Solutions | Tewksbury
  100. The Brookeside Group | Acton

The Next Step

Remember, if you're trying to land work at one of these companies, take the advice offered by the 8th annual Sources of Hire Study:

"We continue to advise job seekers to NEVER apply to a company without first networking to an employee in that firm for a referral. The difference in probability of getting “up to bat” is too large to ignore."

If you believe you can excel in a fast growing organization, then tap into your LinkedIn network to gain an introduction into that organization and explore ways in which you can add your unique value to their operation.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to a sortable, searchable list of the 100 fastest growing private companies in Massachusetts along with an interactive map detailing their location. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Monday, September 07, 2009

Boston Market | September 2009

OK. Let's get the bad news out of the way. An unemployment rate approaching 10% is not the most positive news to hear during a Labor Day weekend.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the news may be even worse:

The underemployment rate for August was 16.8 percent.

"Underemployment" is a broader measure that includes capable Americans who would like to work full-time, but have to settle for part-time opportunities, and those who are too discouraged to even look for work.

What follows are a few thoughts on how Web technology professionals can to get out from under the underemployment shadow.

Forward Focus

Let's look forward by focusing on what industry experts are saying.

The AIGA Design Leaders Confidence Index reveals that demand for design services is improving. This finding marks the second consecutive quarterly improvement reported by more than 300 design leaders working in various types of practices.

The ExecuNet Recruiter Confidence Index reveals that search firms are expecting an improvement over the next six months in placing workers in leadership positions. Just seven percent of recruiters are "not confident" that the market will get better during this period.

The Spherion Employee Confidence Index registered its highest level in more than 18 months as workers who have jobs are growing increasingly confident in the improving strength of the economy.

Boston Market

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston have been recalculated for September. An analysis of job postings at Monster.com reveals that job opportunities remained stable during August despite the perception that late summer is a slow hiring period. Half of the Top 20 Technologies show an increase in job postings in early September over early August.

The Top 20 List is located in the right-hand column and is dominated by database and programming skills. One newcomer to this month's Top 20 came about as a result of feedback from an executive recruiter. He stated that he was was experiencing an increase in demand for "UI Designers."

A search on this term landed it at #20 with 75 job postings. According to Wikipedia, "The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible." Job seekers with design skills may want to add "UI (user interface)" to their professional bios and social profiles.

Training Opportunity

The best training opportunity in September begins this week with FREE online Ajax training. Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a Top 10 Web technology in terms of job demand in the Boston technology marketplace. JavaScript and XML are also Top 10 technologies. With more than 100 job openings mentioning Ajax in job descriptions, and nearly twice as many mentioning JavaScript and XML, few technologies will grab the attention of recruiters than Ajax.

Free Ajax training is offered by Sang Shin, technology evangelist at Sun Microsystems. This 18-week course will guide you through some of the following topics:

Participants receive a certificate upon successful completion during the first quarter of 2010. To learn more, access Ajax and Web 2.0 Programming (with Passion!) Online Course.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to an expanded list of the Top 50 Web Technologies in Boston. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, September 07, 2009

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Fastest Growing Companies | Fortune 100

Job losses are subsiding. The worst may be over. Prepare now for the turnaround.

Hale Stewart provides a visual analysis of job loss trends in his column at The Huffington Post. Based on one visual below, it is possible that 2010 will bring a return to net job creation.

Fastest Growing Companies

So, where should one start looking for employment opportunities? One avenue is to target large companies that have been growing during the downturn. Fortune magazine has released its list of the 100 fastest growing Fortune 500 companies.

While 21 of these companies are international, many states landed at least one company on the list. Here are the states with the most fast-growing large companies:

You can access the list for your state at the Fortune section of CNNMoney.com.

Fastest Growing Companies in Massachusetts

Here are the six fastest growing large companies in Massachusetts:

[ NOTE: Simply log into your LinkedIn account on a separate tab, then click the "in" icon next to the company name below to identify the LinkedIn connections you might have within that organization. ]

  1. Bruker | Billerica
  2. Pegasystems | Cambridge
  3. Thermo Fisher Scientific | Waltham
  4. Zoll Medical | Chelmsford
  5. Atlantic Tele-Network | Salem
  6. Sapient | Boston

Conclusion

Remember, if you're trying to land work at one of these companies, take the advice offered by the 8th annual Sources of Hire Study:

"We continue to advise job seekers to NEVER apply to a company without first networking to an employee in that firm for a referral. The difference in probability of getting “up to bat” is too large to ignore."

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to an interactive map of the six fastest growing Fortune 100 companies in Massachusetts. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Fastest Growing Startups | Q2 2009

StartUpHire is a job search engine whose mission is to connect talented individuals to exciting career opportunities at venture backed companies.

They have compiled a list of the fastest growing start-ups backed by venture capital (VC). They focused on major metropolitan markets and formulated the list based on job postings during the second quarter.

The metropolitan areas include the following:

Access a list of the fastest-growing, VC-backed companies in these metropolitan areas at StartUpHire which provides direct access to job postings in these and other cities.

Boston's Fastest Growing Startups

The 10 fastest growing VC-backed companies in and around Boston are as follows:

[ NOTE: Beantown Web now features the LinkedIn Company Insider Widget. Simply log into your LinkedIn account on a separate tab, then click the "in" icon next to the company name below to identify the LinkedIn connections you might have within that organization. ]

Fast growing companies need bright, energetic workers. Start making connections today!

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to an interactive map of the 10 fastest growing startups in the Boston area. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

TECH cocktail Boston 3

TECH cocktail is returning to Beantown for the third time to help showcase the local Boston tech scene.

TECH cocktail is a community for developers, designers, bloggers, technology enthusiasts & entrepreneurs interested in technology in local communities.

Events coordinated by TECH cocktail are planned for the following cities:

TECH cocktail Boston

The Boston event will feature a handful of local start-ups providing demonstrations. Local sponsors will also be sharing their story with the technology crowd.

Eric Olson, a Massachusetts native and Bentley College alumnus, is a co-founder of TECH cocktail.

Details

Details and registration are available through TECH cocktail.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Monday, August 17, 2009

Ignite Boston 6

This FREE networking event is coordinated by O'Reilly Media.

Ignite activities are held in more than 50 cities around the globe. Access Ignite Event Locations to see if a group has been established in your city.

The Boston event will feature the following:

Books, t-shirts and other promotional items will be raffled off.

Check out Ignite Event Wrap-ups from the previous Boston event to see if the topics are of interest to you. The list of topics for the upcoming event has not yet been finalized.

This is a fun activity -- the sixth in a series. Space is limited to the first 300 registrants and seats are filling up fast. Sign up now.

Details

Access Ignite Boston for details and registration. Also, consider joining the Ignite Boston Facebook group to begin networking with more than 70 FOOs (Fans of O'Reilly's) in the metro Boston area.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is also on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, August 17, 2009

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Hard Skills + Soft Skills = 60 Days

Hard skills land you the interview. Soft skills land you the job. We need both hard skills and soft skills.

Hard Skills

If you are a typical job seeker expect to be unemployed for four months. If you are out of work and have a Web technology background there is one skill that will land you a full-time assignment in half the time! What is this high-demand, high-tech skill?

This single finding was reported in a quarterly report issued by CareerBuilder entitled The Staffing Supply & Demand Outlook. The study included more than 5,000 hiring managers and 9,000 workers.

This finding is consistent with the latest Beantown Web research that reveals a high demand for the following fast-growing skills:

Soft Skills

Virtually every job description lists "excellent communication skills" as a core requirement. However, higher level soft skills are in high demand according to one survey of Boston employers:

A press release of the 2009 Greater Boston Area Talent Markets Survey is available for review. A more detailed FREE 44-page report is also available from Camden Consulting Group.

60 Days

Few activities will alter the trajectory of your career faster than upgrading specific hard skills and soft skills. If you are a Web professional consider developing a 60-plan (a strategic plan) to incorporate ASP.NET into your skill set. If you are a professional in any discipline spend 60 minutes today identifying "strategic thinking" and "leading & motivating" examples you can point to in projects you have worked on. Employers are actively looking for these hard and soft skills.

Hard skills + soft skills = 60 days to your next opportunity.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Thursday, August 13, 2009

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Boston Market | August 2009

The unemployment numbers will likely continue to rise for the next 12 months according to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Employment in the Information Technology (IT) sector, however, continues to outperform the general employment marketplace with a lower percentage of tech workers out of work.

Information Technology workers are in demand, at least those who possess technology skills that are valued in today's marketplace. This analysis shines a light on these in-demand skills.

Boston Market

Job opportunities continued an upward momentum in the Boston technology marketplace for the second consecutive month. Sixteen of the Top 20 Web Technologies are "in the green." These technologies were mentioned more frequently in job descriptions this month than last month. The updated list of Top 20 Web Technologies appears in the right-hand column.

Five of the Top 20 Web Technologies have seen impressive gains in job postings -- an increase of at least 50% since early June. The five hottest technologies are as follows:

Web professionals who possess these technical skills and are actively pursuing opportunities would do well to highlight these skills on resumes and in social media profiles.

Training Opportunity

The best value in Web technology training might be RIA Unleashed : Boston. This one-day conference is billed as New England's only conference focused on building rich internet applications (RIAs) using the Adobe Flash Platform including Flex, AIR, ColdFusion, Catalyst and other technologies.

None of these technologies, including Flash, are currently Top 20 technologies in terms of how frequently they are mentioned in job descriptions. However, as conference organizer Brian Rinaldi pointed out to me, demand is only half of the supply/demand equation. Skilled professionals in these technologies are finding high-paying work because there are relatively few professionals trained in these emerging technologies.

What makes this conference attractive is the cost of ONLY $30, while the early bird supply of 100 tickets lasts. Even at the next level of $50 this training opportunity promises to be a real bargain.

To learn more about this November (Friday the 13th) training opportunity in Waltham, access RIA Unleashed : Boston.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain access to an expanded listing of the Top 50 Web Technologies in Boston. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Monday, August 03, 2009

Social Media Breakfast | Boston

The Social Media Breakfast was founded as an event where social media experts and newbies alike come together to eat, meet, share, and learn.

The breakfast series began in Boston and has now spread to more than two dozen cities. Social Media Breakfast was founded by Bryan Person.

Boston Breakfast

The topic for the next Boston seminar is "The Power & Peril of Online Communities." The presenters are as follows:

Marketers, PR pros, entrepreneurs, bloggers, podcasters, new-media fanatics, and online social networkers are all welcome to attend.

Details

When: Friday, August 7, 2009, 8:30 am

Where: Communispace Corporation | Watertown

Registration is only $7.99 and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 70 pre-registrants to determine if this networking event is right for you.

To learn more about this event access the Social Media Breakfast website where you can learn more about upcoming events in more than two dozen cities. You can also learn more about starting a Social Media Breakfast event in your city.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, August 03, 2009

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Global 250 Top Private Companies | 2009

A list of the 250 most innovative (and disruptive) companies has been announced. Previous winners of the top award include Google and Twitter.

This year's overall winner is Quantcast, a company that helps bring marketers and publishers together.

California leads the list with 126 companies followed by New York with 21. The Boston metro area placed 14 companies on this year's list.

Boston Area Innovators

Innovative companies are looking for innovative people to help them grow. Check out the following 14 companies, listed by category, for business opportunities. Click the "in" icon to identify your LinkedIn connections into that company.

Cloud & Infrastructure

Consumer Internet

Digital Education

Enabling Tools & Devices

Greentech

SaaS & Enterprise

Wireless

The complete list of 250 companies can be found at the AlwaysOn Network (AO) website.

★★★ Visible Measures is the local sponsor of the upcoming Boston leg of the Summer of Social Good networking event tour.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain instant access to an interactive map of the 14 most innovative companies in the Boston area. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Summer of Social Good | Six City Tour

The Summer of Social Good is the first large scale charitable campaign designed to raise funds strictly online through the power of social media. A six-city tour has been organized to promote the campaign.

The Organizers

Mashable - The Social Media Guide has teamed with Hyatt Hotels and various local sponsors to promote the tour under the banner Mashable’s #Hyatt4Good Tweetup Tour.

The Charities

Charities will receive 100% of funds raised during the campaign. All proceeds will be split equally among the following four charities:

The Cities

The tour will visit the following cities:

The style of each event will be an informal mixer for the social media community. A local sponsor will help cover some food and drinks and a cash bar will be available. Registration is required and a donation is suggested.

Readers are encouraged to spread the word about the Summer of Social Good through the social media of your choice.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Web Innovators Group | WebInno 22

If you are interested in previewing the latest innovations on the Internet and mobile devices, check out the next gathering of the Web Innovators Group.

This 22nd installment (WebInno22) will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Details

Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 800 hundred pre-registrants to determine if this networking event is right for you.

Registrants are also encouraged to join the Boston Web Innovators Group on LinkedIn and connect with more than 900 members.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Thursday, July 09, 2009

Monday, July 06, 2009

Boston Market | July 2009

More employers are expected to hire full-time staff in the third quarter than fire workers according to one recent job survey.

Listed below are the trends for the past three quarters.

Plan to increase the number of full-time employees:

Plan to reduce the number of full-time employees:

So, job losses are expected to slow, but job creation is not expected to grow. According to the survey,

". . . we're not likely to experience significant movement in job creation in 2009. Jobs will be added, but overall, businesses will continue to be conservative in their hiring and maintain focus on existing human capital."

Q3 2009 U.S. Job Forecast

Job growth in the Northeast is expected to be higher in the third quarter than any other region of the United States, except for the South. Eighteen percent of employers in the Northeast are expected to add full-time staff vs. 15 percent nationally. Four job sectors are fueling hiring in the Northeast:

The quarterly survey, conducted in late May and early June, polled more than 2,600 hiring managers and human resource professionals. A press release of the Q3 2009 U.S. Job Forecast is available for review. For a more detailed summary of the findings, conducted jointly by CareerBuilder and USA Today, download a free six-page report.

Boston Technology Market

Overcast or rainy skies hovered over Boston for 22 out of 30 days in June (source). Rain makes things grow and apparently the Boston technology job market was one beneficiary.

A review of the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston reveals that 11 of the top 12 technologies experienced increases in job listings since early June. Job postings for workers who can demonstrate proficiency in these technologies are up an impressive 22 percent in the past 30 days.

In general, Boston area employers are looking for technical expertise in the following skill areas:

This combination bodes well for Web developers. The biggest movers of the month include Microsoft-centric Web development skills:

One simple training opportunity for July would be to learn more about Web Services. W3Schools.com offers a FREE introductory Web Services Tutorial.

A complete listing of the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston appears in the right-hand column along with links to local job postings.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain instant access to an expanded listing of the Top 50 Web Technologies in Boston. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, July 06, 2009

Monday, June 29, 2009

Girls in Tech | Boston Event

Girls in Tech is a network of professional women who aspire to careers in technology.

Girls in Tech has an official presence in the following cities:

Atlanta, Austin, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kuwait, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Omaha, Orlando, Paris, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Stamford, Tampa, and Washington DC

Girls in Tech | Boston

The Boston Chapter of Girls in Tech will be hosting a lifestyle panel discussion designed to explore the following issues:

Agenda:

Event Details

This event is FREE. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Reservations are required.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A WOMEN'S ONLY EVENT

Boston area technology enthusiasts should consider joining the 200+ members of the Girls in Tech | Boston Chapter Facebook group.

For information about activities in other metropolitan areas access the Girls in Tech website.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Facebook Fans gain instant access to the LinkedIn profiles of attendees of the Boston event. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, June 29, 2009

Sunday, June 14, 2009

AIGA Aquent Survey of Design Salaries | 2009

More than 9,000 designers nationwide completed an annual salary survey.

Billed as "the most comprehensive annual survey of compensation data for the communication design profession in the United States," the survey was a joint effort between the following:

Here is a summary of the findings.

Boston Salaries

Median salaries for design professionals in Boston exceeded the national average by a range of between $2,000 and $8,000. Here are the Boston median salaries for select job titles:

Relatively few Web developers and programmers belong to the organizations that were used in the survey sample. Therefore, salaries for Boston could not be provided with statistical accuracy. Here are the national median average salaries for these job titles:

It would not be unusual for these median salaries to be higher in the Boston metro area.

Definitions are provided for these and other job titles at the AIGA website.

Advice from Design Leaders

Ten design professionals from across the country were asked to share their advice on surviving during challenging economic times. One quote was a headline grabber.

"Be smart and strategic—or else deliver pizzas"

Here are the 10 design leaders along with their LinkedIn profiles:

Access Advice from Professional Designers at the AIGA website.

National Survey Results

Salary results are available for 31 cities and nine regions of the United States at the AIGA | Aquent Survey of Design Salaries website. Simply access the Salary Calculator to review the compensation data for 15 design-related positions in your part of the country. You can also download a FREE 48-page summary of the survey findings.

Additional Surveys

Here are additional salary surveys and guides that have been summarized in Beantown Web in the past nine months:

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Sunday, June 14, 2009

Monday, June 08, 2009

The Dice Report | June 2009

Four out of five technology recruiters and hiring managers say that the current economy has caused them to scale back hiring for the next six months.

More than 1,900 people responded to the email survey conducted by Dice.com. The survey targeted human resource staff and recruiters who primarily hire or recruit technology professionals. The survey was conducted in May 2009.

Two Questions

Six questions were asked in the survey. Here are two that stand out.

“Has the current economic environment caused you or your clients to scale back hiring plans for the next six months?”
  • Yes, substantially | 43%
  • Yes, slightly | 38%
“How likely do you think layoffs are in the next six months at your organization, or if you are a recruiter at your clients’ organizations?”
  • Very likely | 12%
  • Likely | 31%

So, layoffs will likely continue in the technology sector over the next six months and companies will continue to be reluctant to add new staff for the remainder of 2009.

A Call from the Mountain

Granted, this is not the most motivating picture of the future. Now is the time to envision a view from the mountain on the other side of this valley. A Dice spokesperson is standing on that mountain and calling back to us across the valley . . .

“While it’s not surprising in this economy that companies are being selective, more than 90 percent of respondents indicated they have at least one hard to find skill set or position to fill. This potentially equates to solid demand when the economy turns upward.”

Details are available at The Dice Report, Special Edition, June 2009 .

Three Possible Paths

To get across the valley Web professionals should consider strengthening three core skills. According to ComputerWeekly.com, trend data suggests a growing demand for these technologies:

Details are available at Learn PHP and get a job. Even though this publication is based in the UK, Beantown Web's Boston Market | June 2009 supports the demand for these technologies in the Boston metro area.

Obtaining training and demonstrating proficiency in these three technologies will likely help you get across the valley quicker and provide you a better view from the mountain on the other side.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, June 08, 2009

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Boston Market | June 2009

Here are three indicators that the economy may be on the mend.

Spherion Employee Confidence Index

A monthly index that measures workers’ confidence in their personal employment situation and optimism in the economic environment, has risen for three consecutive months. The Spherion Employee Confidence Index reports that workers are more optimistic about the strength of the economy.

AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index

A quarterly survey of more than 300 design leaders reveals an improvement in optimism about the economy over the next six months. The Design Leaders Confidence Index posted is highest score in the last three quarters. Fourteen percent of survey participants feel they are more likely to add staff now than they had anticipated at the beginning of the year.

ExecuNet's Recruiter Confidence Index

A survey of executive search consultants has climbed for the third consecutive month. ExecuNet's Recruiter Confidence Index reveals that the executive search industry's outlook for the employment market continues to improve and now stands at its highest level since June 2008.

Top 20 Web Technologies

So, what do the tea leaves say about the Web technology marketplace in Boston? Continued stability. The Top 20 Web Technologies list has been updated for June and appears in the right-hand column. The biggest gainers for the month were technologies outside of the Top 10 as follows:

This short-term trend reveals an ongoing strong demand for Web Developers. Web Design & Development professionals should continue to focus on maximizing their opportunities by improving their programming and database skills since these technologies dominate the Top 20 list.

June is Innovation Month

innovation month

Here is a two-fold strategy for upgrading skills and improving career advancement prospects over the next month.

Step #1: Access the New England Innovation Month website and review the many networking opportunities that are occurring in the Boston metro area this month; commit to attend one event.
Step #2: Review the Top 20 Web Technologies list in the right-hand column; identify one technology to improve; get to work improving that skill by the end of the month.

[ NOTE: What if I don't see my technology skills listed in the Top 20? Simply access Beantown Web's new Facebook page. Become a fan today and gain instant access to the Top 50+ Web Technologies in Boston! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Thursday, June 04, 2009

Friday, May 29, 2009

Mass Innovation Nights | June 2009‏‏

Mass Innovation Nights provides innovators with a place to connect with the media, influential bloggers, the marketplace and each other. More than 200 guests registered to attend the May event.

June Innovators

The spotlight will be on the following innovators in June:

Event Details

Location: Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation | Waltham

Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Time: 6:30 PM

After Party: Biagio's Plush Lounge

To learn more, simply access the Mass Innovation Nights website. Check out the June RSVP List to help determine if this FREE networking event might be valuable for you to attend. Then, submit your RSVP to attend this launch party.

Mass Innovation Nights actively encourages job seekers to attend.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Friday, May 29, 2009

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Chowda Chat | Leah Busque

Chowda Chat is a periodic Beantown Web installment that features a conversation with an influential member of the Boston technology community.

The purpose of Chowda Chat is to provide Web technology professionals with information to help advance their careers. The format involves three questions and responses followed by one final thought.

Today's Chowda Chat presents the insights of Leah Busque, Founder, RUNmyERRAND.com, a Web service that helps individuals and small businesses in a community outsource their tasks and deliveries. Think of it as Craigslist meets eBay. They are pioneering a trend that they call Service Networking.

Leah, you were a software engineer for IBM for seven years. Why give up the fast track to start your own business and what were some of the first steps you took?

"I felt I had more to offer than just technical skills. By starting my own business I could not only utilize my technical expertise, I could also develop skills in the business, legal and management arenas. I basically locked myself in a room for four months and developed a working prototype for my idea. Along the way I networked with anyone who would listen and give me feedback about my concept.
My Board of Advisors became the following:
Facebook Fund
With their guidance I launched a beta version of the service in Charlestown (MA). I have since expanded the RUNmyERRAND crew and extended the service to the greater Boston community. We are over-the-moon excited about being a finalist for the fbFund '09 Incubator Program established by Facebook. Additional funding will help us introduce our service in other metropolitan areas."
[Update: RUNmyERRAND.com has been selected as one of 20 final winners and will participate in the fbFund REV incubator program to take place in Silicon Valley this summer.]

What technology runs your Web operations?

Ruby on Rails
"I researched several options and decided to implement Ruby on Rails because of its rapid development features. While I didn't know the technology when I started I felt confident from my training at IBM that I could learn it quickly. I started with O'Reilly's ONLamp tutorials and Rails Cookbook. Our Web operations also utilize Amazon Web Services to manage our expanding data needs."
[NOTE: Additional resources include 31 Fascinating Ruby on Rails Tutorials & Guides.]

How can someone get started with RUNmyERRAND.com?

Facebook Fan
It's simple, first check out the How it works in 90 seconds video, then click the Get Started button! Sign up before the end of May and your first errand is better than FREE, it is on us! And, make sure you become a fan of our service on Facebook.

Final Thought

"There are a lot of great ideas out there, the difficult part is taking the leap and deciding to execute on them. There was a very clear moment for me where I thought to myself, there is absolutely no reason why I can not do this, so why not give it a try. I've enjoyed meeting many other entrepreneurs with the same mentality, which makes for an exciting startup scene here in Boston!"

Previous Chowda Chats

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Facebook. Become a fan today! ]

// posted by Gene Babon @ Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Friday, May 15, 2009

Horizon Interactive Awards | 2009

The Horizon Interactive Awards honors the most talented developers of interactive media.

Judges look for the best blend between creativity and functionality. Awards are issued based on the following criteria:

2009 Best of Category Winners

Here are the 2009 Best of Category winners:

Web designers and developers can benchmark their Web solutions against these award-winning entries to stimulate the creative process and help raise the bar.

Here are the Massachusetts organizations (along with their projects) honored with awards:

Access a complete list of more than 500 2009 Award Winners to see which organizations (and projects) may have been honored with Horizon Interactive Awards in your state.

[ NOTE: . Click the icon in the right-hand column to become a fan. ] >>>

// posted by Gene Babon @ Friday, May 15, 2009

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

IT Education Providers | Massachusetts

Continuous improvement is a prerequisite for long-term career success as a Web technology professional. Lifelong learning is not optional -- it is mandatory -- as Web technologies evolve constantly.

A recent survey of more than 30,000 Web professionals reveals that nearly 80% of Web workers list the desire to improve their technical skills through educational training as their next career move.

IT Education Providers

Mass High Tech, The Journal of New England Technology, has researched providers of information technology (IT) education services in the region and has compiled a ranking. Here are the largest IT education providers in Massachusetts (click the "in" icon next to the organization to reveal your LinkedIn connections at that organization):

  1. New Horizons of Boston | Boston, Waltham
  2. CompuWorks Systems, Inc. | Boston
  3. RJ Wronski Associates, Inc. | Chelsea
  4. The Training Associates | Westborough
  5. Middlesex Community College | Lowell
  6. TrainerQuest | Allston
  7. UMass Lowell Cont. Studies, Corp. & Distance Ed. | Lowell
  8. Softeach | Newton
  9. BITadvisors, Inc. | Hingham
  10. Learning Tree International | Burlington, Waltham
  11. Miller & Associates | Northborough
  12. MicroCAD Training & Consulting | Watertown
  13. nSight, Inc. | Burlington
  14. Charles River Public Internet Center | Waltham
  15. iDL Systems | Boston
  16. Softeach, Inc. | Newton
  17. Bridgewater State College | Bridgewater

This listing is ranked by number of students trained in New England in 2008. For complete details access Largest IT Education Providers. pdf

[ NOTE: You can now search more than 250 articles in the Beantown Web database by using the Google search box in the right-hand column. ] >>>

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Monday, May 11, 2009

Boston Market | May 2009

Is the job market half empty or half full?

Half Empty

If you want to look for negatives, there are plenty to chose from. Here are just three . . .

Half Full

If you want to focus on the positive, you can find reasons for optimism also. Here are just two . . .

Looking at The Glass Through a Different Lens

So, how does a Web technology professional turn a half empty glass into a half full one in the current economy? Perhaps, by focusing less on the skills we currently have to sell into the marketplace and more on the skills that organizations are currently willing to purchase.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for May and appears in the right-hand column. The list shows more up arrows than down indicating a stability, if not slight improvement, in the technology job market since early April.

As usual, demand for programming and database skills trump demand for design skills. While Photoshop and Flash (Adobe Creative Suite programs) appear in the Top 20, four of the top five spots on the list are dominated by data-related skills:

  1. SQL [ 504 ]
  2. Oracle [ 466 ]
  3. Java [ 312 ]
  4. SQL Server [ 216 ]
  5. XML [ 216 ]

This quest for data is underscored by a New York Times article that highlights the personal story of Douglas Bowman, a former top visual designer at Google. While this story is anecdotal the data from job postings reveals that the market is placing more emphasis on data-driven development and less on design.

Ten Ways to Fill Your Glass

So, regardless of whether you view the current job market as half empty or half full, there IS a job market and that market is moving forward. We have little choice but to move forward with it.

To help focus our attention on the future here is a brief summary of a blog post at TechRepublic, which constructs a blueprint to the future. Here are three skill sets to focus on today . . .

  1. Develop expertise in one of The Big Three (.NET, Java, PHP)
  2. Become an RIA (Rich Internet Application) pro
  3. Demonstrate solid front-end Web skills (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

To help fill your glass with opportunity, access 10 Skills Developers Will Need in the Next Five Years. Then, get to work developing and implementing a personal game plan that will prepare you for future opportunities.

[ NOTE: You can now search more than 250 articles in the Beantown Web database by using the Google search box in the right-hand column. ] >>>

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, May 11, 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009

InformationWeek's Salary Survey | 2009

The average information technology (IT) staffer in the United States earns $80,000. IT managers are rewarded with a median compensation of $105,000.

These findings were released today as part of InformationWeek's 2009 annual salary survey. More than 12,000 IT professionals in the U.S. responded to the survey.

Listed below are data points that relate to the Boston metro area and to Web-related professionals.

Staff Base Salaries By Metro Area

"What is your annual base salary?"

Staff Base Salaries By Job Function

"What is your current annual base salary?"

Management Base Salaries By Job Function

"What is your current annual base salary?"

Management Compensation By Job Function

"What is your total annual cash compensation, including salary and all cash bonuses?"

The Next Step

Here are three take-home messages from the survey:

Web-related workers who continue to develop their technical and managerial skills can be rewarded with six-figure compensation packages. More than half of respondents (55%) reported that their company provided support for training.

Continuous improvement of technology skills that employers value, and leadership skills that all organizations need, is one of the surest paths to above average pay and career security in the information technology fields.

To learn more about which technology skills employers value the most in the current economy, begin by accessing a press release that provides an overview of the InformationWeek annual salary survey results. A comprehensive 59-page report is also available for FREE download (registration is required).

[ NOTE: You can now search more than 250 articles in the Beantown Web database by using the Google search box in the right-hand column. ] >>>

// posted by Gene Babon @ Monday, April 27, 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Mass Innovation Nights | May 2009‏

Mass Innovation Nights is back! More than 160 guests attended the inaugural event in April. The May lineup has just been announced.

Mass Innovation Nights provides innovators with a place to connect with the media, influential bloggers, the marketplace and each other.

May Innovators

The spotlight will be on the following innovators in May:

Event Details

Location: Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation | Waltham

Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Time: 6:00 PM

To learn more, simply access the Mass Innovation Nights website. Check out Who's Coming to help determine if this FREE networking event might be valuable for you to attend. Then, submit your RSVP to attend this launch party.

[ NOTE: You can now search more than 250 articles in the Beantown Web database by using the Google search box in the right-hand column. ] >>>

// posted by Gene Babon @ Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Fastest Growing Private Companies | 2009

The Boston Business Journal identified the 60 fastest-growing private companies in Massachusetts. These companies were honored at the 3rd annual BBJ Pacesetters event.

Other metropolitan areas have similar programs. For example, more than 40 metropolitan areas are represented at bizjournals.com. Simply select your metropolitan area from the "Choose Another City:" drop-down list and review upcoming "Events & Nominations."

Boston Business Journal Pacesetters

Fast growing companies need talented people to help sustain growth. Listed below are the 60 fastest-growing private companies in Massachusetts.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web now features the LinkedIn Company Insider Widget. Simply log into your LinkedIn account on a separate tab, then click the "in" icon next to the company name below to identify the LinkedIn connections you might have within that organization. ]

The Next Step

Check out the company websites for hiring opportunities in your field of expertise.

Remember, according to the Sources of Hire Study | 2009:

"We continue to advise job seekers to NEVER apply to a company without first networking to an employee in that firm for a referral. The difference in probability of getting "up to bat" is too large to ignore."

[ NOTE: You can now search more than 250 articles in the Beantown Web database by using the Google search box in the right-hand column. ] >>>

// posted by Gene Babon @ Saturday, April 18, 2009

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Social Media Hub | Boston

Is your community a social media hub? Boston is.

Mashable: The Social Media Guide has launched a series of articles entitled Social Media Hub. The purpose is to shine the spotlight on local social media communities, companies and personalities.

Two metro areas have been explored so far:

Additional metro areas will be canvased in the weeks and months ahead.

Social Media Personalities

Here are 10 social media personalities that Bostonians should keep their eye on:

Profiles of each personality are listed in Social Media Hub: Boston along with the following:

Social Media Hubs

Additional metropolitan areas will be listed at Mashable once they have been researched and posted.

If you feel you are a social media player in your community, or know someone who is, contact Mashable to request inclusion in an upcoming article about your Social Media Hub.

[ NOTE: You can now search more than 250 articles in the Beantown Web database by using the Google search box in the right-hand column. ] >>>

// posted by Gene Babon @ Thursday, April 16, 2009

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