Friday, June 19, 2009

Where the jobs are

Keep your sights on the right employers

Video Gallery

MHT's Jim Connolly: Pink slip parties make a comeback

MHT Editor Doug Banks on NECN: Decoding the Gen Y workforce

Flash Slideshow: Mass High Tech All-Stars Thought Leadership Roundtable

Related News

Invest for the long run in employee training during an economic downturn [October 21, 2009]

MHT survey: Tech job openings expected to grow [October 12, 2009]

Born in the Recession: Execs advise fair compensation over cheap hiring in downturn [September 23, 2009]

AstraZeneca reported to cut 113 jobs [September 11, 2009]

Heartland Robotics' $12M funding fuels hiring spree [September 9, 2009]

There’s no denying that competition for jobs is particularly fierce right now across all industries. Recent statistics indicate that the unemployment rate is at a 26-year high. Although the economy is projected to be recuperating, most experts predict things won’t really improve until next year.

With that said, there are jobs out there, particularly in the technology industry, if you know where to look and what roles to pursue.

Early-stage companies
If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, and you enjoy having more individual control, faster decision making and reduced infrastructure and corporate hierarchy you may be well-suited to pursue employment at an early stage or startup company.

Currently, investors tend to be placing their bets in four sectors within the early-stage markets: Clean technology, mobile, consumer Internet/social media, and infrastructure software, particularly virtualization and cloud computing technologies, including companies like VMware Inc. or Citrix Systems Inc.  Having domain or sector experience in one of these hot sectors absolutely positions you better than the next candidate, but functional expertise is also important.

While the excitement of working at an early-stage company in a hot market can be extremely alluring, it is important to consider the downsides, especially if you will be transitioning from a larger company.

Because there are typically fewer checks and balances in early-stage companies, employees must be extremely flexible, self-assured and resilient. Otherwise, the day-to-day unpredictability can be rather fragmenting.

Mid-tier companies
If an early-stage company is not your cup of tea, there are opportunities at mid-tier companies. Many of these  have weathered the storm and been strategically filling gaps and upgrading their management ranks. These companies possess the following characteristics:

• Technology companies not needing capital, i.e. in the $50 million to $500 million revenue range;

• Lean and mean companies with little debt on their books and the money to hire top talent;

• Companies who have had layoffs and are positioned to hire again. As employers adapt to changing terrain, different skill sets often become appealing.

As opposed to early-stage companies, mid-stage companies often have access to additional resources — human, physical, technical and financial. These benefits provide some employees with an increased sense of job security. On the flip side, with those increased resources often come more procedures and administrative processes that are expected to be followed.

Regardless of what size or type of company you pursue, it is important that you are accept the organization’s corporate culture, and that you feel confident about being productive in such an environment.

The ‘right’ qualifications
Once you’ve identified the type of company and tech sector you want to pursue, focus on your areas of expertise. As an executive recruiter who works with a range of early-stage and mid-stage companies I have observed the most demand within these functional areas:

• Revenue-producing roles, i.e. sales or services experience where executives have continued to work with smaller teams despite the poor buying environment. Companies are looking to do more with less now, so candidates that demonstrate this skill are in demand.

• Upgrades on the management team and the opportunity to bring in experienced executives. Because this is a “buyer’s market,” many companies see now as a time to recruit talent they could not recruit in the past.

• Newly created roles in emerging technology sectors where domain expertise is niche and difficult to find. For example, specialists in clean tech who have biology or chemical backgrounds and can commercialize products. Also, marketing or sales executives who have successfully launched “lead generation” Web 2.0 “go to market models.”

Rebecca Foreman Janjic is a partner at Polachi, an executive recruiting firm in Framingham.