[anon3700711]

Hey, laid-off BlackBerry employees! The other smartphone maker named after a fruit wants you to know it's here for you too.

Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) used LinkedIn (LNKD) messages to invite BlackBerry employees to a Sept. 26 event near BlackBerry's headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, according to the Financial Post. Apple said most of the positions it was offering would be based at its own Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, but the company would provide relocation and immigration assistance.

BlackBerry (BBRY) announced last month that it plans to lay off a shocking 40% of its global workforce by the end of the year. The first round of cuts began this week, with 300 employees let go.

But Apple isn't the only one circling. Just two days later, according to the Post, Intel (INTC, Fortune 500) held its own two-day "information session" at a nearby hotel. BlackBerry employees received emailed invitations to Intel's event, the newspaper said.

Ex-BlackBerry employees who don't get jobs at Apple or Intel may not have to travel too far from the Kitchener-Waterloo area to find their next jobs. The region has long been a hotbed of engineering activity, thanks in large part to the University of Waterloo. The city is home to large enterprise tech firms including OpenText and Desire2Learn, and the Communitech startup hub has helped the region gain a reputation as one of the hottest startup cities in the world.

Related story: BlackBerry co-founders want to buy the company

Just last month, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) announced it would open a Motorola Mobility office in Waterloo. Google itself already employs 250 people in its existing Waterloo office, where staffers focus on social and mobile efforts -- and enjoy a giant in-office slide (sorry, only Googlers are allowed to try it). Google also chose Communitech as one of seven North American hubs to join a new "Entrepreneurs Tech Hub" network.

Also in September, Square -- a payments company created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey -- announced it will open an office in Kitchener-Waterloo sometime in 2014. To top of page

Apple throws recruitment party for BlackBerry employees - Oct. 11, 2013

[Bla1ze]

And Google....
And Motorola...
And Intel...
And Square...

[grumpyaeroguy]

Well, THAT shows the caliber of employees BB has.... good for them.

I hope they ALL get jobs soon. Problem is, having been thru this in the aerospace industry, they'll also get a lot of those NOT in the block that don't want to wait around for the implosion.

Now, doubt there was a hotel conference center set up for current BB executive leadership team members... LOL

[Gator99]

In the highly unlikely event that BlackBerry has released their top performers, I'm not quite sure that the circling vultures are going to have the cream of the crop. (No offense to the staff that is being released- I hope you all find employment soon, and I'm sure you will).

Sent from the future on my Z10.

[cgk]

In the highly unlikely event that BlackBerry has released their top performers, I'm not quite sure that the circling vultures are going to have the cream of the crop. (No offense to the staff that is being released- I hope you all find employment soon, and I'm sure you will).

Sent from the future on my Z10.

I think you need to read between the lines a bit - I suspect that plenty of their top performers will make sure that their CVs are available and I would be amazed if they aren't already arranging more discreet meetings away from the event.

[FFR]

In the highly unlikely event that BlackBerry has released their top performers, I'm not quite sure that the circling vultures are going to have the cream of the crop. (No offense to the staff that is being released- I hope you all find employment soon, and I'm sure you will).

Sent from the future on my Z10.

Top performers are long gone.

[qwerty4ever]

In the highly unlikely event that BlackBerry has released their top performers, I'm not quite sure that the circling vultures are going to have the cream of the crop. (No offense to the staff that is being released- I hope you all find employment soon, and I'm sure you will).

Sent from the future on my Z10.

Well the staff in Bedford are technical customer support not hardware and software engineering. The staff in Waterloo may or may not include hardware and software engineering personnel. As the company implodes their will undoubtedly be more layoffs announced. Thorsten has to protect his "incentive to reduce an industry pioneer to a bit player".

Posted via CB10 from the BlackBerry Z10

[Taigatrommel]

It's good to hear there are other companies already announcing job offers for laid-off BBRY staff. Losing a job is always tough, getting positive help from possible future employers is always welcomed then. The leading gang around Thorsten don't need to care anyways, checking their millions of dollars they'll recieve, they can settle down for the rest of their lifes.

I hope Alicia Keys can make it to the Apple event. If she gets accepted, she at least doesn't need to be careful with her phone choices for Twitter anymore.

Posted via the awesome Blackberry Q10

[dannyd86]

They're in a booming industry. They will all fond work soon enough. Nobody got into that line of work thinking blackberry was there only chance at employment.

Posted via CB10

[asherwiin]

Microsoft has long hired more programmers each year from the University of Waterloo than any other school worldwide. Its a hotbed for software talent, hardware engineering too. Not surprised that other companies are figuring this out!

Posted via CB10

[birdman_38]

Recruiting for the mother ship

[pcguy514]

Microsoft has long hired more programmers each year from the University of Waterloo than any other school worldwide. Its a hotbed for software talent, hardware engineering too. Not surprised that other companies are figuring this out!

Posted via CB10

Sponsored by the kind folks at Research In Motion. (pre "BlackBerry ltd" )

[anon(1049620)]

This is good news for bb's employees who are, for the most part, victims of the incompetence of the company's management team. I'm all for this.

[richardat]

Microsoft has long hired more programmers each year from the University of Waterloo than any other school worldwide. Its a hotbed for software talent, hardware engineering too. Not surprised that other companies are figuring this out!

Posted via CB10

Nevertheless, the open letter from a BB employee accused them of indescriminate hiring grads from Waterloo, instead of going after top talent - the kind that Google/Apple get.

Still, it is a top engineering school - usually ranked 2 or 3 in Canada I believe, and a high ranked school over all - usually 3-7th depending on the ratings - a degree from there should be well-reputed indeed.

I love these recruiting stories from Apple and other companies!!!! People complain about no good news, well here's some really GREAT news that for once isn't fake spin, and has a direct impact on people lives!

[heymaggie]

Apple tech and customer support, for the most part, isn't in Cupertino. Those are in places like Austin. You probably wouldn't move someone to Cupertino to do customer support.

[Sexy Sadie]

This is good news for bb's employees who are, for the most part, victims of the incompetence of the company's management team. I'm all for this.

Me too. They have a rent to pay all of them.

[Jaredallister]

Recruiting for the mother ship

Fake image, wrong font and style to be from Apple.

[birdman_38]

Fake image, wrong font and style to be from Apple.

Never said it was from Apple

[tchocky77]

Fake image, wrong font and style to be from Apple.

It's not from apple. It's obviously meant to evoke those kitchy roadside attractions from middle america that sell souvenir postcards.

The mothership is gonna be AWESOME, and I, for one, cannot wait to see the finished product!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using CB Forums mobile app