I’ll level with you. Sometimes my job, which involves lots and lots of talking, makes me tired. Really tired. Especially when I’m at an event where lots of people are vying for my attention, and I’m vying for the attention of many others. But the days I spent reporting InfoWorld’s special report on getting hired at a hot startup were different. They were energizing. I’ve rarely found a collection of people imbue I’ll level with you. Sometimes my job, which involves lots and lots of talking, makes me tired. Really tired. Especially when I’m at an event where lots of people are vying for my attention, and I’m vying for the attention of many others. But the days I spent reporting InfoWorld’s special report on getting hired at a hot startup were different. They were energizing. I’ve rarely found a collection of people imbued with so much optimism, and the energy to (excuse the cliché, but I have to say it) turn a dream into reality. What a change from the dreary years following the dot-com bust, and what a relief from the woes of other parts of the economy. Startups are hot. And a lot of the credit goes to the men and women who labored behind the scenes for years, techies and entrepreneurs who saw enormous opportunity to leap beyond the world of Web 1.0. The current generation of startups will make fortunes for some (far from all, of course) and provide satisfying jobs for many more. Will it make a better world? That’s another discussion. As I pointed out in the report, there are a few lessons that really stand out for the job seeker.• If you’re good, you’re “in the driver’s seat,” as the CEO of Lending Club.com put it. There’s lots of jobs, and with baby boomers retiring and colleges turning out fewer computer scientists and engineers than in the past, the supply/demand equation is breaking your way. • Techies who have a business background, or at least have a real understanding of the business process, will get the best jobs and be the least likely to wave goodbye to positions on the way to India and China. I was struck by how many times I heard that message from men and women who actually do the hiring. • Having said all that, remember that the bar is very high at the hottest startups. Do your homework before the interview; if possible download the company’s product and think about how you would make it better. • Sure, there’s money to be made. But again, I was struck by how often CEOs told me they are determined to keep the lid on salaries. Finally, I wish you good luck in your job search and I hope the report was helpful and interesting. I welcome your comments, tips and suggestions. Reach me at bill.snyder@sbcglobal.net Technology Industry