Council In the News Index

Booming Sector Means Technology Jobs are There for the Taking
Fields of Dreams

May 08, 2011
By Kathleen Pierce, Globe Correspondent

A year ago, Brooke Freedman was making endless cold calls to get companies to advertise on local FM radio stations JAM’N 94.5 and KISS 108. Today, she’s helping businesses create better websites, increase their presence on Google search, and promote themselves through the products of her new employer, Cambridge software firm HubSpot.

Freedman, 31, of Somerville, is working as an inbound marketing specialist, a job that takes the listening and consulting skills she developed in the old economy and updates them for the ever-changing world of technology.

It’s a transition that has required her to learn new marketing strategies and move 10 times faster, but one that was ultimately worth the effort.

“I really liked that the company was so forward-thinking,’’ she said. “It looked like the kind of place where I could write the next chapter of my career.’’

As Freedman shows, you don’t have to be a geek to get a job in the state’s rapidly growing technology sector. In addition to software engineers and app developers, technology companies need writers, accountants, public relations professionals, human resources specialists, and even lawyers. The key is to be flexible, open-minded, and willing to imagine new ways to apply your talents, industry officials said.

“Figure out what you are good at and consider tech an area to deploy that skill,’’ said Tom Hopcroft, president of Mass Technology Leadership Council Inc., an industry group in Boston.

Technology has long been a cornerstone of the Massachusetts economy, and lately it’s booming. Companies like Oracle Corp., for example, are looking to fill hundreds of slots in Massachusetts. The average salary for an IT job in Massachusetts is $100,000, according to James D. Rooney, vice president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen those numbers bandied about,’’ he said. “It is a field of growth that appears to be opening across [all] levels. Some require more experience; others are entry-level.’’

While technology is often viewed as a field for specialists, firms often seek workers with broad experience across several disciplines. By its very nature, technology thrives on change, and the ability to adapt to new ideas, methods, and challenges is highly prized, industry officials said.

“You need to be able to shift your entire focus on the fly,’’ said Freedman. “Come in the morning and change your plan for the day. It’s a constantly changing strategic plan.’’

After eight years in radio ad sales, Freedman was ready to switch frequencies. Living near the tech hub of Cambridge turned her thoughts toward innovation.

Freedman zeroed in on HubSpot last year. She learned about the company by reading “Inbound Marketing: Getting Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs,’’ which was written by company founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. HubSpot’s website, loaded with blogs, podcasts, and offbeat videos on Internet marketing, helped Freedman sharpen her knowledge of the industry and the company.

Her old account manager job required her to sell online ads and measure their effectiveness. By highlighting that experience and her work with small- to medium-sized business owners, she tweaked her resume to fit the requirements of an inbound marketer. Then she turned to what she says is a critical tool for pursuing careers at tech companies: the professional networking site LinkedIn.

To get noticed by HubSpot, she asked a mutual LinkedIn connection to introduce her to Mark Roberge, vice president of sales. A week later, she was in HubSpot’s swank orange digs, face-to-face with the man who would become her boss.

It wasn’t a formal interview, but Freedman prepared by setting up Google Alerts on the company, reading industry blogs like TechCrunch and Mashable, and talking to HubSpot clients.

That meeting with Roberge led to a series of interviews spread over six weeks. Throughout the grueling process, Freedman emphasized her ability to think on her feet and assimilate a different method of marketing.

When asked: “How will you know when you have become a success?’’ she answered: “When every one of my customers offers me a job in their marketing department.’’ She was offered the job in January.

Once she got in the door, the real learning began. Getting up to speed on a new product, understanding its value, and teaching customers to apply it took time. Not to mention fitting into a new organization.

“I ask a million questions every day. I ask for help, I watch, and I listen,’’ said Freedman. “I think that’s how you can make a transition into a new industry.’’

HubSpot is now hiring five sales reps every month as the five-year-old company expands to 220 employees from the original three. Freedman went through a month of training before she began working with clients in March. Helping business owners meet their goals via updated marketing tools while working with motivated colleagues has been rewarding. It also helps to work in an office with a refrigerator stocked with beer.

“If you want to make a change and do something really great with your career, it is about focus,’’ she said. “Focus on your goal, make a plan to get there, practice like crazy, and be committed. When you do this, anything is possible.’’
Types of jobs: Software engineer, social media manager, Android developer, computer systems analyst, knowledge management, network designer, Web developer, marketing director, operational research analyst, writer, accountant, public relations, human resources, computer support specialist, IT project manager.

Skill requirements: Web 2.0, bachelor’s or master’s degree in a technical field, agile mind. Quick learner. Working knowledge of computer systems/applications and their impact on business. Ability to understand problems the technology is solving.

Training resources: Bay State School of Technology, American Career Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Babson College, Bentley University.

Online resources: www.masstlc.org., for Mass Technology Leadership Council; www.masshightech.com, for Mass High Technology Council; www.socialmediabreakfast.com, for Social Media Breakfast; www.massinnovationnights.com, for Mass Innovation Nights: and www.TechCrunch.com, for TechCrunch blog.