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New Jersey:
Moving from bedroom
communities to high-tech leadership
 New
Jersey's job market is hot - not only does the state constitute
a great part of the metro areas of New York City and Philadelphia,
it is also fast becoming a leader itself in the biotechnology,
pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries. LISN Inc.
is one such telecom firm, located in East Rutherford. "We've
been around since 1967," explains Mark Battaglino, human resources
director at the company. "We originated in Ohio, and right
now have over 950 employees in the New York, New Jersey and
New England area working in installation, engineering, administration
and warehousing."
Battaglino
points out that LISN is a telecommunications vendor specializing
in central office installment. "We're an up-and-coming, growing
company," he says, clarifying why people come to work for
LISN. "They can get in on the ground floor; they see the opportunity."
That being said, Battaglino reports that the area's job market
is extremely competitive. "It's very tight. I would say that
[candidates] are medium- to below-qualified. On a percentage
scale, 7 percent are qualified, 50 percent are not qualified
and the rest have a year or two of experience." Who are these
candidates? "Around 10 percent are recent college graduates
who majored in communications or telecommunications and want
to move on to the management field. I focus more on technical
colleges and plan on visiting more business schools." He explains
that most of his passive candidates are coming from the nearby
competition in telecommunications that are looking to make
a change. "I also focus on cable companies; they understand
cutting and splicing cable. And folks from the military, too."
Anyone
who has some experience as a central office telecom installer
might want to consider making a move to New Jersey. "The people
I recruit for positions in New Jersey are all from New Jersey,"
Battaglino says. "It takes three to four weeks to find them."
But once he does, they are paid well, because the cost of
living in the state is comparable to its pricey, Northeast
neighbors. "New Jersey is very expensive, like New York and
New England. But the salary justifies that." Having been born
and raised in New Jersey, Battaglino couldn't imagine living
anywhere else.
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