Beantown Web

Dice Salary Survey | 2012

2012-01-28T09:00:00.025-05:00

The average salary for technology professionals is $81,000.

One in three technology professionals receives a bonus.

These findings are highlighted in the annual Dice Salary Survey of more than 18,000 employed technology professionals. Dice is the leading career site for technology and engineering professionals.

Industry Matters

Here are the industries where you are most likely to receive a bonus:

telecom
hardware
banking
utilities/energy
software

Technology Matters

Here are the technologies that command the highest salaries, all in excess of six figures:

ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming)
SOA (Service Oriented Architecture)
ETL (Extract Transform and Load)
Weblogic
JDBC (Java Database Connectivity)
UML (Unified Modeling Language)
JBoss
WebSphere

The Here and Now

OK. Now back to the real world.

Let's say you don't work in one of the industries that is most likely to offer a bonus and you don't possess skills in any of the acronyms listed above?

Boston Web Tech Job Market

The previous Beantown Web posting entitled Boston Web Tech Job Market | 2012 revealed the Top Ten most in-demand technology skills in the Boston area.

Here are The Second Ten:

Perl | 157 job postings
Ajax | 142 job postings
ASP.NET | 138 job postings
jQuery | 124 job postings
UI | 122 job postings
PHP | 114 job postings
Python | 113 job postings
SharePoint | 108 job postings
SaaS | 104 job postings
Photoshop | 102 job postings

The complete list of the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston is presented in the right-hand column.

It is interesting to consider the year-over-year trends. Postings for 18 of the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston are up from this time last year. The largest increases were posted by these seven (eight) technologies:

jQuery | 70%
SaaS | 35%
JavaScript | 25%
Perl | 24%
Social Media 23%
Java 22%
Python | 22%
HTML + CSS 22%

Bet The House

You can roll the "Dice" and select an obscure technology to master and earn a six-figure income.

Or, you can play the odds and select one technology that is both in high demand (Top 20) and fast growing (up 70% in one year).

And the award for the single best technology to master in 2012 goes to . . .

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Boston Web Tech Job Market | Q1 2012

2012-01-12T09:00:00.025-05:00

Technology hiring managers have established their staffing priorities for 2012. They are looking for innovative tech professionals who can demonstrate the following four abilities:

design
code
build
operate

According to data compiled by Dice from nearly 1,200 tech-focused hiring managers and recruiters, here are the top priority skill-sets that will be in demand:

Java developers
Software engineers
Mobile developers
.NET developers
Project managers
Web developers

Details can be found in The Dice Report for January, 2012.

Boston Web Tech Job Market

Beantown Web has been reporting on the job market for Web professionals in the Boston area since February, 2005. Here are The Top Ten most in-demand technology skills in the Boston area:

SQL | 768 job postings
Oracle | 629 job postings
Java | 489 job postings
JavaScript | 312 job postings
SQL Server | 312 job postings
XML | 266 job postings
C# | 258 job postings
"Web Services" | 195 job postings
HTML + CSS | 185 job postings
Social Media | 171 job postings

Clearly, there is no shortage of Web-related work for technically inclined professionals with a balance of knowledge and experience.

It is interesting to consider the year-over-year trends. Postings for all Top Ten skills are up from this time last year. The largest increases were posted by these four (five) technologies:

The data shows that demand for front-end developers (HTML + CSS + JavaScript) has been on the rise over the past 12 months. This trend will likely continue into the first quarter of 2012.

In the next issue we will take a closer look at "The Second Ten" skills and dive deeper into the year-over-year Web technology trends shaping 2012.

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Web Innovators Group | WebInno32

2011-11-27T09:00:00.009-05:00

Eleven companies. Eleven hundred networking opportunities. All in one room. All FREE.

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

This 32nd installment will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

BestVendor | Helps you discover work apps you'll love.

Kibits Labs | Lets you instantly connect with the people who matter most, in the moments that matter.

Tasted Menu | Offers diners an unmatched way to rank dishes, not restaurants.

Side Dishes

AppBlade | It's like adding MacGyver to your development team.

Hypr3D | Create 3D models from your images automatically.

Daily Feats | Earn discounts for completing daily feats.

MeetingKing | One tool to manage your meetings.

PowerInbox | Rich apps inside your inbox.

Take The Interview | An efficient video interviewing solution to screen candidates.

Rejoiner | Capture pre-submit data from abandoned forms.

Rocketmind | Develops innovative mobile games.

Event Details

Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 900 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 1,500 members. You can also let your LinkedIn network know you will be attending this event.

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Boston Market | November 2011

2011-11-14T09:00:00.014-05:00

Short term slow down or longer term trend?

Global Markets

Reuters is reporting that the chance of a U.S recession in 2012 now is better than 50/50.

As the European debt crisis expands and the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction struggles to find common ground, employers might become more cautious in their hiring.

Boston Job Market for November

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated and appears in the right-hand column. Job postings have taken a turn in the southerly direction with only two technologies reporting an increase in postings since early October.

So, we might be witnessing an early indicator of a hiring slowdown, or perhaps, merely an early sign of a normal seasonal slowdown as we approach the year-end Holidays.

None-the-less, every technology listed features at least 100 job postings mentioning that technology. The most-frequently mentioned technology, SQL, features more than 800 job postings. So, opportunities abound for Web technology professionals with in-demand skills and experience.

Next Actions for November

Web technology professionals are encouraged to keep their skills fresh and maintain their professional connections. Two resources that Boston area Web technology professionals should consider monitoring to help expand professional connections include the following:

~ VentureFizz
~ Greenhorn Connect

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Boston Market | October 2011

2011-10-08T09:00:00.023-05:00

Hiring demand for Web developers remains strong according to a new report. The most commonly advertised job titles during the study period were the following:

Java Developer
Web Developer
.Net Developer
Sharepoint Developer
Web Designer
PHP Developer
J2ee Developer

The report was issued by WANTED Analytics™. It also stated that the nationwide candidate pool consists of less than one potential candidate for each job listing.

Meaning: There are not enough Web Developers in the workforce to fill available job openings!

Source: WANTED Analytics™

The Dice Report for October is also reporting steady demand for developers, especially those with Microsoft .NET experience.

Boston Job Market for October

The usual suspects appear in the Top Five:

SQL | 968 job listings
Oracle | 789 job listings
Java | 631 job listings
JavaScript | 393 job listings
SQL Server | 378 job listings

Take home message:

Database skills + programming skills = career security
Note: There is no such thing as job security.

Boston Training Opportunities

Here are two training opportunities in the Boston area to consider.

wakanday 2011 | Saturday, October 15

Wakanday is a one-day event designed to show how far JavaScript has come along as a programming language.
Pricing & Registration

RIA Unleashed Boston 2011 | Thursday & Friday, October 27 & 28

What will be covered? Flex, AIR, ColdFusion, Flash CS5, Flash Catalyst CS5, JavaScript (including jQuery), mobile development, HTML5.
Pricing & Registration (Enter "BeantownWeb" to receive a 10% discount.)

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Startup Watch | June 2011

2011-09-19T09:00:00.004-05:00

Startup companies create jobs. According to StartUpHire.com there are currently more than 800 job openings at startup companies in the Boston area.

FounderMatchUp Boston

If you are looking to make personal connections with entrepreneurs in the startup arena, check out FounderMatchUp -- Where Co-Founders Connect.

Opportunities exist in the areas of web design, web development, finance, marketing, sales, and more. To make a personal connection simply register for this FREE networking event and begin making connections.

Event Details:

Wednesday, September 21, 2011
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Microsoft NERD
Cambridge, MA

Startup Watch for June

In addition to this networking opportunity, check out Mass High Tech which highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 16 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Cambridge

» DailyFeats, Inc. | Cambridge

» Elerts Corp. | Braintree

» GrabCAD | GrabCAD

» LuckyLabs, Inc. | Cambridge

» Made in the Commonwealth LLC | Boston

» Objective Logistics LLC | New Bedford

» Orban Bioscience | Brookline

» Senexx, Inc. | Cambridge

» Smarterer, Inc. | Boston

» SmartRM, Inc. | Boston

» Strohl Medical Technologies, Inc. | Norwell

» Sun Catalytix Corp. | Cambridge

» TotalTab | Uxbridge

» VeloBit, Inc. | Boxborough

» Wing Power Energy, Inc. | Salem

Five new startups are listed every Tuesday at Mass High Tech -- The Journal of New England Technology. Access Startup News for details. If your company was founded within the last three years, and would like to be considered for the Watch List, contact the Startup Watch editor.

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web.

Web Innovators Group | WebInno31

2011-09-12T09:00:00.009-05:00

Nine companies. Nine hundred networking opportunities. All in one room. All FREE.

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

This 31st installment will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

SnapApp | Get more leads, fuel Facebook likes, drive Twitter followers and acquire more customers.

SocMetrics | Helps leading agencies and brands identify and engage topical influencers and turn them into advocates.

Yesware | Makes products to help salespeople do their job better.

Side Dishes

GoodTwo | Provides a free, unique fundraising tool.

Cravelabs | Get your customers to drive word-of-mouth.

synchtube | Synchronize various types of media across the web.

Addie | A new approach to real-life sharing and cloud storage.

Curisma | Explore community discovered, cool tech products.

RepTivity | Real time leaderboard for your sales teams.

Event Details

Tuesday, September 13, 2011, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 900 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 nearly 1,500 members.

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Boston Market | September 2011

2011-09-08T09:00:00.026-05:00

As President Obama addresses the nation about job creation in America, workers with in-demand skills are fairing better than others.

Notably, residents of Massachusetts are experiencing a 7.6 percent unemployment rate, considerably better than the national average rate of 9.1 percent. And residents of Massachusetts with the right mix of technology skills and experience have more options than most.

Developers In Demand

WBUR, Boston's NPR news station, ran a Labor Day story entitled In Tough Labor Market, Software Developers Wanted. The story featured Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of Cambridge-based HubSpot. Not only is he having a challenge finding talent, he is willing to give you $10,000 just for helping him find the right developers to join his team.

Boston Job Market for September

So, what are the Web-related technology skills that are most in-demand in the Boston metro area? The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated and appears in the right-hand column. Each technology links to job postings at Boston.com that list that technology keyword in the job description.

The number of job postings for most technologies has increased since early June despite the uncertainty surrounding our elected leaders' inability to form a consensus around the best way to steer our economic ship.

Technology Training Opportunity

One challenge that faces many job seekers is "How can I learn the skills I need to qualify for one of these jobs?" Boston PHP has a solution. Boston PHP is the largest Web technology Meetup in New England with more than 2,000 members.

Boston PHP offers two virtual self-study groups targeting Web technology beginners.

~ PHP Percolate! for beginners who want to learn the basics of PHP and MySQL

~ jQuery jAM for beginners who want the learn the basics of JavaScript and jQuery

Why these technologies? Simply because employers are looking for workers who have these skills:

#4 JavaScript | 372 job postings
#12 PHP | 177 job postings
#14 MySQL | 165 job postings
#20 jQuery | 132 job postings

If you would like to participate in one of the Boston PHP self-study groups, simply become a member of Boston PHP and state your interest in joining either PHP Percolate! or jQuery jAM when you sign up. Membership is free.

Full Disclosure: PHP Percolate! and jQuery jAM are lead by the author of this blog article.

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Startup Watch | May 2011

2011-07-24T09:00:00.009-05:00

Today's new businesses are lean. Businesses less than a year old are hiring fewer employees than they have in years past.

"Not only are these businesses starting out smaller than their predecessors, they are staying smaller."

"We won’t fix our core unemployment problem in the United States until young businesses get back on track."

Details can be found in a new report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation entitled Starting Smaller; Staying Smaller: America’s Slow Leak in Job Creation [ press release | 20-page report ]

Startup Watch for May

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 22 Massachusetts-based startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» AcuityBio Corp. | Newton

» Aid Aide | Cambridge

» Alpinewerx, LLC | Cambridge

» Bioarray Therapeutics, Inc. | Boston

» Click Diagnostics, Inc. | Lexington

» CraveLabs | Tewksbury

» EmptyCabin | Watertown

» Enlight Biosciences LLC | Boston

» EveryFit, Inc. | Cambridge

» Fundraise.com, Inc. | Boston

» Junctions | Brookline

» Kaminario, Inc. | Newton

» Loxal Rewards | Cambridge

» Modo Labs, Inc. | Cambridge

» Noblegen Biosciences, Inc. | Boston

» NuOrtho Surgical, Inc. | Fall River

» RippleFunction | Boston

» Thermedical, Inc. | Somerville

» Transatomic Power Corp. | Cambridge

» Typesafe, Inc. | Cambridge

» UsTrendy, Inc. | Cambridge

» Zigswitch, Inc. | Cambridge

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

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Boston Market | June 2011

2011-06-23T09:00:00.012-05:00

Web technology professionals should target advertising and marketing executives to enhance employment prospects. A net 19 percent of advertising and marketing executives plan to increase staffing levels in the third quarter. Here are the positions in top demand:

Web designers/developers
Mobile apps designers/developers
Interactive marketing managers

Only legal professionals are in greater demand according to the Robert Half Professional Employment Report for the third quarter of 2011 . Complete details are available in an 11-page report.

Boston Market

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated and appears in the right-hand column.Each technology links to job postings at Boston.com that list that technology keyword in the job description. The number of job postings has declined over the past 30 days and this may reflect a seasonal slowdown as the summer months begin.

None-the-less, jobs are plentiful. Even the technology in position #20 -- MySQL -- is mentioned in more than 100 job postings.

~ SQL Server is mentioned three times more frequently than MySQL.
~ SQL and Oracle are mentioned eight times more frequently than MySQL.

So, the ability to store and retrieve data is at the center of today's advertising- and marketing-driven, Web development landscape.

Next Action

If you are a Web technology professional and are interested in exploring opportunities in the marketplace, start with your LinkedIn list of connections. Search your connections for those that list "Marketing and Advertising" as their industry. Then, send each a message with an update on how you might be able to help them.

Advertising and marketing executives are looking for talented and experienced Web technology professionals. Let them know of your interest and availability. (If you also have a law degree, don't be shy in mentioning that skill as well!)

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Web Innovators Group | WebInno30

2011-06-11T09:00:00.016-05:00

Eleven companies. Eleven hundred networking opportunities. All in one room. All FREE.

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

This 30th installment will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

Lockify | Take control of your private communications..

Pintly | A new kind of beer website -- one that only recommends beer you're sure to love.

Smarterer | Show what you know by taking tests and sharing your skills.

Side Dishes

Apptegic | Do you know what your customers are doing?

Fantourage | Get rewarded for fandom!

GamesForLanguage | Learn languages the fun way!

Goshido | Focus on doing the work that matters.

The Happy Cloud | How longs are you willing to wait for your games?

TourSphere | The mobile app generator for museums & cultural destinations.

Zaarly | Helps you buy and sell with people around you.

CLOVR Media | Card Linked Offers with Virtual Redemption.

A Startup's Guide to Navigating Agencies & Brands

A special optional breakout session will begin at 8:00 pm. The panelists will discuss how to overcome the challenges that small startup companies have in attracting the attention of digital agencies and large brands with significant ad spending power.

Moderator: Dave Balter | CEO of BzzAgent
Panelist: Edward Boches | Chief Innovation Officer of Mullen
Panelist: Jeff McMahon | CEO of Agency Oasis
Panelist: Jessica DeVlieger | V.P. of Strategic Accounts at Communispace

Event Details

Monday, June 13, 2011, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 1,000 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 nearly 1,400 members.

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Seven Skills | Seven Cities

2011-05-17T09:00:00.016-05:00

Seven Web technology skills offer the greatest potential to advance your career. Seven cities offer the best prospects for employing these skills.

Seven Skills

Here are the specific IT skills that staffing executives say are most in demand—and that are commanding the highest pay rates:

Java
C#
PHP
Ruby on Rails
.NET
SQL
Oracle DBAs

For details access an article at CIO magazine entitled IT Pay Creeps Up After Two-Year Downward Spiral.

Seven Cities

Here are the seven cities with the best job prospects for technology workers:

Houston
Washington, DC
Columbus, OH
Detroit
Philadelphia
Edison, NJ
Boston

For details access an article at Forbes magazine entitled The Top 7 U.S. Cities To Find An IT Job Right Now.

One Action Plan

While it may not be realistic to uproot your family and move to another city, you can develop new skills that the marketplace wants and will compensate you for at above average wages.

Identify one of the top seven Web technology skills and develop a plan to get better at this skill. For example, 192 web-developers-in-training have committed to a 17-week self-study group to learn PHP. You can organize a self-study group and make a difference in your community.

There is no need for your career to be a crap shoot. Set a goal, develop a plan, get others involved.

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Boston Market | May 2011

2011-05-10T09:00:00.021-05:00

Two surveys provide insights into how workers find jobs and what employers are looking for in candidates.

Who You Know

How did you secure your most recent position?

"word-of-mouth" referrals | 28 percent
online job postings | 19 percent
recruitment/staffing firms | 16 percent
direct approaches from employers | 16 percent

More than 18,000 U.S. workers were included in these findings which were presented in the Kelly Global Workforce Index. This report is rich with information about the emerging effects of social media on job search and is worth a deeper look. [ Press Release | Complete Report ]

What You Know

What skills sets are employers looking for in new grads?

communications skills (written + verbal) | 69 percent
technical skills | 57 percent
project management skills | 44 percent

These findings included more than 2,800 hiring managers and human resource professionals and are reported in CareerBuilder’s Annual College Job Forecast.

Seven-Day Action Plan

Based on these findings, here are three questions to ask yourself about your goals for this week:

~ What networking event will I attend?
~ What article will I write or presentation will I make to my industry peers?
~ What project will I manage from start to finish?

Boston Market

Now for the technical skills. The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for May and is presented in the right-hand column. Many of the technical skills posted increases over the past 30 days. Twelve of the 20 skills were mentioned more frequently in job descriptions posted at Boston.com than this time last month.

The double-digit movers on the plus side were as follows:

#08 "Web Services" | 267 job postings 10%

#12 JSP | 181 job postings 20%

#13 UI | 176 job postings 31%

#18 Photoshop | 148 job postings 16%

Bottom line: Interpersonal skills + technical skills = increased opportunity

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Startup Watch | April 2011

2011-04-30T09:00:00.022-05:00

Annualized economic expansion rates during the first quarter of 2011:

~ U.S. economy | 1.8 percent
~ Massachusetts economy | 4.2 percent

The dramatic difference can be explained largely by the booming technology sector in Massachusetts according to new report issued by MassBenchmarks (Bloomberg Businessweek, Reuters).

Refer a Rockstar

You don't have to be a technology rockstar to benefit financially from this tech expansion. You simply need to be acquainted with Steven Tyler's techie twin.

To enter the Refer a Rockstar Lottery simply select the amount, click and refer!

$1,500 | $2,500 | $10,000 | $12,000

Startup Watch

Most of us don't have the catalog of hit tunes to become a judge on America Idol. If you are currently struggling to land a record deal, perhaps joining a garage band is the next step.

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 20 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» 28Wins | Cambridge

» Acceptional | Weston

» ByteLight | Boston

» Closed Loop Service | Tewksbury

» ExceLingo | Cambridge

» Family Health Portfolio, Inc. | Sherborn

» GamesForLanguage LLC | Watertown

» Getabl | Boston

» GoodTwo | Boston

» InCrowd LLC | Chestnut Hill

» KnowEssentials | Boston

» Luminaire Coffee | Somerville

» Modapt, Inc. | Wellesley

» MyTake LLC | Westborough

» Paperwork.Pro LLC | Cambridge

» PerkStreet Financial, Inc. | Boston

» PK Clean Technologies, Inc. | Cambridge

» SilverRail Technologies, Inc. | Woburn

» Swellr, Inc. | Woburn

» TrainingPal LLC | Cambridge

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web.

Boston Market | April 2011

2011-04-16T09:00:00.030-05:00

Companies are getting more aggressive at poaching talent from rival companies. This practice is more common in information technology (IT) than in other disciplines with 62% of hiring managers and recruiters agreeing that poaching in on the rise.

What industry sectors are ripe for poaching in New England?

industrial
medical
educational

What traits are hiring managers looking for?

multi-skilled
experienced
industry-specific

Details from two separate findings can be found at Dice.com: Dice Report and Local Markets.

There are no shortage of opportunities for Web professionals in the Boston area. Here are the current postings available at Dice.com:

web development | 776 opportunities
web design | 636 opportunities

Boston Market

Generic titles such as "web development" and "web design" can cover a wide area of technology skills. One job search strategy is to focus on an individual technology.

The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for April and appears in the right-hand column. The frantic pace of technology job postings has slowed over the past 30 days. None-the-less, every technology listed has seen a substantial increase in activity since the beginning of 2011.

Single-month movements do not signify a trend. However, it is worth noting that only three technologies experienced a net increase in job postings over the past 30 days. They are as follows:

Social Media | 261 opportunities 13%
PHP | 163 opportunities 07%
e-commerce | 163 opportunities 07%

Best Training Opportunity

The Boston PHP Meetup is offering a virtually FREE training opportunity to learn PHP, a popular Web programming language. This virtual self-study group is designed for PHP beginners only. The total monetary investment is the purchase of a book. Each participant commits to the following:

read one chapter of the book per week
complete the exercises associated with that chapter

An online discussion area has been created to answer questions and resolve challenges along the way. Since this training opportunity is virtual, participants are welcome from anywhere on the planet! More than 100 Boston area developers-in-training have signed up so far.

For details access Self-Study Group for PHP Beginners Begins May 1. Then click the "Join us!" button and reply to the discussion to begin the training.

[ FULL DISCLOSURE: This self-study opportunity, called PHP Percolate!, is coordinated by yours truly, the creator of Beantown Web. ]

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Startup Watch | March 2011

2011-04-07T09:00:00.020-05:00

Bloomberg Businessweek reports:

"As the economy rebounds, tech companies are battling over engineers, designers, computer scientists, and executives who can stay ahead of rapid change in the industry."

"Several factors are driving the talent grab. The rapid growth of social media, mobile technology, and e-commerce has fueled a run on employees with expertise in those fields. The recent increase in the number of startups is also fueling hiring."

Details can be found at Techdom's Talent Poaching Epidemic.

This perspective confirms last year's Gartner report of the top three Strategic Technologies for 2011:

Cloud
Mobile
Social

Enterprise Mobile Event

If you are looking for talent (or you are talent looking to be found), sign up now for a FREE networking event sponsored by Cisco. The Enterprise Mobile Event tour began in Austin, TX on April 4 and will visit the following cities:

San Francisco | April 11
Boston | April 11
Seattle | April 18
New York City | April 25

The Boston event will be held at the Liberty Hotel.

Once registered, let your network know about the Boston event on LinkedIn.

Startup Watch for March

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 20 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Asthma Signals, Inc. | Woburn

» City Penguin | Boston

» Defective Studios | Watertown

» EasyUnsubscriber.com | Boston

» essayCLOUD | Boston

» Forma Therapeutics, Inc. | Cambridge

» ImpulseSave | Cambridge

» Mobinett Interactive, Inc. | Medford

» Nimbus Discovery LLC | Cambridge

» Novogy, Inc. | Cambridge

» Oddfellow Studios, Inc. | Somerville

» PostPost | Waltham

» Privy | Boston

» Stonewedge Corp. | Andover

» Synapse Firing Squad LLC | Brighton

» Take the Interview | Boston

» The Tap Lab | Cambridge

» Triumphant Visions | Boston

» U for Life, Inc. | Needham

» Upward Mobility | Boston

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web.

Sources of Hire (SOH) Study | 2011

2011-03-30T09:00:00.020-05:00

Picture yourself sitting in a conference room with three coworkers. Only one of you would NOT consider a new job opportunity if approached with one, according to a newly released study.

Source: Plateau Systems

Are we in the early stages of a battle for talent?

Details of this survey of more than 2,500 U.S. workers are available in a press release and executive summary from Plateau Systems, a leading provider of integrated talent management solutions.

Sources of Hire Study

Whether you are actively seeking a new opportunity or passively awaiting a tap on the shoulder, the 10th Annual Sources of Hire (SOH) Study offers effective strategies for locating the exit sign.

This survey represents 36 large companies. These enterprises filled nearly 70,000 jobs in 2010. Where did these workers come from?

More than 50 percent of all jobs were filled by internal movement. Get your foot in the door. Do a good job. Move up!

The remaining jobs were filled by external candidates. If you are on the outside looking in, what is the BEST strategy for securing a new job with a new employer?

Land a referral!

Referrals: The #1 Source of External Hires

Referrals (27.5%) are more effective than job boards (24.9%).

Referrals (27.5%) are 11 times more effective than temp/contract-to-hire arrangements (2.4%).

Referrals (27.5%) are 15 times more effective than career fairs (1.8%).

Every 10 referrals results in one new hire. Compare that return with the number of times you may have launched your resume into the black hole of a computerized job posting service and received no reply.

For additional information access a press release and a full report of the 10th Annual Source of Hire (SOH) Study.

Conclusion

How do you land referrals?

~ get out and meet people in your industry

~ exceed expectations whenever possible

~ expand your LinkedIn connections

A referral could make the difference between "I'll stick around" and "I'm outta here!"

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Startup Watch | February 2011

2011-03-28T09:00:00.014-05:00

The number of tech workers in San Francisco today is nearing its peak in 2000. The city had more than 32,000 tech jobs last year, compared with approximately 34,000 in 2000. Could this be an indicator that a new bubble is about to burst?

Bay Area economists and commercial real estate experts think not. Today's startups seem more cautious. They rent less office space. Also, there is less risk of a bubble because investments by venture capitalists last quarter were less than one-fourth the value of investments made at the peak of the boom.

According to one Bay Area real estate expert:

"This leg of job growth is in its early stages. The whole dot-com revolution started in 1995, and it took five years to reach its crescendo."

Details are available in a San Francisco Chronicle article.

How does this translate to Boston? Perhaps it doesn't. However, startup companies do create jobs. According to StartUpHire.com there are nearly 800 job openings at startup companies in the Boston metro area.

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Startup Watch for February

Here are 12 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Aura Biosciences, Inc. | Cambridge

» Bliss Healthcare, Inc. | Waltham

» Conversation Media, Inc. | Brighton

» Good Start Genetics, Inc. | Boston

» HeadSpin Software, LLC | Burlington

» Jarvian, Inc. | Boston

» Owlchemy Labs, LLC | Watertown

» Playrific, Inc. | North Billerica

» Proteqt Technologies, Inc. | Franklin

» SocialSci | Cambridge

» SweetDeeds | Boston

» Ziptivity, LLC | Carlisle

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

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SXSW Interactive Awards | 2011

2011-03-19T09:00:00.015-05:00

This year's South By Southwest Interactive (SXSW) festival offered a showcase of trends in interactive design.

Taking home the Best of Show award was The Wilderness Downtown, the HTML5 experiment featuring the music of Grammy Award winning Arcade Fire. If you have not yet experienced the capabilities of HTML5 video coding technology, download Google Chrome and witness the future of interactive design.

Awards were handed out in 17 categories. The Film/TV category showcased Collapsus: The Energy Risk Conspiracy. Collapsus is a transmedia project that combines interactivity, animation, fiction, and documentary. The following three-minute video provides an overview of this emerging transmedia trend.

Collapsus Walkthrough from SubmarineChannel on Vimeo.

SXSW Interactive Awards Categories

Here are the 2011 award winners by category.

Activism: The Tiziano Project | 360° Kurdistan

Amusement: Most Awesomest Thing Ever

Art: The Johnny Cash Project

Business: Get Satisfaction

Classic: The Onion

Community: iFixit

Educational Resource: Rosetta Stone Version 4 TOTALe™

Experimental: Isle of Tune

Film/TV: Collapsus: The Energy Risk Conspiracy

Kiosk/Installation: Unilever - Smile Activated Vending Machine

Mobile: Airbnb

Motion Graphics: Record Tripping

Music: The Wilderness Downtown

Personal: JKVC Interactive & Print Design

Social Media: Conan O'Brien Presents: Team Coco

Student: FeedSpeaker

Technical Achievement: AP Timeline Reader

Special Honors

People's Choice: Groupon

Breakout Digital Trend: GroupMe

Speaker of the Event: Jane McGonigal

Digital Campaign of the Year: Old Spice: Smell Like a Man, Man

Best of Show: The Wilderness Downtown

For additional creative ideas check out The Finalists at the SXSW website.

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Boston Market | March 2011

2011-03-14T09:00:00.010-05:00

Job opportunities for Web technology professionals continued to expand over the past 30 days. The pace has slowed somewhat from last month's report. So have the referral bonuses.

March Referral Rewards

Marsh Sutherland at Walden Recruiting is offering $1,000 finder's fees for each of the following opportunities:

~ Web Designer (and mobile too!)

~ Senior Ruby on Rails Engineer

Joe Cronin at Edvisors is offering a $500 finder's fee for the following opportunity:

~ Director of Software Development and Engineering

What do these three opportunities have in common?

highly developed technical skills
experience implementing these skills in a Web (and increasingly mobile Web) environment

Dharmesh Shah from HubSpot, who fired the first $10,000 shot in the Boston battle for technology talent, reports as follows:

"For us, it's less about specific skills and more about finding people that have a passion for programming and a background delivering applications over the web."

Technical skills high on his list include the following:

Java
Python
PHP

Boston Market

It pays to develop your technical skills.

Java, Python and PHP are three skills in the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston. This list is updated monthly and appears in the right-hand column.

Java | 667 job opportunities 66% in two months
Python | 167 job opportunities 80% in two months
PHP | 152 job opportunities 31% in two months

The list of Average Salaries in Boston has also been updated for March. Data is supplied by CBSalary.com, a service of CareerBuilder.com. A sampling of jobs filled recently and the salaries offered to the selected candidates reveal the following:

Graphic Artist | $49,700
Graphic Designer | $66,600
Web Developer | $96,300
e-Commerce Programmer | $107,200
Web Architect | $116,100

It pays to develop your technical skills.

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Web Innovators Group | WebInno29

2011-03-04T09:00:00.018-05:00

Ten companies. Ten hundred networking opportunities. All in one room. All FREE.

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

This 29th installment will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

FollowUp.cc | Schedule your email to-do list. Earn respect by staying on track.

Practically Green | Learn to live healthier and greener.

Unbound Commerce | Mobile and Facebook commerce for retailers.

Side Dishes

Heretoo | The game begins early 2011

Media Armor | an analytics company that helps the mobile display advertising industry

MobiFlex | build complex native mobile apps without a developer

Newsle | news about your people

Postpost | a news aggregator for the social generation

Synchronize.TV | enables developers to create applications that augment the television viewing experience

TapCity | a multiplayer city-building game with a real-world twist

Building Products That Win

A special optional breakout session will begin at 8:00 pm. The panelists will discuss how to launch great internet products and scale high performing product teams.

Moderator: Nitzan Shaer | High Start Group
Panelist: Ben Foster | OPOWER
Panelist: Adam Medros | TripAdvisor
Panelist: Fareed Behmaram-Mosavat | Zynga

Event Details

Monday, March 7, 2011, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 1,000 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 nearly 1,400 members.

[ NOTE: Follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Startup Watch | January 2011

2011-02-27T09:00:00.012-05:00

As the job market for Web technology professionals heats up, the market for ninjas, gurus and rockstars is boiling!

Dharmesh Shah, Founder and CTO at HubSpot, is looking for developers. There is just one catch. Only awesome ones need apply. Refer an awesome developer and pocket $10,000. Check out the details in his blog post entitled HubSpot Fires First Shot in Boston Battle For Talent: $10,000 Bounty.

This is not just a Boston phenomenon. Rand Fishkin, CEO at SEOmoz in Seattle, has upped the ante to $12,000 for software engineers. Details at WANTED: Software Engineers REWARD: $12,000. To be considered you must be amazing.

GRANA Opportunities

So, are there job opportunities in the current market? Yes, if you can demonstrate GRANA skills:

Guru
Rockstar
Awesome
Ninja
Amazing

After all of the GRANA coders are locked up with long-term stock options there might even be a few opportunities remaining for mere mortals.

Startup Watch for January

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 11 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Acetylon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Boston

» Autotegrity, Inc. Cambridge

» Avantra Biosciences Corp. Woburn

» Baydin, Inc. Cambridge

» Gingko Bioworks Boston

» Grembe Apps, Inc. Marstons Mills

» MyPaperlessBills, Inc. Medford

» Novophage Therapeutics, Inc. Cambridge

» TerraVerdae BioWorks, Inc. Beverly

» UpRace Boston

» WaySavvy Boston

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

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Ruby on Rails | Boston

2011-02-18T09:00:00.008-05:00

The growing demand for Web technology workers can only be met by increasing the supply of skilled candidates. Skill is developed through a combination of training and practice.

Crisis or Opportunity?

The unemployment crisis is not abating. Yet, as reported in Boston Market | February 2011, the demand for Web technology workers increased steadily in 2010 and experienced an upward spike in January.

Still, many unemployed and underemployed workers are underskilled for these information technology opportunities.

Ruby on Rails

Let's dig deeper and explore a technology whose demand profile does not yet place it on the Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston list posted in the right-hand column:

~ Ruby on Rails | 43 job postings

This technology was developed by 37 Signals, creators of Basecamp, the popular online project collaboration tool, and authors of Rework, one of the Best Business Books of 2010. Wikipedia provides a nice overview of Ruby on Rails (RoR) which is defined as an open source web application framework.

You may already be using an RoR application and not even be aware of it. Twitter and Groupon are just two of many thousands of websites built using Ruby on Rails.

A recent Dice article confirms that "demand is high, but supply is low" for Ruby on Rails experts in the greater Boston area. There apparently is a talent shortage in other large technology markets as well, including Chicago.

Training Opportunity

A Cambridge-based venture capital firm, Fairhaven Capital, has joined forces with thoughtbot, inc., a Boston-based web design and development company, to offer Ruby on Rails training at a 50% discount. Not just anyone can sign up, however. You have to apply.

First, you must demonstrate experience in web languages such as Java, Python, C#, PHP, HTML, and SQL.

Second, preference will be given to developers from start-up companies.

If you feel you meet the qualification standards, then apply online for one of the 25 available training slots.

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Boston Market | February 2011

2011-02-13T09:00:00.018-05:00

Demand for information technology talent exploded in January!

Job postings for the top 20 Web-related technology skills in Boston increased 36 percent year over year, as detailed in the Boston Market | January 2011 post. From early January to early February these same technology skills experienced an average 49 percent increase!

Top 20 Skills (January 2010 - January 2011) 36%
Top 20 Skills (January 2011 - February 2011) 49%

We'll take a closer look at the numbers in a minute. First the bigger picture.

Job Growth 2010

According to the Labor Department three U.S. metropolitan areas added the most jobs in 2010:

Washington, DC
Dallas
Boston

All three cities are home to industries that are poised to hire this year:

information technology
biomedical research firms
government contractors

Details can be found in a Bloomberg Businessweek article.

Boston Market

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for February and appears in the right-hand column. The list is comprised of keyword searches for web-related technologies mentioned in job postings at Boston.com (managed by Monster.com).

The usual suspects of programming and database skills populate the Top 10 including the following:

#3 - Java 53% in 30 days
#5 - JavaScript 57% in 30 days
#6 - XML 50% in 30 days
#8 - C# 54% in 30 days

The biggest mover, however, enters the Top 10 for the first time:

#9 - social media 73% in 30 days

A closer looks at the posted jobs that list "social media" in the description reveals that many of the positions are more suited for writers and marketers. None-the-less, the social media experience occurs on the Web and Web technology professionals should know how to incorporate social media content into Web projects. This content includes, but is not limited to the following:

~ Facebook integration
~ Twitter integration
~ YouTube integration

Social Media Opportunity

Social media is not a passing fancy any more than the World Wide Web is a fad that will quietly disappear. Web technology professionals should consider adding "social media" to their technology skill set.

The best way to start is to develop a 30-day action plan to incorporate Facebook, Twitter and YouTube into your business communications.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Twitter. Follow Beantown Web @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Startup Watch | December 2010

2011-01-31T09:00:00.033-05:00

There are five differences between Boston and Silicon Valley. When compared to its California counterpart, Beantown exhibits the following:

an abundance of non-Web 2.0 companies
an abundance of events
an abundance of marketing talent
an obsession with raising capital
an ignorance of how to raise capital

These observations were offered up by Jeff Seibert, Engineering Manager at Palo Alto-based Box.net. Seibert recently relocated to open the company's new East Coast office in Central Square, Cambridge. Details can be found in a blog article compliments of Greenhorn Connect.

[ Update: Nikki Smith-Morgan @publicwords provides one additional area where Boston lags behind its Left Coast competitor. ]

If you are looking to learn more about the startup culture in Boston consider attending the next Meetup event offered by Lean Startup Circle Boston.

Startup Watch for December

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 18 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» AcceloWeb | North Easton

» Affectiva, Inc. | Waltham

» Basho Technologies, Inc. | Cambridge

» Cambridge Semantics, Inc. | Boston

» CFRx, Inc. | Charlestown

» Dear Panda LLC | Cambridge

» Edimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Cambridge

» Ginger Software, Inc. | Lexington

» Healthrageous, Inc. | Boston

» ItsMYurls LLC | Boston

» MedicalRecords.com | Cambridge

» MobiLaurus | Newton

» NewPower Energy Systems | Boston

» Provasculon, Inc. | Cambridge

» SBR Health | Cambridge

» StopGoStopGo | Boston

» Swift Mobile, Inc. | Cambridge

» Worldwide Center of Mathematics LLC | Cambridge

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Twitter. Follow Beantown Web @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web. ]

Boston Market | January 2011

2011-01-13T09:00:00.019-05:00

An upward hiring trend is expected in 2011 and information technology (IT) workers are in best position to benefit from this increase in employment demand.

This finding was revealed in a report released by CareerBliss, an online career community designed to help everyone find happiness in the workplace. Here are the five career specialties with the highest anticipated job openings:

Information Technology
Sales
Engineering
Marketing
Healthcare

Access Top Hiring Cities and Jobs for 2011 from CareerBliss for details.

Boston Market

Information technology is a broad category. In many instances specific technology expertise and experience are required to fill these positions.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for January and appears in the right-hand column. The list is comprised of keyword searches for web-related technologies mentioned in job postings at Boston.com (managed by Monster.com).

The average Top 20 technology has experienced a 36% increase in demand since early January 2009. Here are the technologies that have demonstrated the greatest job growth in the past 12 months:

SEO (#17) 67%
PHP (#14) 63%
ASP.NET (#12) 62%
MySQL (#18) 54%

Here is the biggest mover not yet in the Top 20:

jQuery (#27) 87%

Other technologies experiencing above average year-over-year growth include the following:

Web Services (#8) 47%
HTML + CSS (#9) 45%
Ajax (#10) 42%
C# (#7) 42%
Oracle (#2) 42%
SQL (#1) 37%
SQL Server (#4) 35%

Web professionals who have developed an expertise in these technologies and can demonstrate projects that utilize these skills will likely command attention as the job market continues to expand during the first quarter.

NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Twitter. Follow Beantown Web @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web]

Best Business Books | 2010

2011-01-09T09:00:00.003-05:00

Seven books stand above the rest as the Best Business Books of 2010.

What follows is Beantown Web's annual quasi-scientific analysis of the Best Business Books published in the previous year. The search began with an online review of 10 "Best of" lists from the following sources:

All told, 103 books were mentioned on at least one "Best of" list. Among these offerings twenty books were mentioned on two lists (The Honorable Mention).

Best Business Books | Runners Up

Here are the four books identified on three lists (The Runners Up):

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy
Rework

Best Business Books | Winners

~ Third place, mentioned on five of the 10 lists: Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

~ Second place, mentioned on six of the 10 lists: The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine

~ First place, mentioned on seven of the 10 lists: Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard?

Personal Recommendations

I can personally vouch for four of the seven books identified, having read and posted reviews for the following:

I look forward to chilly winter nights getting acquainted with the other three recommended books. [ Note: Check out additional bookshelf recommendations in the right-hand column. ]

Suggested Success Strategy

Identify one book from the seven listed above and commit to learning more about the business world. Making a study of best business practices can only help improve job prospects and career success as we continue to establish a foothold in "the new normal."

Check out previous lists:

[ NOTE: Facebook Fans of Beantown Web gain access to a list of the 20 additional books that made The Honorable Mention list. Become a fan today! ]

Startup Watch | November 2010

2010-12-20T09:00:00.010-05:00

Openings for IT (information technology) contract workers are at their highest level in more than a decade, according to a Boston Globe article. David MacKeen, CEO of Eliassen Group, an IT staffing firm, was quoted as saying, "I think we’re on the verge of a substantial growth cycle."

One place to look for opportunities is in the start-up community. According to StartUpHire there are more than 800 job openings at Boston area startup companies. talentGraphz provides a listing of nearly 300 startup companies in the Boston area.

Startup Watch for November

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 23 startup companies in the greater Boston area that Mass High Tech suggests you keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Active Interview | Cambridge

» BookBlunder | Boston

» CardStar, Inc. | Boston

» CaringWise, Inc. | Boston

» Carrot Medical LLC | Boston

» CellMosaic LLC | Worcester

» Entheogen Corp. | Boston

» EximFlow, Inc. | Boston

» eZuce, Inc. | Newburyport

» FloDesign Sonics, Inc. | Wilbraham

» iCar | Somerville

» Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc. | Newton

» Media Armor, Inc. | Boston

» Nemucore Medical Innovations | Worcester

» Practically Green LLC | Boston

» ProctorCam LLC | Boston

» Retroficiency, Inc. | Boston

» Styleta, Inc. | Cambridge

» TapWalk | Medford

» Tarpon BioSystems, Inc. | Marlborough

» VisitorsCafe | Boston

» VivoPath LLC | Worcester

» Wingu, Inc. | Cambridge

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Twitter. Follow Beantown Web @webapprentices and on Facebook by becoming a Fan of Beantown Web]

Boston Market | December 2010

2010-12-10T09:00:00.027-05:00

Two new hiring reports promise a bright New Year for information technology professionals with in-demand job skills.

Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, Q1 2011

After five straight quarters of employment growth Manpower has released the most optimistic hiring expectations in more than two years.

A survey of more than 18,000 employers revealed the following expectations for the first quarter of 2011:

14% expect an increase in staff levels
10% expect a decrease in staff levels

The result is a Net Employment Outlook (NEO) of +4%. The following industry sectors have the highest outlooks:

Leisure & Hospitality (+12%)
Professional & Business Services (+11%)
Information (+10%)

Information technology professionals will be in demand in 2011. Access a press release for a summary or a more detailed 12-page report.

Dice Report, December 2010

For a drill-down into information technology skills most in-demand, access a Special Edition of the Dice Report for December 2010.

Six in ten hiring managers and technology recruiters expect to increase hiring in the first half of 2011 as compared to the previous six months. When asked what their top hiring priority was for 2011, developers held five of the top six slots as follows:

#1 ~ Java developer
#2 ~ .NET developer
#3 ~ Software developer
#5 ~ Mobile developer
#6 ~ Web developer

Nearly 850 human resource managers and recruiters responded to the Dice survey.

Boston Market, December 2010

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated and appears in the right-hand column. Consistent with the Dice findings Top 10 developer skills include the following:

#3 ~ Java | 510 job listings
#5 ~ C# | 288 job listings
#10 ~ ASP.NET | 160 job listings

Surprisingly, the following mobile technologies barely crack the Top 50:

#48 ~ iPhone | 21 job listings
#49 ~ Android | 20 job listings

Best Training Opportunity

If you are new to Web development consider joining the Boston PHP Meetup. The December 15 meeting will feature a presentation on Google Analytics by Jay Murphy.

The meeting will also feature an announcement of the introduction of PHP Percolate!, a virtual self-study group designed to help beginners learn PHP programming.

[ NOTE: Beantown Web is now on Twitter. Follow Beantown Web @webapprentices ]

Web Innovators Group | WebInno28

2010-11-26T09:00:00.005-05:00

Ten companies. Ten hundred networking opportunities. All in one room. All FREE.

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

This fifth anniversary event -- and 28th installment overall -- will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

FanSwarm | A game that allows you to back real life celebrities and watch their buzz rise and fall.

HowAboutWe | putting the date back in dating: magical dates, simple dates, wild dates, lovely dates.

Moontoast | create connections with real impact -- on your audience and your bottom line.

Side Dishes

Ginger Software |the leading contextual spell and grammar checker on the market today

My-Take | the ultimate community to declare, discuss and share your opinions and earn rewards

Penmia | an application that allows you to record any moment in life

SocialSci | connects researchers with a global online community

Smashion | a social fashion site connection people with a passion for fashion

Promoboxx | create world-class social promotions and contests that drive leads

Woopid | watch free technology training videos

Event Details

Monday, November 29, 2010, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 1,000 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 1,300 members.

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.net Magazine Awards | 2010

2010-11-21T09:00:00.008-05:00

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 2010 awards will be published in an upcoming issue (#210) 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 award winners for 2010:

+ Web application of the year » Typekit

+ Community site of the year » Ravelry

+ Best API use » Flipboard

+ Interactive site of the year » Chrome FastBall

+ Blog of the year » Smashing Magazine

+ Podcast of the year » Sitepoint

+ Video podcast of the year » The Big Web Show

+ Design agency of the year » Happy Cog

+ Innovation of the year » Node.js

+ Web personality of the year » Jason Santa Maria

+ Viral campaign of the year » Old Spice

+ Standards champion » Jeffrey Zeldman

+ Open source application of the year » Modernizr

+ Redesign of the year » BBC News

+ Mobile site of the year » Flickr

+ Mobile app of the year » Dropbox

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

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Top 50 Requested Skills | Q3 2010

2010-11-20T09:00:00.036-05:00

Freelance developers and designers can compare their current skill set with marketplace demand by accessing State of the Work-From-Home and Freelancing Economy. This third quarter report is presented by DoNanza, the largest search engine for work-from-home and freelance jobs.

Content Management Systems

The report begins with a comparison of the Big Three Content Management Systems (CMS):

WordPress | #7
Joomla! | #17
Drupal | #43

CMS Conclusion

While the highest demand in the CMS freelance market is for WordPress developers, project budgets are highest for Drupal developers, perhaps because these projects tend to be more complicated and time consuming.

What is most striking is the average budget per project:

WordPress | $455
Joomla! | $473
Drupal | $915

Does this mean that in order to generate $50,000 per year in revenue, WordPress and Joomla! developers need to complete approximately two projects per week?

Bigger Picture

Buried at the bottom of this report is the Top 50 Requested Skills. A comparison of this list for freelancers with the Top 20 Twenty Web Technologies in Boston (right-hand column) for job seekers yields some interesting results.

Caveat: With all ranking systems someone will likely be unhappy. Just take a look at the NCAA College Football Polls. Apples and oranges comparisons should never be taken as gospel. The two lists in this comparison measure different things. None-the-less, general patterns emerge.

Twenty technologies appear on the Top 50 versions of both lists. Only six technologies are common to both Top 20 lists.

Top Six Skills

Web developers and designers who are open to BOTH job opportunities and freelance gigs can maximize their universe of possibilities by focusing on the following six technology skills (freelance ranking vs. job list ranking):

Web professionals who want to be in position to play for a national championship should develop these six fundamental "blocking and tackling" skills and take on projects that demonstrate proficiency with these technologies.

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Boston Market | November 2010

2010-11-14T09:00:00.026-05:00

Here are two reasons why Bostonians should be optimistic about employment prospects:

Boston ranks #2 in overall job creation over the past 12 months
Boston ranks #5 (tie) in job opportunities per unemployed worker

NOTE: Factoring in population size, Boston drops from #2 to #13 in overall job creation as many smaller markets outperformed Boston on a percentage basis. The only larger metropolitan area to outperform Boston was Washington, DC.

If you live outside the Boston metro area, check out the rankings for your home town:

Job Rankings for 100 Biggest Markets
Job Market Competition for the 50 Most Populous Metropolitan Areas

Top 20 Web Technologies

Drilling deeper, what does the job market look like for workers with Web technology skills?

The monthly listing of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated and appears in the right-hand column. The list is ordered by how many times that technology was mentioned in job descriptions at Boston.com (managed by Monster.com). As expected, programming and database skills dominate the list.

To add a new twist this month, let's explore emerging programming skills.

The Magnificent Seven

InfoWorld published an article entitled 7 Programming Languages on the Rise. Dice provides a compact summary listing the languages as follows (links to Wikipedia):

An analysis of the market demand for these programming skills reveals the following opportunities in the Boston marketplace:

Python | 116 job opportunities
Ruby | 52 job opportunities
MATLAB | 79 job opportunities
JavaScript | 286 job opportunities
R | ?? job opportunities **
Erlang | 3 job opportunities
COBOL | 7 job opportunities

** NOTE: Searching on "R" offers up too many false positives, such as nursing jobs (RN).

So, the major players in this shootout are as follows:

JavaScript (286)
Python (116)
MATLAB (79)
Ruby (52)

MATLAB is not used in Web applications, R is a mystery in the marketplace, and Erlang and COBOL offer few job opportunities.

Therefore, Web professionals should consider beefing up their filmography by adding one or more of the following character roles to help boost box office clout:

JavaScript | Yul Brynner
Python | Steve McQueen
Ruby | Charles Bronson

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Strategic Technologies for 2011

2010-10-31T09:00:00.029-05:00

Which strategic technologies will have a significant impact on your organization (and your career) over the next three years? Gaining experience with these technologies can position you for future opportunities.

Gartner, the world's leading information technology research and advisory company, has identified 10 technologies that should be on your radar screen today. Here are the top three:

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is Internet-based computing which frequently takes the form of web-based tools or applications that users can access and use through a web browser, as if it were a program installed locally on their own computer.

Cloud computing service providers include companies such as Salesforce, Amazon and Google.

Mobile Applications & Media Tablets

Mobile application development is the process by which applications are developed for handheld devices such as mobile phones and, increasingly, media tablets, such as the iPad.

Gartner estimates that by the end of 2010, 1.2 billion people will carry commerce-enabled mobile devices.

Social Communications & Collaboration

A social network service is an online service, platform or site that focuses on building social relations among people who share interests and/or activities.

Most of us are familiar with services such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. However, Gartner identified four sub-categories as follows:

social networking
social collaboration
social publishing
social feedback

CMS Networking Opportunities

You can best remember these three strategic technologies with the acronym CMS:

Cloud
Mobile
Social

Access a Gartner press release to reveal the complete list of Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2011.

Cloud

If you live in the Boston area you can attend the inaugural gathering of the Cloud Innovation Showcase on Wednesday, November 10. You can also join the CloudInno Group on LinkedIn.

Mobile

If you live in the Boston area you can join Mayor Tom Menino as he introduces Citizens Connect 2.0 on Monday, November 8. This Mobile Monday Boston Event is open to anyone interested in developing mobile apps which connect the people of Boston with city government.

Social

If you live in the Boston area you can join Social Media Club Boston for their next event, Social Nation Tweetup on Thursday, November 4. You can also join the Social Media Club Group on LinkedIn.

All three Boston CMS (Cloud, Mobile, Social) Networking events are FREE!

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Startup Watch | October 2010

2010-10-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

The fall appears to be a good time to unleash your inner entrepreneur.

Startup Weekend

Startup Weekend events are being hosted in more than 50 cities across the United States and Canada, and an equal number of international cities.

For details about an event near you access the Startup Weekend website for a list of participating cities. Boston Startup Weekend will be held November 12 through 14 and will focus on mobile technologies.

Cloud Innovation Showcase

In addition, a new event arrives in Boston on Wednesday, November 10 called the Cloud Innovation Showcase.

Modeled after the popular Web Innovators Group, the event focuses on cloud-related startups, as well as, organizations adopting cloud computing. Access a press release for additional details.

The conference will be held at The Charles Hotel, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Registration is required for this FREE event which features keynote speaker Raymie Strata, Chief Technology Officer at Yahoo!

Startup Watch for October

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Here are 18 startup companies in the greater Boston area that Mass High Tech suggests you keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» AdelaVoice Corp. | Boston

» BirthData Pro, LLC | Scituate

» Close-Haul Communications, Inc. | Boston

» CoupMe Worldwide, LLC | Needham

» FYItag, Inc. | Andover

» Goozzy | Newton

» Graphene Laboratories, Inc. | Reading

» ImageRights International, Inc. | Cambridge

» JoyTunes Ltd. | Boston

» Jumper Networks, Inc. | White Horse Beach

» Ligon Discovery, Inc. | Cambridge

» My Digital Afterlife, LLC | Quincy

» SmashFly Technologies, LLC | Stow

» Sonian, Inc. | Needham

» Symmetric Computing, Inc. | Boston

» VideoAResume, LLC | Sharon

» Viridity Software, Inc. | Burlington

» Wikibon | Marlborough

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

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Boston Market | October 2010

2010-10-16T09:00:00.019-05:00

One in five employers expect to hire full-time staff during the next three months. One in four plan to hire contract or temporary workers. If you live in the Northeast the percentages are likely higher.

Professions in Demand

Information Technology (IT) professionals are three times more likely to be in demand than creative/design professionals.

Here are the positions for which employers are most likely to hire contract or temporary staff for the remainder of 2010:

IT | 27 percent
Administrative | 25 percent
Engineering | 12 percent
Finance and Accounting | 12 percent
Sales and Marketing | 10 percent
Creative/Design | 9 percent

Size of Companies Hiring

Large companies are more likely than small companies to hang a Help Wanted sign during the fourth quarter:

~ employers with more than 250 employees | 26 percent are hiring
~ employers with 51 to 250 employees | 24 percent are hiring
~ employers with 50 or less employees | 13 percent are hiring

These findings were obtained from a survey that included more than 2,400 hiring managers and human resource professionals and more than 3,100 workers. A press release is available from CareerBuilder. A Flash player version of the survey results is also available.

Boston Market October

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for October and is presented in the right-hand column.

The biggest monthly movers on the upside include Microsoft technologies:

~ ASP.NET | up 32%
~ C# up | 26%
~ SQL Server | up 12%

Other technologies also saw double digit monthly gains:

~ Python | up 23%
~ PHP | up 17%
~ Web Services | up 13%
~ Ajax | up 11%

Year-End Rally

Clearly, programming skills are in demand. If you are looking for work, here is a two-part strategy for participating in a successful year-end jobs rally:

develop and highlight your information technology (IT) skills
target companies with 50 or more employees

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Startup Watch | September 2010‏

2010-10-10T09:00:00.005-05:00

Entrepreneurship is crucial to job creation. In a Newsweek article entitled The Real Jobs Machine, Robert J. Samuelson discusses the experience of Morris Panner, founder of Boston-based OpenAir and current CEO of TownFlier.

According to StartUpHire.com there are currently more than 800 job openings at startup companies in the Boston metro area.

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Startup Watch for September

Here are 14 startup companies in the greater Boston area that Mass High Tech suggests you keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Anagraph Medical Solutions, Inc. | Cambridge

» Athleague, Inc. | Boston

» Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Cambridge

» ConnectScholar, Inc. | Swampscott

» Eleven Learning | Cambridge

» Episend, Inc. | Watertown

» FashionStake | Boston

» HanGenix | Chelmsford

» Metamark Genetics, Inc. | Cambridge

» My Life List, LLC | Swampscott

» netBlazr, Inc. | Newton

» Qwobl, Inc. | Cambridge

» ResearchGATE Corp. | Cambridge

» TDC, LLC | Brookline

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

[ NOTE: If you are interested in learning more about entrepreneurship in Boston, check out the BREW Calendar of Events. ]

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5,000 Fastest Growing Companies | 2010

2010-09-29T09:00:00.024-05:00

Fast growing companies emerge, even during the Great Recession. The median growth rate over the past three years for the 5,000 fastest growing companies in the United States is 96 percent.

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:

New York City | 401 companies
Washington, DC | 365 companies
Los Angeles | 260 companies
Chicago | 199 companies
Boston | 184 companies
Atlanta | 178 companies
Dallas / Fort Worth | 158 companies
San Francisco | 156 companies
Philadelphia | 132 companies
Houston | 116 companies

Fast growing companies are more likely than slow growing companies to be hiring as the economy begins to improve.

Fast growing companies are more likely than slow growing companies to be receptive to the business-to-business services you and your company might offer.

Access the Inc 5000 list and see which companies are growing the fastest. Use the advanced search feature to identify the fastest growing companies in your state. Or simply click the following link and change the two character state abbreviation (MA) to your state:

http://www.inc.com/inc5000/search/2010/x/x/x/x/x/MA/

Fastest Growing Companies in Massachusetts

Inc. magazine has identified 194 fast growing companies in Massachusetts. Facebook Fans of Beantown Web gain instant access to a database of these 194 companies, searchable by city. Become a Facebook Fan today.

Listed below are the 50 fastest growing private companies in Massachusetts:

Carbonite | Boston
Gazelle | Boston

Food Should Taste Good | Needham Heights

Reveal Imaging Technologies | Bedford

Crowe Paradis Services | North Reading

PlumChoice | Billerica

Cube 3 Studio | Lawrence

LoyaltyExpress | Woburn

Rapid7 | Boston

Bridge Energy Group | Marlborough

aPriori | Concord

BackOffice Associates | South Harwich

Guidance Technology | Sharon

InBoxer | Burlington

Kurgo | Salisbury

Pro Teck Services | Waltham

Zipcar | Cambridge

Genuine Interactive | Boston

Bioengineering Group | Salem

IneoQuest Technologies | Mansfield

Staticworx | Watertown

Culbert Healthcare Solutions | Woburn

Blue Cod Technologies | Marlborough

Sullivan and Cogliano Training Centers | Brockton

Quantech Services | Lexington

Senior Whole Health | Cambridge

Neighborhood Diabetes | Woburn

eClinicalWorks | Westborough

SEI Boston | Boston

NWN Corporation | Waltham

Winslow Technology Group | Boston

Litle & Co. | Lowell

Watermark Environmental, Inc. | Lowell

Long Term Solutions | Natick

Universal Mind | Westfield

CNE Direct | Beverly

Cambridge NanoTech | Cambridge

Radius Financial Group | Norwell

Planet Shoes | Waltham

Trinity Building & Construction Management Corp. | Woburn

Massachusetts Technology Corporation | Allston

Boston Interactive | Charlestown

Johnny Cupcakes | Hull

WorldAPP | Braintree

VoIP Logic | Williamstown

LifeSpan Technology Recycling | Newton

AVEO Pharmaceuticals | Cambridge

EMBER Corporation | Boston

TPR Media | Jamaica Plain

Plenus Group | Lowell

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The Great Recession | RIP 2007 - 2009

2010-09-21T09:00:00.012-05:00

The Great Recession lasted 18 months. It ended 15 months ago.

OK. That's out of the way. Now, how do we get people back to work?

Source: The New York Times

According to The Times, each of the three most recent post-recession recoveries have been "jobless recoveries."

Learn More to Earn More

In each recession some jobs go away and don't return. New opportunities are created. Training might be required to take advantage of these new opportunities. This might be especially true in the fast moving world of Web technologies.

Training Opportunity #1

Flash | Flex | AIR | ColdFusion

According to Adobe's Brian Rinaldi, "the Wall Street Journal recently reported that demand for Flash developers has been growing."

Brian coordinates "RIA Unleashed : Boston 2010, a two-day event (November 11 - 12) covering general web application development and the Adobe Flash Platform including Flex, AIR, ColdFusion and related technologies and disciplines.

Training Opportunity #2

Ruby on Rails

Business Insider offers the following thought: Looking for work? Learn Ruby on Rails. Mass High Tech reports a similar demand for Rails developers in Startups Competing with Big Firms for Boston Tech Talent.

Boston Rubyists offers an informal Rails Coding Mashup on Saturday, September 25. If you are looking for something more formal, check out Thoughtbot's Test Driven Rails, a two-day training opportunity in Boston, October 12 - 13.

Training Opportunity #3

SharePoint

Talbott Crowell is one of the co-founders of the Boston Area SharePoint Users Group. He is one of the co-organizers of SharePoint Saturday. This event will be held for the third time on Saturday, September 25.

SharePoint Saturday is FREE and open to the public. Three session tracks are available: End User, Developer and Administrator. Register now and begin learning this in-demand Microsoft technology and start networking with Boston area technology professionals.

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Web Innovators Group | WebInno27

2010-09-12T09:00:00.008-05:00

Eleven companies. Eleven hundred networking opportunities. All FREE.

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

This 27th installment (WebInno27) will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

Play 140 | we make social games with words

TurningArt | rotate artwork in your home

AisleBuyer | the world's first virtual shopping assistant and mobile self-checkout

Side Dishes

Discovir | follow your interests; follow anything

HuddleHub | manage all of your fantasy sports teams in one application

Webiva | performance inbound marketing platform

Custommade | your source for all things custom made

Brass Monkey | an SDK which connects multiple devices over a WIFI network

Athleague | intramural sports made easy

Zazu | tells you what you need to know to start your day off right

Episend | send anything to anyone

Special Breakout Session

A panel discussion entitled Self-Funded Success Stories will be conducted with the following entrepreneurs:

[NOTE: Simply click the "in" icon to view the individual's LinkedIn profile.]

Steve Conine | Co-Founder of CSN Stores

David Hauser | Co-Founder of Grasshopper

Todd Garland | Founder of BuySellAds

Event Details

Monday, September 13, 2010, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of more than 1,100 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 1,300 members.

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Boston Market | September 2010

2010-09-11T09:00:00.013-05:00

More than 4,000 business executives were surveyed about their hiring plans for the fourth quarter. Here are two highlights:

nearly half of executives (47 percent) said it is challenging to find skilled professionals today
executives in the business services sector anticipate the most professional-level hiring in the fourth quarter, a net 16 percent increase

These findings bode well for workers who have a proven track record of delivering high quality professional services. Additional details are available in a press release available from Robert Half International, a recognized leader in professional staffing services.

Boston Market | September

The job market for technology professionals in the Boston marketplace continues to demonstrate resilience. Fifteen of the Top 20 Web technologies posted an increase in demand during the month of August, a period of traditionally sluggish hiring.

Here are the Top 5 most in-demand technologies according to a keyword search at Boston.com:

SQL | 798 09%
Oracle | 727 18%
Java | 443 02%
XML | 310 08%
SQL Server | 307 08%

Here are the technologies that round out the Top 10:

JavaScript | 272 03%
C# | 227 03%
HTML + CSS | 176 09%
"Web Services" | 175 08%
Perl | 170 02%

The remaining technologies that comprise the Top 20 are listed in the right-hand column.

The Boston Two Step

To succeed in this economy, it's helpful to develop dance moves like John Travolta. Here is a two-step plan to expand your business prospects for the remainder of 2010:

Step #1: Workers who provide professional services, including Web designers and developers, should consider targeting companies in the business services sector for the remainder of 2010. These companies are most likely to be expanding their staff to meet demand.

Step #2: Develop a plan to become a skilled professional that nearly 50% of executives say are difficult to find. For Web designers and developers this means demonstrating proficiency in several Top 10 Web technologies. Add country coding moves to your disco design skills.

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Startup Watch | August 2010

2010-09-03T09:00:00.006-05:00

Two services provide insights into the Boston startup community.

The Boston Startup Tracker identifies the Top 100 startups in the Boston area based on website traffic and engagement. Clicking on a name provides a profile of that company including current job openings. The tracker is updated monthly.

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow." These companies may not be as established as the ones that make the Boston Startup Tracker list.

Startup Watch for August

Here are 20 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Aisle Buyer | Boston

» Audax Medical, Inc. | Littleton

» Eldersync.com | Boston

» Erelyx, Inc. | Boston

» Fivi | Boston

» g2gConnect, LLC | Framingham

» Glassbooth | Cambridge

» Greenbean Recycle | Somerville

» GroundedPower, Inc. | Newton Lower Falls

» MindChild Medical, Inc. | Andover

» NowRelevant.com | Woburn

» Open Near Me, LLC | Lexington

» OsmoPure | Boston

» Pozit | Boston

» Shareable Ink | Newton

» SkinnyTrip, Inc. | Somerville

» Solar Engineering Solutions, Inc. | Cambridge

» Trenergi Corp. | Hopkinton

» Zero Carbon, Inc. | Rockport

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

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Fastest Growing Companies | Fortune 100‏

2010-08-31T09:00:00.010-05:00

Vacation over -- back to work!

“From July to September, 15% of the companies interviewed (in Massachusetts) plan to hire more employees."

Of the 18,000 U.S. employers surveyed, 18% expect to increase their staff levels during the third quarter according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. The fourth quarter survey is due in early September.

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 annual list of the 100 fastest growing Fortune 500 companies.

While 20 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:

California | 15
Texas | 8
New York | 6
Massachusetts | 5
Michigan | 5
Illinois | 5

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 your LinkedIn connections at that organization. ]

Pegasystems | Cambridge
NetScout Systems | Westford
Cubist Pharmaceuticals | Lexington
Sapient | Boston
Vistaprint | Lexington *
Biogen Idec | Weston

NOTE: Vistaprint is listed as an international company. Its US Operations are headquartered in Lexington, MA.

Additional Resources

Additional fast-growing lists include the following:

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Chowda Chat | Brian Rinaldi

2010-08-30T09:00:00.003-05:00

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 Brian Rinaldi, applications developer, software engineer and fellow blogger at Remote Synthesis.

You have a Bachelors Degree in History and English from The University of Miami. How did you make the transition to applications development and land that first programming position?

"Well, to be honest, I just needed a job and history wasn't cutting it. I started working for a marketing firm in Miami and messing around with web site development in Dreamweaver. A friend of mine told me he had taken this Fast Track to ColdFusion course, gotten a job at a startup and was making good money. So, on his recommendation, I took the course and he got me hired at his company and the rest is history. Such was the 90's, you didn't need much experience to get hired as a developer. Times have certainly changed."

Is it true that you just joined the Adobe team here in Boston? What is your new role?

"I joined Adobe on August 16th. My title is Web Community Manager for Flash Platform. I work with the Learning Resources team within Adobe that produces things like the API documentation, community help and many other valuable content resources. The goal of my job is to help our team to have a direct channel to the community for contributions and feedback. I'm extremely excited about it as it gives me the opportunity to continue to work closely with the products I love as a developer while staying closely connected to the community that I have been so involved with over the years."

You are passionate about rich internet applications (RIA). How can our readers obtain training in this emerging field?

"First of all, as a developer, RIA's are just too much fun to build and offer so many exciting possibilities. I've been focused on Adobe-related technologies that can extend the user experience beyond the browser to the desktop and mobile devices. Several years ago I got so excited about the potential for these technologies that I created RIA Unleashed : Boston, an annual conference that I coordinate for the developer community."

"RIA Unleashed : Boston 2010 is a two-day event covering general web application development and the Adobe Flash Platform including Flex, AIR, ColdFusion and related technologies and disciplines. We have a full slate of topics and workshops. Best of all, I work really hard to keep the pricing on this event incredibly low so that anyone interested can afford to attend."

"While these technologies may not show up on the Top 20 lists often posted here they are filled with vibrant communities doing amazing things. Not just that but the job demand is there and growing. For instance, the Wall Street Journal recently had an article reporting how demand for Flash developers has been growing."

Final Thought

"Just because a language or technology doesn't show up on the top 20 list doesn't mean there isn't a solid job market in that technology. I personally see the skill set of the future (with the future being measured in months not years) landing more along the lines of someone who can translate applications across the multiple "screens" that companies want a presence in, whether it be web, desktop, mobile, devices, television and in the cloud. However, this will be a skill that is tough to boil down to keyword or two on a job posting. Join us at RIA Unleashed : Boston to learn more."

Follow Brian Rinaldi on Twitter.

Previous Chowda Chats

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Fastest Growing Startups | 2010

2010-08-16T09:00:00.042-05:00

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:

San Francisco
Boston
New York
Washington, DC
Seattle
Philadelphia
Austin
Atlanta

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

[ 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. ]

Acceleron Pharma | Cambridge
PatientKeeper | Newton
Communispace | Watertown
Stratus Technologies | Maynard
Crossbeam Systems | Boxborough
Acquia | Woburn
Zipcar | Cambridge

According to StartUpHire.com there are currently more than 900 job openings at startup companies in the Boston metro area. Fast growing companies need bright, energetic workers. Start making connections today!

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Boston Market | August 2010

2010-08-10T09:00:00.023-05:00

Are you stuck in the middle?

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, being a middle-skilled worker seeking middle-skilled wages may not be an attractive place to hang your shingle.

Longer-term trends are at play. For one, the U.S. education system hasn't been producing enough people with the highly specialized skills that many companies, particularly in manufacturing, require to keep driving productivity gains. "There are a lot of people who are unemployed, but those aren't necessarily the people employers are looking for," says David Autor, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

For details access "Some Firms Struggle to Hire Despite High Unemployment"

While the article focuses on technology skills in manufacturing, a similar case might be argued for "middle-skilled" Web technology workers.

Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for August and appears in the right-hand column. "Middle-skilled" Web technologies might be defined as those Web skills that fall short of the Top 20 list.

It's not that these skills are not in demand, it's simply that other skills are mentioned more frequently in job descriptions, and thus appear to be in greater demand by employers.

The current threshold to make the Top 20 hovers around 100 job postings that mention a particular skill. Here are a few technologies that fall just short of this Top-20 threshold:

22. Flash | 96 job postings
26. jQuery | 71 job postings
27. SEO | 69 job postings
29. Illustrator | 56 job postings

High Skill + High Demand

Whatever collection of Web technology skills you currently possess it is in your best interest to develop a high degree of competence and confidence in your skill-set. If you feel you are "stuck in the middle" then perhaps an upgrade is in order.

The top seven technologies are mentioned at least 200 times in job descriptions. Perhaps an upgrade to a skill that is in greater demand might be in order:

1. SQL | 735 job postings
2. Oracle | 615 job postings
3. Java | 450 job postings
4. XML | 286 job postings
5. SQL Server | 285 job postings
6. JavaScript | 263 job postings
7. C# | 235 job postings

Needless-to-say, programming skills and database expertise never seem to go out of style. Demonstrating a "high-skill" level in a high-demand technology might be the road not taken to avoid becoming "stuck in the middle."

For additional information, check out a previous blog article:

Web Technology Skills | Mid-Year Review 2010

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Interactive Media Awards | Q2 2010‏

2010-08-03T09:00:00.005-05:00

The Interactive Media Awards honors outstanding achievement in website design and development. The awards are annual and are judged on a quarterly basis according to a rolling list of industry categories. The award winners for the second quarter have recently been announced.

Web designers and developers can view these sites to benchmark quality standards and stimulate creativity.

Best in Class

Here are the winning websites for the second quarter listed by category:

» Arts/Culture | Wellcome Collection

» Arts/Culture | BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn

» Association | National Association of Manufacturers

» Beauty/Cosmetics | The Hair Book Online

» Biotechnology | Tufts CTSI

» Community | Yunomi

» E-Commerce | UK Office Direct

» Financial Information | MintLife Personal Finance Blog

» Financial Information | BHG Corporate

» Government | Norfolk Constabulary

» Government | Brooklyn Bridge Park

» Health/Nutrition | MSN Health & Fitness

» Music | LEVEL Studios Holiday 09

» Public Relations | My St. Dominic's Madison

» Real Estate | Istanbul Saraylari

» School | KIPP Schools

» School | Pooh's Nursery School

» Training/Vocational | Microsoft SMSG Welcome Experience

» Training/Vocational | BMO Bank of Montreal, P&C Orientation

Outstanding Achievement

Additional websites were giving honorable mentions. These sites can be viewed by searching the "Outstanding Achievement" Award Level at the IMA website.

Call for Entries

The IMA judges are leaders in web design, advertising, public relations, publishing, news and other industries. Enter your best work now and receive feedback against the following criteria:

design
content
feature functionality
usability
standards compliance & cross-browser compatibility

The deadline for entries for the next round of judging is September 30.

Check out previous IMA winners here:

Interactive Media Awards | Q1 2010‏

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Startup Watch | July 2010

2010-07-31T09:00:00.018-05:00

Is working for a startup company the right move for you? If you are simply "looking for a job," then maybe not.

However, if you are more of a generalist who enjoys wearing multiple hats and is driven to get things done with minimal bureaucracy, then consider your options. A blog entry at ReadWriteWeb helps shine a light on questions to consider.

According to StartUpHire.com there are currently more than 900 job openings at startup companies in the Boston metro area.

According to Ron Conway, famed Silicon Valley angel investor, startups have a high failure rate. He estimates the rate to be about 40 percent at companies he invests in. However, he considers 40 companies for every one that he makes a commitment to, so actual failure percentages are likely higher. For additional insights check out a TechCrunch interview.

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Startup Watch for July

Here are 20 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Abine, Inc. | Cambridge

» Ayantek, LLC | Bedford

» Bloson | Cambridge

» BlueLeaf | Cambridge

» Create-A-Mattress, LLC | Needham

» Futureful | Boston

» HuddleHub | Cambridge

» Kayanta, Inc. | Brighton

» Led 2.0 | Brookline

» Lightwave Power, Inc. | Cambridge

» Localocracy | Cambridge

» MeYou Health | Boston

» Naughty Nutritionist | Boston

» PleaseBringIt | Amherst

» Quick Hit, Inc. | Foxboro

» SkillTesting.com | Cambridge

» Workpost, LLC | Derry, NH

» YouRenew.com | New Haven, CT

» Zeo Inc. | Newton

» Zodah | Cambridge

Access previous Startup Watch lists:

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Web Technology Skills | Mid-Year Review 2010

2010-07-11T09:00:00.050-05:00

Web technology hiring has expanded dramatically over the last six months. Two surveys point the way to continued improvement over the next three months.

CareerBuilder Job Forecast | Q3 2010

A survey of 2,500 hiring managers and human resource professionals reveals the following functional areas that employers are most likely to be adding staff:

Customer Service
Sales
Information Technology

Despite relatively high unemployment, nearly half of human resource managers report a current shortage of skills within their organizations, especially in the following areas:

Information Technology
Customer Service
Communications

The survey reports that employers are also looking for personnel to fill emerging positions that are relatively new to the workforce, areas such as the following:

social media
green energy
cyber security
global relations
healthcare reform

Employers on Notice

Human resource managers are concerned that as the economy improves, key personnel are likely to pursue opportunities elsewhere. When asked what their employers could do to retain them as employees, 4,400 workers listed the following priorities in decreasing order:

increase compensation
improve employee recognition
set realistic performance expectations and manageable workloads
take the time to evaluate employee potential and discuss career paths
invest in training

Additional detail is provided in a press release available from CareerBuilder. A Flash version of the six-page report is also available for review.

IT Hiring Index and Skills Report | Q3 2010

According to a quarterly survey by Robert Half Technology, information technology (IT) recruitment activity is expected to gain momentum in the third quarter with an anticipated net six percent increase in hiring.

More than one out of three technology executives said they are concerned about losing top IT performers to other job opportunities in the next year. A similar percentage also reported that it is challenging to find skilled IT professionals today.

Additional detail is provided in a press release available from Robert Half Technology.

Boston Market | July 2010

So, what technology skills are employers looking for? The Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston has been updated for July and appears in the right-hand column. The ranking is based on a keyword search of popular technologies listed in job descriptions at Boston.com, managed by Monster.com.

It's no surprise that database and programming skills top the list. A comparison of the current postings with a similar list from early January reveals that all of the Top 20 technologies have posted gains over the past six months. Here are the technologies with the highest percentage increase in postings over the first half of 2010:

#1 SQL | up 50%
#2 Oracle | up 73%
#9 Web Services | up 50%
#11 JPS | up 61%
#13 UI | up 51%
#15 ASP.NET | up 54%
#16 PHP | up 69%
#19 MySQL | up 63%

The Road Ahead

Step #1: Companies continue to value information technology workers. Compare your skills with the eight technologies listed above. Pick one and execute a plan to improve that skill over the next 30 days.

Step #2: If you are a Web Designer/Developer, consider adding User Interface (UI) to your skill set. Look through the UI job postings and identify the one skill that would most enhance your resume. (Chances are that skill is already listed in the Top 20.)

Step #3: Consider adding "social media" experience to your skill set. At #14 this keyword is more frequently mentioned than any skill in the Creative Suite, including the following:

Photoshop | #18
Flash | #21
Illustrator | #30
InDesign | #42
Dreamweaver | #43

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Startup Watch | June 2010

2010-07-01T09:00:00.035-05:00

Startup companies create jobs. According to StartUpHire.com there are currently more than 900 job openings at startup companies in the Boston metro area.

Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Startup Watch for June

Here are 25 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition.]

» Carbon Challenge, Inc. | Somerville

» Cervello, Inc. | Wellesley Hills

» Chargify, LLC | Needham

» Couchange.org | Cambridge

» crossWorld Education Company, Inc. | Boston

» Cykod.com | Boston

» EverTrue, LLC | Cambridge

» Fashion Playtes, Inc. | Salem

» Hello Vino, LLC | Tyngsboro

» iPowerApps, LLC | Nashua, NH

» LabLife | Cambridge

» mCaddie, Inc. | Portland, ME

» Performable | Amesbury

» RedPint | Boston

» RelayRides | Cambridge

» Skynja, LLC | Boston

» Socrato, Inc. | North Andover

» StarStreet Sports | Cambridge

» Sustainable Minds, LLC | Cambridge

» TaskRabbit, Inc. | Cambridge

» Tutor’s Office | Cambridge

» Ubiqi Health, Inc. | Somerville

» WherePhone, Inc. | Boston

» Zazu, Inc. | Boston

» Zulama, LLC | Somerville

Access Previous Startup Watch Lists:

Startup Watch | June 2010

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Top Private Companies in Massachusetts | 2010

2010-06-24T09:00:00.027-05:00

One hundred private East Coast companies were honored at the Harvard Business School this week by AlwaysOn, the leading business media brand networking the Global Silicon Valley.

The AOE100 represent the top emerging companies from the East Coast that are demonstrating significant market traction and pursuing game-changing technologies in the following three areas:

on-demand computing
digital media
greentech

Massachusetts landed 29 companies on the list. Only New York with 31 companies had a stronger East Coast showing. New York is home for this year's overall winner:

Foursquare ... a mobile application that gives you & your friends new ways of exploring your city.

Top Private Companies in Massachusetts

According to AlwaysOn, the top 100 private companies are "taking old notions of doing things and forging solutions that will lead to industry shake-up and huge value-creation opportunities."

If you are looking to join a company that has exceptional growth potential, then check out the 29 Massachusetts-based companies below. The remaining 71 East Coast companies are listed in an AlwaysOn press release.

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's value proposition. Click the "in" icon to reveal your LinkedIn connections at that company.]

Consumer Internet

AuthorsGlobe | Lexington

Bloson | Cambridge

CitySquares | Boston

Goby | Boston

Viximo | Cambridge

Where | Boston

Digital Media

DataXu | Boston

Enabling Tools and Devices

Invention Machine | Boston

Pixtronix | Wilmington

Pubget | Cambridge

Greentech

Joule Biotechnologies | Cambridge

Konarka | Lowell

Oasys Water | Cambridge

Persistent Power Systems | Boston
Solasta | Newton

WiTricity | Watertown

SaaS and Enterprise

Aprigo | Waltham

Desktone | Chelmsford

HubSpot | Cambridge

Lumigent | Acton

uTest | Southborough

WordStream | Boston

Zmags | Boston

Cloud and Infrastructure

Akorri Networks | Littleton

CloudSwitch | Burlington

Leostream | Waltham

Nasuni | Natick

Sonian | Needham

VKernel | Andover

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Job Prospects, Part II | June 2010

2010-06-18T09:00:00.020-05:00

Beantown Web offers a two-part series of reports on a projected improvement in hiring prospects for the remainder of 2010:

Part I | Marketing & Advertising Executive Survey
Part II | IT HIRE Intelligence Survey

Part II

The 2010 IT HIRE Intelligence Survey reveals that 78 percent of respondents plan to hire IT staff in the next six months.

Hiring managers are most interested in hiring staff with the following experience:

Applications| 76%
Infrastructure | 58%
Project Management | 53%

While not all "applications" positions are Web applications, common skills include programming and databases.

Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

A survey of job postings at Boston.com has been updated for June and appears in the right-hand column. Many skills are related to "Web Applications" including the following:

#1 SQL | 728 jobs

#3 Java | 463 jobs

#5 SQL Server | 264 jobs

#7 C# | 206 jobs

#14 PHP | 126 jobs

#17 MySQL | 111 jobs

Additional skills to consider developing include Ruby on Rails (RoR). While not in the Top 20 in terms of how frequently these keywords are mentioned in job descriptions, Dice.com reports a shortage of Ruby on Rails developers. Check out the following job opportunities:

#42 Ruby | 36 jobs

#47 Rails | 21 jobs

Job Search Strategy

The 2010 IT HIRE Intelligence Survey asked the following question: "When you are recruiting for technology oriented talent, which of the following methods do you use?" The top three responses were as follows:

job boards | 87%
referrals | 81%
social media (LinkedIn, etc.) | 59%

So, in addition to identifying jobs on job boards, it pays to develop your network of professional contacts using LinkedIn, because hiring managers are actively utilizing referrals and social media tools to find talent.

The 2010 IT HIRE Intelligence Survey was conducted by Monster.com on behalf of Technisource and featured responses from nearly 250 HR managers or recruiters focused on filling technology positions. A detailed summary is available for FREE download.

» Go to Job Prospects, Part I | June 2010

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Job Prospects, Part I | June 2010

2010-06-13T09:00:00.034-05:00

Beantown Web offers a two-part series of reports on a projected improvement in hiring prospects for the remainder of 2010.

Part I | Marketing & Advertising Executive Survey
Part II | IT HIRE Intelligence Survey

Part I

Marketing and advertising executives plan to bring on new staff during the third quarter. This net six percent increase is reflected as follows:

increase staff levels | 18%
decrease staff levels | 12%

The area of expertise most valuable to these executives is . . .

~ Web design/production

Despite the current unemployment picture, 45 percent of respondents said they find it challenging to find skilled professionals to fill these positions.

The Creative Group Hiring Index for Marketing and Advertising Professionals is based on more than 500 telephone interviews with marketing and advertising executives. Details are available in a press release available at The Creative Group website.

Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston

A survey of job postings at Boston.com has been updated for June and appears in the right-hand column. The skills most closely related to "Web design/production" include the following:

#6 JavaScript | 254 jobs

#11 HTML + CSS | 147 jobs

#16 Flash | 112 jobs

#18 Photoshop | 110 jobs

Web designers who focus on developing these four technology skills -- and proactively market themselves to marketing and advertising executives -- will likely to be presented with career opportunities over the next three months as these executives begin looking for creative talent.

» Go to Job Prospects, Part II | June 2010

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Web Innovators Group | WebInno26

2010-06-11T09:00:00.016-05:00

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

This 26th installment (WebInno26) will feature the following presentations:

Main Dishes

Chargify | simplifies recurring billing for Web 2.0 and SaaS companies

Milabra | a pioneer in leveraging proprietary visual recognition technology for commercial purposes

Doink | a place to enjoy art and animation, and make your own

Side Dishes

Open Exchange Communications | the world's most advanced financial services meeting network

Trustmarker | digital badges with certificates used by websites to display certifications, affiliations, distinctions, and positions

Manpacks | provides a flexible subscription for your underwear, shirts and socks

JitterJam | helps your business capture relevant conversations on the real-time web and turn them into lasting and trusted customer relationships

BirchBox | a monthly gift filled with an edited assortment of the hottest samples from the beauty brands you love

RelayRides | allows people to borrow cars from car owners directly in their neighborhood

Event Details

Monday, June 14, 2010, 6:30 pm

Royal Sonesta Cambridge

Registration is FREE and the networking could prove invaluable! Check out the Attendee List of hundreds of 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 1,300 members.

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MITX Technology Awards | 2010

2010-06-05T09:00:00.009-05:00

Forty-nine New England companies were honored at the 7th Annual MITX Technology Awards earlier this month. They were recognized for their innovative development of up-and-coming technologies in the digital space. The ceremony was attended by 350 industry professionals.

The Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange (MITX) is the region’s premier professional organization for the Internet business and marketing industry.

MITX Technology Award Finalists

Listed below are the 49 companies honored at this year's ceremony.

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's mission. Click the "in" icon to reveal your LinkedIn connections at that company.]

Awareness, Inc. | Burlington

Baydin, Inc. | Boston

Big Room Studios | Portland, ME

Brainshark | Waltham

Brightcove | Cambridge

BuySellAds.com, Inc. | Cambridge

CashStar, Inc. | Portland, ME

City of Boston | Boston

Conduit Labs | Cambridge

Copanion, Inc. | Andover

Daily Grommet | Lexington

DataXu | Boston

Dexrex Gear | Cambridge

Direxxis | Needham

en-Gauge, Inc. | Rockland

Episend, Inc. | Watertown

FashionPlaytes | Salem

FitnessKeeper, Inc. | Boston

Gemvara, Inc. | Lexington

Gotuit | Woburn

ITA Software | Cambridge

JitterJam | Bedford, NH

Kanguru Solutions | Millis

LineSider Technologies | Danvers

Litl, LLC | Boston

Localytics | Cambridge

MediaFriends, Inc. | Woburn

Modiv Media, Inc. | Quincy

Mzinga | Waltham

Nasuni | Natick

Netezza | Marlborough

Nexage | Waltham

Panjiva | Cambridge

RAMP | Woburn

RatePoint, Inc. | Needham

Searchandise Commerce | Beverly

Spring Partners | Charlestown

Sproxil, Inc. | Somerville

StylePath, Inc. | Lincoln

Tangoe, Inc. | Orange, CT

Tervela | Acton

TravelBrains | Bedford, NH

Unica | Waltham

Vertica Systems, Inc. | Billerica

Viewfinity | Waltham

VisibleGains | Waltham

Where, Inc. | Boston

Wistia | Lexington

Zipcar, Inc. | Cambridge

A press release reveals the winners and provides additional details.

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Startup Watch | May 2010

2010-05-26T09:00:00.004-05:00

Startup companies spring up like dandelions in May in the Boston metro area. Mass High Tech highlights startup companies each week in a series called "Five You Should Follow."

Startup Watch for May

Here are 20 startup companies to keep your eye on:

[NOTE: Hover over company name to view a tooltip summary of that company's mission.]

» Active Shock, LLC | Manchester, NH

» Apperian, Inc. | Boston

» Applico, LLC | Babson Park

» Capturecode | Waltham

» Cloudant | Somerville

» CloudSwitch | Burlington

» Currensee, Inc. | Boston

» Digital Reef, Inc. | Boxborough

» DormNoise | Cranston, RI

» Egg-Energy | Cambridge

» Foundation Medicine, Inc. | Boston

» Hire Reach, Inc. | Wellesley

» Hoozinga, Inc. | Burlington, VT

» Neuron Robotics | Somerville

» Nine Technology | Middleboro

» NovaTract Surgical, LLC | Guilford, CT

» Peekaboo Mobile | Boston

» Pinyadda, Inc. | Boston

» Spotlight Media, Inc. | Boston

» Tixlist.com | Boston

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Boston Market | May 2010

2010-05-07T09:00:00.006-05:00

Small business owners are ready to spend to grow their businesses in 2010, but may not be quite ready to hire.

According to a recent survey less than 20 percent are considering an increased budget for staffing and HR activities in 2010. However, the same survey reports that they are ready to spend on marketing and this could help graphic designers, Web designers and Web developers who are positioned to assist small business owners in growing their businesses.

The third annual Signs of the Times National Small Business Survey reveals the following:

46 percent have plans to grow business by improving their company’s online presence
42 percent are considering increasing spending on marketing and advertising initiatives
36 percent plan to utilize social media/networking websites to build business

The survey was was sponsored by FedEx Office and involved 500 interviews of small business owners who employ 5 to 100 employees and own firms that generate over $100,000 in annual revenue. The online interviews were conducted in early April. For additional details download a FedEx Office Signs of the Times 2010 Survey Fact Sheet.

Boston Market

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration more than half of all Americans either work for or own a small business. This means that nearly half of everyone else who has a job works for a larger organization. These companies are hiring as evident by the 290,000 jobs created in April, the highest monthly increase in four years. These larger companies are most likely to advertise for workers in major metropolitan newspapers and their online equivalents. In Boston that means the Boston Globe and Boston.com.

The list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston, as measured by Boston.com job postings, has been updated and appears in the right-hand column. This analysis provides links to those companies hiring and which technology skills they are looking for.

The job market for technology workers has cooled over the past 30 days after impressive gains during the first quarter. More than half (11 out of 20) of the most in-demand technologies experienced job posting increases from early April. A new entry in the Top 20 is "social media" entering the charts at #15 ahead of such popular technologies as ASP.NET, Flash and MySQL. This reflects the increased interest in companies of all sizes in using social media to engage customers as detailed in a recent blog post Two Social Media Surveys‏.

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Two Social Media Surveys

2010-04-24T09:00:00.011-05:00

The jury is still out on the benefits of social media. Two reports released earlier this month provide insights into the social media phenomenon.

2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report

A survey of more than 1,900 marketers reveals the top three questions about social media that marketers want answers to:

How do I measure social media return on investment?
What are the social media best practices?
How do I best manage my time with social media?

A video summary of the 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report is available for review. The PDF version of the report is available for FREE download.

Social Media Survey

More than 200 marketing professionals were asked about the value of social media initiatives to their organization. A quick snapshot of responses reveals the following:

"innovative and invaluable to their business" | 54 percent
"useful and helpful, but could live without it." | 37 percent

A press release of Marketers Indicate Social Media Important, Most Not Profiting, Many Still Learning is available for review. The PDF version of the report is available for FREE download.

Social Media Breakfast

Answers to your social media questions can be obtained from industry experts by attending a Social Media Breakfast. These networking events occur in 40 cities across the United States and Canada.

If you live near Boston the next event will occur on Thursday, May 6. Here are the experts presenting at this event:

» Aaron Strout, Chief Marketing Officer at Powered

» Edward Boches, Chief Creative & Social Media Officer for Mullen

» Kyle Flaherty, Director of Marketing, BreakingPoint Systems

This event, Creating Brand Advocates Across the Social Web, is FREE, but space is limited. Details & registration are available via Eventbrite.

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Interactive Media Awards | Q1 2010

2010-04-22T09:00:00.017-05:00

The Interactive Media Awards honors outstanding achievement in website design and development. The awards are annual but are judged on a quarterly basis based on a variety of industry categories. The award winners for the first quarter have recently been announced.

Web designers and developers can view these sites to benchmark quality standards and stimulate creativity.

Best in Class

Here are the top overall winning websites listed by category:

» Advocacy | The Walk to Washington

» Consumer Goods | Thermador Kitchen Design Guide

» Entertainment | Dreamworld

» Entertainment | Loren Haynes / Pink Adobe Productions

Outstanding Achievement

Honorable mentions were awarded to the following websites:

» Advocacy | ASPCA Mobile

» Advocacy | InsideIRAN

» Advocacy | Invisible Children: The Rescue

» Agriculture | Taylors Eighty Acres Wine

» Agriculture | Africa Rural Connect

» B2B | Isbank's Portal for SMEs

» B2B | Hodgdon Wilson & Griffin

» B2B | Facilis Group

» B2B | Eden Website Marketing CMS

» Consumer Goods | The Good Life Recipe

» Consumer Goods | Taylors Eighty Acres Wine

» Consumer Goods | Vast Interior

» Consumer Goods | Dolby: Emotion of Sound

» Education | Online Courses Australia

» Education | Commercial Diving Academy

» Education | My Place for Teachers

» Education | Englishtown

» Entertainment | Sebonack Golf Club

» Entertainment | Pee-Wee Herman

» Healthcare | ConceiveAbilities

» Healthcare | Mylan Canada

» Hotel/Resort | Flatotel Hotel New York City

» Hotel/Resort | Hilton Global Media Center

» Manufacturing | Poliya Polyester

» News | Digg.com

» News | Saving Gaia Microsite

» News | InsideIRAN

» Ratings/Reviews | Buzzillions.com

Call for Entries

The IMA judges are leaders in web design, advertising, public relations, publishing, news and other industries. Enter your best work now and receive feedback against the following criteria:

design
content
feature functionality
usability
standards compliance & cross-browser compatibility

The deadline for entries for the next round of judging is June 30.

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Server-Side Language of Choice

2010-04-18T09:00:00.008-05:00

Programming languages come in all shapes, sizes and levels of complexity. If you are a front-end Web designer your exposure to programming might be limited to using prebuilt JavaScript code, perhaps generated by Dreamweaver or downloaded as part of a jQuery (JavaScript library) plugin.

XHTML, CSS and JavaScript are all referred to as client-side code because the markup can be accessed by simply using View > Source from the Web browser. What if you want to create dynamic Web page content from a database using a server-side scripting language which is hidden from the visitor downloading a page from your website? What are your choices?

Server-Side Language Options

Here are a few of the most commonly used server-side programming options:

ASP
ColdFusion
Java
Perl
PHP
Python
Ruby

If you were new to programming and had to choose just one server-side language to focus on, which would you select?

CSS-Tricks

A popular design website, CSS-Tricks » a Web Design Community created a poll and asked readers the following question:

"What is your server-side language of choice?"

Readers were asked to choose the language that they actually like the most, even if they were familiar with several languages.

Survey Says . . .

More than 11,000 readers completed the survey since it was posted more than a month ago and the choice is abundantly clear. Here are the results:

PHP | 75%
ASP | 8%
Java | 5%
Ruby | 4%
Python | 3%
ColdFusion | 2%
Perl | 1%
Other | 2%

More than 200 readers posted comments. You can review this discussion and post your own comments at New Poll: Server Side Languages.

These results confirm the following Elance Work Index finding:

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

Training Options

Here are four FREE tutorial websites that Web designers and developers can access to learn how to add PHP scripting to your skill set:

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Boston Market | April 2010

2010-04-05T09:00:00.007-05:00

Job postings have increased by more than 50% since the beginning of January for the 20 most in-demand Web technologies in Boston. Since early February only two technologies have experienced single-digit declines in postings: Photoshop and MySQL.

The updated list of Top 20 Web Technologies in Boston appears in the right-hand column. The list is compiled based on how frequently that technology or keyword appeared in job postings at Boston.com which is managed by Monster.com. The search area is a 50-mile radius around Boston.

Database expertise continues to top the list of desired skills with the following technologies holding three of the top five positions:

A few of the biggest movers during the first quarter were the following:

JSP | up 79%
SharePoint | up 72%
PHP | up 70%
e-commerce | up 61%
Web services | up 60%

Training Opportunities

JavaScript opportunities abound with 289 job postings mentioning this technology, placing JavaScript in 6th position. The most popular JavaScript library is jQuery with 50 job postings. jQuery is the featured training opportunity this month with two learning seminars occurring on the same evening, Wednesday, April 7:

jQuery | Beginners
http://www.meetup.com/bostonphp/calendar/12154308/
Cambridge | MIT

jQuery | Intermediate to Advanced
http://meetups.jquery.com/events/boston-jquery-meetup-2-10
Boston | Downtown

With job opportunities on the rise now is the time to enhance your technology skills and expand your personal network to improve career prospects.

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