Custom Search Group Jobs Blog

Great opportunities for UI and UX professionals!

2011-11-30T11:13:48-05:00

We are working on several UI/UX positions in the Boston area, know anyone?

UX Architect, Boston

Great position with a successful software company that services the investment industry.

UX Director, Kingston

Opening with a great, family friendly company on the South Shore.

UI Director, Boston

Exciting opportunity to work with a mobile commerce startup in Boston.

Senior Interaction Designer, Weston

Award-winning software company looking for a technical UI designer.

Senior UX Designer, Newton

Growing company with a consumer-facing software product.

Please clink on the links for more information and to apply!

Happy Veterans Day

2011-11-11T09:44:16-05:00

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

Great News for Hiring in 2012!

2011-10-25T17:07:30-04:00

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

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

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

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

Tech Highlights

2011-10-06T09:06:27-04:00

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

IBM Acquisitions in MA

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

Raytheon Donates $1M to MOS

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

New Jobs Increasing in Boston

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

Uber to Expand to Boston

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

Improving Your Linkedin Visibility – Be Found!

2011-09-23T10:25:32-04:00

Linkedin can be a great tool for job searchers to increase their visibility and their job prospects. I myself spend hours each day searching through profiles for the person with just the right combination of experience for our openings. It can be a great resource, but you could also be selling yourself short if your profile isn’t complete and compelling.

Your “profile box” is the first thing visitors to your page will see and is a great opportunity to make a good impression. It includes an overview of your profile with information such as your headline, current and past titles and employers, education, and websites. You can also include a professional image, which can really bring your profile to life. Your headline should be a brief and effective summary of who you are and what you do. Some people prefer to use their current title and company, while others are more creative using headlines such as “Results oriented product marketing
professional.”

Your summary section is where you can include valuable keywords. Use them wisely however; don’t
try to stuff all your keywords into a few sentences. They should be used effectively and logically to highlight your experience. This is your chance to share your story, who you are, how you contribute, and what you want to do.

The experience section of your profile should include your current position and at least two past roles. Describing each of your positions in depth with keywords that resonate with your target market will increase your chances of being discovered. Think of this section as you would your resume, you can include responsibilities, special projects, and accomplishments.

Including your education information will help you reconnect with classmates. There is a search tool
that simplifies the process by finding users who went to the same schools.

The website section of your profile is the place to promote your personal or company website or blog.
You can also set up the links with customized titles, so “company blog” becomes “Custom Search Group Jobs Blog.” This is a great way to include some extra keywords. You can also add a link to your Twitter profile and sync your tweets with your Linkedin status updates.

Once your profile is updated and ready to go, you can utilize it to make connections. Find classmates
and add them to your network, or join groups with similar interests or professional affiliations. Add status updates to reach out to your network and increase your visibility. More connections mean more possibilities, and a complete profile will attract others to reach out to you.

Hiring Increases Expected

2011-09-22T10:34:23-04:00

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

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

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

Tips for a Great Resume

2011-09-15T16:53:47-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highly Effective & Creative way to use Social Media for Campus Recruiting

2011-08-24T08:35:33-04:00

This is not my idea, credit goes to UK Recruiting consultant Bill Boorman. I read his blog the other day and was fascinated by how effectively his clients are really using social media to engage and capture the attention of recent graduates...and to put the perception of their company in a favorable and "likeable" light. Great branding and the results speak for themselves. One of the most interesting aspects of this to me is that I'll admit I just don't 'get' the fascination with Facebook games like Farmville and Mafia Wars...but clearly I'm a fuddy dud and in the minority on that! Perhaps I'll have to take a closer look, and maybe actually try the games...who knew that giving away a cow could be so effective? :)

http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/send-us-your-resume-and-we-will-send-you-a-cow

Boston's "Innovation District"

2011-08-23T12:08:02-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Building Your Social Media Resume

2011-08-19T10:06:36-04:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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