One of the big myths in the career world is that company layoffs = no hiring. Take Genzyme. Recently acquired by Sanofi Aventis, Genzyme has been in the headlines for weeks — often with the word “layoff” not to far behind.

But, if we take a look at current listings posted at Genzyme, we see over 900 posted jobs in Massachusetts alone – over 100 of which have starting salary estimates of $100K and above.

Did your mom ever tell you not to judge a book by it’s cover? The story also applies to companies, jobs, and interviewing…Here are other signs of anticipated hiring in the Bay state:

Hiring on the Horizon

• Ian Bowles, former Energy and Environmental Affairs secretary of Massachusetts is working with three colleagues to start Rhumb Line Energy LLC, an energy consulting and project development firm According to the Boston Globe, Bowles says the company “will not lobby the state government but rather advise clients on new energy projects and expanding into new markets.” No job listings or website yet; cautious job seekers beware – the new firm is not to be confused with Cambridge, MA based Rhumb -Line LLC.
   
• Remember all of those commercials in the 1990’s for LifeCall? “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up?” Today’s version in hospitals is provided by EarlySense, a company that produces Ever On, a continuous patient monitoring system that alerts nurse and hospital staff of changes in patient condition. Based in Israel, EarlySense has announced plans for a U.S. corporate headquarters in the Boston suburbs. They’ll be hire 10 to staff up before the end of the year, and doubling in size for 2012. To express interest, send a resume and cover letter to jobs@earlysense.com.
   
• The Boston Business Journal reports that Boston is a major player in Flagstar Bancorp Inc.’s strategy to build a super regional community bank. Flagstar is currently on track to hire at least 20 for New England by the end of the year, we see only 4 jobs listed in Massachusetts for now but expect more in the coming months.

Liz Rubin, is a founding Partner and Managing Director of Levinson Partners. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the areas of Executive Search, Government, and Career Counseling and has successfully performed search for strategy professionals at companies such as Korn Ferry International and Spencer Stuart.

Liz specializes in talent acquisition of strategic and business development professionals.   We asked her to provide us with her insights from the other side of the table: How can you be a better candidate and improve your chances in your job search? Here are highlights from our conversation.

Any bad assumptions that you’ve seen job seekers make in applying for jobs with you?

Candidates not paying enough attention to the basics in interviewing. You’d be surprised at how many high level executives at times fail to make eye contact, have a limp handshake and haven’t done their homework on the company.

Other turns offs in an interview are rambling and getting too detailed without reading the cues of the interviewer.

Pay attention to body language – both your own and the person you are interviewing.

How does a candidate get your attention?

Have a good story. My favorite achievement story ever was an applicant who told a story of being able to save someone’s life because of his ability to negotiate a health insurance issue for an employee.

Everyone has a story. The resume can never capture the person you are behind that piece of paper.  What’s effective is when you can tell a story behind the career, that appeals to the heart and the head. It makes you feel connected to someone, get to know them in a different way and shows your personality. People want to hire smart people but they also spending more time with you than you spend with your own family ….so they want to like you too.

Do you have any “never do” tips for individuals in working with recruiters?

Don’t keep calling after the interview, just ask the recruiter when you should get back to them. Never bypass the recruiter by going directly to the employer. If there is a reason to do so, speak to the recruiter about it first. Remember that there is no such thing as a casual communication whether by phone or email.  Every contact you have with a recruiter or their assistant should be treated as part of the interview process.

Are there any questions I haven’t asked that I should be asking? What’s the question, and what’s your answer?

How does a job seeker avoid depression and discouragement, especially when they are out of a job? First you need to act as if finding a job is your full time job! Get up in the morning and go to an office or the library if possible and make a routine for yourself. Set goals. For example, reach out every day to 10 friends on Linked in, research three companies a day, and take someone out for coffee/tea once a day. At the end of the week, track your progress and follow up with your network. Get support from friends, hire a coach or buddy up with another job seeker.

Find ways to address any negative mood or anxiety because it will be detected on the interview.  And then the old saying goes” if you do what you always did, you get what you always got!” If you are getting rejected often, tell the recruiter that you are in career transition, interviewing quite a bit, and open to feedback.

Use it now—actionable—advice for job seekers:

If you are looking for a job do your homework on the company. Read the annual report and find out some unexpected facts that could impress the recruiter. Prior to meeting, do some mock interviewing with a coach or a friend to get feedback on how you come across. Show excitement and enthusiasm about the company. 

Follow up with a unique thank you note. Take out these words “thank you, time, enjoy, pleasure, speaking to you and passion”. Talk about something you remember both about the interview and the position and briefly state why you fit the role and address any anticipated objections. Be specific about what impressed you.

Here’s a nice list of ten companies that are hiring in large numbers from ABC News Radio: Intel, Amazon, Google and Ford are a few of the names you may recognize.Others such as Quintiles and YRC Worldwide may not be as well known but have big opportunities.

Want to get in on a job working with one of these companies—but not interested in their core products? Look beyond the jobs you normally associate them with : McDonalds, for example, has over 75 positions with salaries estimated at $100K+ with job titles ranging from Strategic Sourcing for procurement to senior leadership positions in HR and Financial Services.

You can also frequently find jobs working with major clients of corporations or vendors. Love Amazon but don’t want to live in Seattle? Look at jobs in other metro areas that could utilize your skills. In New York, for example, Amazon is hiring a Director of Publishing, a Senior Manager of Inventory Planning.

Want to keep your resume — and job search — out of the proverbial black hole? Check out this video interview with StartWire CEO Chris Forman, and learn how to get better feedback – and a faster response from employers.

Prior to Open Sky, Ted built a multi-million member database and social media presence for e.l.f. cosmetics. A leading social marketing strategist, Ted coined the term R-O-R – Return on Relationship, which is the basis of his philosophy. We asked Ted to share his thoughts on relationship marketing for job seekers, you can ask @tedrubin your questions on Twitter or simply interact – he’s famous for his quick response!

You’ve said “social broadcasting gets you a glance, but social networking gets you loyalty.“ Does this hold true for the job search as well as career management? And if, yes, can you describe the difference?

It holds true for establishing any relationship. Social Broadcasting is simply shouting out a message and hoping people are listening. Social Networking is engaging and interacting with your audience, which leads to trust and relationships that have value.

You advise companies to establish an emotional connection with their customers to build long term loyalty – is it appropriate for job seekers to seek a similar point of connection with a potential employer and if yes – how can this be done?

Absolutely, although not with the employer (a company), but with the people within the organization you are reaching out to and interacting with. Learn about them via all the available means at your fingertips today… LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Then do you best to connect on a more personal level with a one-liner or comment about something they seem passionate about. Make a connection.

Any big mistakes you frequently watch job seekers make in networking?

The biggest and most critical mistake, in my humble opinion, is joining so-called “support” groups of other job seekers and wasting valuable time commiserating and assuring each other you will be okay… You need to spend time with people and groups who are employed, involved and actively connected.

Many of us go through our lives, day to day, thinking that our only recourse is to put our heads down, one foot in front of the other, and persevere. It is easy to fall into this rut and believe it is the proper course, the only way to go, and all we have to hope for in the future.
I say NO.

“Action is the active ingredient that transforms goals into reality!” Let us never forget that we can always improve the situation in which we live, make a better life for ourselves and the ones we love, and effect/fight for change even when the odds are against such change. Being courageous enough to act on your goals/desires/needs to make a better life, better income, better business and/or better world, is the first and most crucial step in making your goals into reality.

Frequently job seekers are hesitant to ask for favors from others during the job search? Should they be? What should they ask for, and what should they offer in return for favors?

Never be hesitant to ask for favors… that is what relationships are all about and where the value of the connection comes into play. Be genuine and upfront and always be out there offering to help others. The more you give the more you get.

Are there any questions I haven’t asked that I should be asking? What’s the question, and what’s your answer?

• How to I build my ROR with my network, and increase their interest. How do I get them to want to call me back and help me in my job search?
• Listen
• Know the People You Want to Work With. Make it be about THEM.  Ask “How can I serve you?”
• Aim for Ongoing Engagement. (Follow-up.)

Relationships ARE the new currency – honor them, invest in them, and start measuring your ROR!

Use it now—actionable—advice for job seekers:

You have the time, so don’t waste another day… start building your personal brand via social media today!
 

StartWire continues to close the ‘black hole’ with new release that include SMS updates on job applications and a major expansion of employer network

Lebanon, NH (PRWEB) April 4, 2011

StartWire™ (http://www.startwire.com), a start-up focused on radically improving job search, today announced a major upgrade that allows job seekers to get daily updates on their job applications from more than 2,100 employers via text message.

“Job seekers hate the ‘resume black hole’,” says Chris Forman, CEO & Founder of StartWire™. “Today’s release builds on StartWire’s ability to provide job seekers daily updates on their applications from most of the major employers in North America. By enabling SMS alerts and growing our employer network, we’re pushing down the path to making the ‘black hole’ less dark.”

StartWire™ is free, easy to set-up, and works across all industries and functions. A user simply shares some basic information about where they’ve applied and their application. After that, StartWire provides daily updates for all ‘tracked’ applications and instantly notifies the user with an email or text message alert if their job status changes. Today’s release supports more than 2,150 employers with that number growing to more than 5,000 in the coming 2 months.

StartWire™ includes a suite of other innovative tools to radically improve job search including:

• Social & Behavioral Job Discovery: StartWire’s™ job search engine allows users to discover jobs they like based on their actual job application history as well as where they have personal or professional connections.
• Confidential Networking & Activity Sharing: StartWire™ allows users to confidentially share their job search activity with a few trusted friends to get their advice, inside connections, and support. Using what’s called a Postcard, users can share their interest in a specific job or their complete job search history and receive confidential advice and connections without the risk of data being shared on more public social platforms.

• Free, Expert Advice: StartWire™ also offers FREE expert advice from world-class job search experts. Inside StartWire, you can ask questions about any job application and get private, on-target advice from experienced job search coaches in the business.

StartWire™ launched in early 2010 to rave reviews and write-ups in US News & World Report, About.com, ERE, HR Executive Magazine, & Career CrossRoads. StartWire™ is the 1st product commercialized by StartDate Labs™ – a recruiting and job search technology incubator. StartDate Labs is based in Lebanon, NH.