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News & Events
Check Out Our Spring Newsletter! |
5 June, 2009 -
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Building on a Solid Foundation
Spring 2008/2009 |
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| From the Desk of Julie Laufer: |
We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand. We must build our house upon a rock," President Obama said.
Let's think about this for a moment. Some of our foundations seem to have crumbled and many have viewed this as the most devastating economic crisis since the Great Depression. Yet, there are glimmers of hope evident around the world that we are likely approaching the cessation of the bottoming out. Despite the recent announcement of GM's bankruptcy, the stock market continues to inch upward. If this continues, we can anticipate an increase in hiring activity within 4-6 months. With summer and its attendant rebirth, comes hope, and with hope, the innate resiliency that all human beings possess. I believe we still have that house upon a rock, but maybe we've thrown a pile of sand on top of it. I am optimistic that with this momentum, the third and fourth quarters will show we've started to dig ourselves out.
We've decided to present some of the industries that will continue to grow namely due to the tax incentives and initiatives taking place in 2009. Read on for more information below:
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| Meet Our Temp of the Month: Asheley Tetteh |
-Written By: Asheley Tetteh
I am really grateful to Laufer and Associates for placing me with the company where I currently work. I started working with this company in mid January and I love the environment, but overall the people are friendly and warm.
Laufer cares. It's just that simple. I get weekly calls and emails to check in with me and see how my experiences are going. Meanwhile, on the back burner, they are constantly looking for new opportunities that may be a good fit for me when this assignment is finished.
They are diligent and thorough and I consider myself lucky to be with them.
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| Success Story: Molly Montgomery |
- Written By: Molly Montgomery
When I found out that I was being laid off I was devastated. Thoughts began to race through my mind. How will I get out of my lease? Can I really move home? How will I keep up with bills that are already overwhelming? It was all just too much to figure out. Luckily, I had some time left at my job before I was "out on the street". After doing an extensive search for jobs within my field and coming up empty handed I had a revelation. I realized that I had explored every niche of my field in my five years out of college. There really was not much room for advancement and I was not where I wanted to be at this point in my life. The question became - where do I go from here?
I had to look at all my experiences and find something within them that I could make into a new career path. Once I had that plan I began the mad dash for that new "dream" job. I began applying to every opening that I came across. Before I knew it, I was no longer working and I still didn't have a job. I applied for unemployment my first day out of work. I waited in line for 3.5 hours just to be handed a pamphlet and told I'd have to wait four weeks to receive any money. I couldn't sleep. I spent every day in front of the computer. Out of the 400 plus resumes I sent out I received only seven responses. Two were from actual jobs (one of them paying half of my expectant salary), the other five were staffing agencies.
Each time I went to a new staffing agency I was met with smiling faces and promises of a new career within a short amount of time. After each interview I heard nothing. Upon calling them diligently each week to check in I received the same story from each one. "There's really nothing out there right now with the market the way it is. Things are really slow due to the holidays. Our employers are looking for someone with a more traditional background. Unfortunately, we have people that are better qualified than you are." I was angry. With the support of loved ones, I kept trudging on was beginning to get desperate, and to top things off, my previous employer tried to tell the unemployment agency that I quit and so I had gone a month without a paycheck. For the first time in my life I didn't pay a bill.
I received another email from the fifth staffing a gency, Laufer and Associates, to come in for an interview. I put on my suit and tried to feel excited but inside I was really deflated and told myself not to expect much. When I met Kelly and Julie I was delighted; it was a small operation in a beautiful office. I could really tell that they cared about getting me a job. Also, they actually didn't even mention a job that was less than I was looking to get paid, which took some of the guilt the other staffing agencies made me feel away. They were in contact with me daily. Two days later they were sending me on an interview with a "hip" and fun company that matched my personality. That very same day, I received the call from another job wanting me to come in for an interview. Both first interviews went really well and I was invited back for second interviews. The two second interviews were actually on the same day. Both jobs were making a decision on the same day. I was one of two candidates at both jobs. The unemployment agency called and told me that they sent a check for all the money I hadn't been getting. I really felt that the second I stepped into Laufer and Associates my luck changed. While I was offered both jobs, I was so excited but I had a tough decision to make. In the end it came down to trusting that the girls at Laufer & Associates really knew that this one job would be a great fit for me. And they were right! I have now been at my job for two months. I love the people, I love what I do, and most importantly I see this as the beginning of a growing career.
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| Avenues of Success: Industries Hiring in a Recession |
| By: Emily Feinberg
 You may be asking yourself if there are still jobs left out there. You've sent resumes to everyone and their mother and have heard little to nothing back. Everyday you see people just shake their heads and mumble things like "this economy" and "more layoffs," while you continue to search for that perfect job. Keep searching. There are industries out there that are actually hiring in our recession economy, particularly in Boston.
-Social Networking: These sites don't seem to be as greatly affected by this economy and in fact seem to be thriving. They are still hiring behind-the-scenes people for their open positions. Companies like Facebook, based out of northern California, and Linked-In are actively looking for young, forward thinkers in fields from software development to customer service.
-Accounting: If you're an accountant or have a degree in accounting, this job market may actually be a good time to dust off your resume. Many large accounting firms are still looking for hard-working employees who may be able to help support their clients' budgetary reconfigurations and developing financial strategies. Accountants are still valuable assets to companies during economic setbacks and the industry does not appear to be suffering too much. Working privately or for a CPA firm is a personal choice and completely depends on the type of services you wish to render.
-Energy: Not surprisingly, many energy companies are expanding their interests into other areas. There is a broad range of jobs opening up from engineers to customer service as these companies move forward despite the economy.
-Insurance/Healthcare: These two things aren't going away. In insurance, Financial/Insurance Advisors /representatives are still strongly sought after; nurses are on short supply, so if you have your nursing degree or are on your way to getting it, keep going! Much like other industries, Insurance and Healthcare also need to maintain their infrastructure for operational support. In Massachusetts, specifically, HMO organizations are hiring like crazy due to the new health insurance legislation specific to our state that all individuals must be insured.
-Biotechnology: Particularly in Boston, the biotechnology business is booming due to its competitive nature and society's need for vaccines, medicine, scientific insight and progress. New start-up companies are hiring in all fields for all different skill ranges. They need scientists, accountants, receptionists, administrative support, sales teams and various specialties within HR.
-Software Development/Online Gaming: Big software companies are gearing up to take on new hires in several fields. Engineers and creative minds are needed to develop and push products, while back office staff is needed to ensure day to day efficiency. Everyone is trying to make a buck right now and it seems like software companies are trying to do this by hiring more people in order to sell more products.
When you consider these industries, always remember the basics. Your resume should be as strong as you can make it (with no grammatical or spelling errors.) Make sure your cover letter reflects the knowledge you have on the company to reinforce that you're really interested in the business and not in just getting a job. Of course, always keep an eye out on our website www.lauferandassociates.com for positions like the ones mentioned above. There are jobs available and there is a lot of competition; but remind yourself that your efforts will pay you back in interviews!
BountyJobs CEO Jeremy Lappin sums up the hiring atmosphere in a recent article from careerbuilders.com: "Even companies in the most pain are hiring," he says. "They're just doing it more selectively. Really, truly talented people are always in demand."
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| Ask Emily |
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Dear Emily,
I have a question about a resume format. I keep hearing that when applying for a position at a production company there is a particular format that people tend to follow. Is this true?
Thanks!
Nick, Boston MA
Dear Nick,
The most important thing to remember when assembling a resume is to try to make your skills stand out while maintaining a professional and clear format. I did some research and found nothing on the web to indicate that a production company requires a differently formatted resume than anywhere else. I also called a few of them and asked and all of them said that its not important- they just want to see your experience in a clear, concise way.
Emily
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| Don't Forget About our Referral Program |
The rules are simple. Tell everyone you know about Laufer and Associates and have them view our website and contact us directly, or provide us with the names of qualified professionals. Once a person whom you have referred works as a temporary employee or gets placed permanently by Laufer and Associates at a client company, you will receive the cash amount listed below.
$100 Permanent Bonus -- You are eligible for our $100 Referral Bonus if Laufer and Associates place your referral in a permanent position. Referral must stay employed in position for the length of our guarantee period, commonly 90 days.
$100 Temporary Bonus - You are eligible for our $100 Referral Bonus if Laufer and Associates place your referral in a temporary position. Referral must work as a temporary employee for at least 1,000 hours to qualify. There is no limit to the number of employees you may refer.
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| Transitions |
 I would like to introduce Ellinor Chandler who will be taking over my position at Laufer starting June 10, 2009. I will be heading off to graduate school but we are very excited to leave the newsletter and office manager duties in Ellinor's capable hands. Thanks everyone! Good luck to all in the future!
Here's Ellinor:
Hello my name is Ellinor. I'm originally from Florida but have been living and working up here in Massachusetts for over four years now. I love Boston and all it has to offer me, the arts, the ocean and Fenway Park! There's always something going on and I love taking part in as much of it as I can. I'm very excited to be here with the Laufer team! Although I'm sad that Emily is leaving us, I am enthused to be taking over her role.
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Have questions about job searching that you'd like to see answered? Send them in and they may be featured in a future newsletter!
Our experience has also taught us that great candidates often know other great candidates, so be sure to take advantage of our referral bonus program.
All the best,
Emily Feinberg
Marketing Coordinator
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