One Day, One Job » Colorado

USA Hockey

Willy Franzen — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:49:53 +0000

I think I saw one of the best hockey games I’ll ever see in my life last night. I made the drive from Chicago up to Green Bay, WI to see the heroic Cornell Big Red take on the evil University of Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the Division I NCAA Tournament. I was devastated when Michigan scored two goals in the first minute and thirty three seconds and relieved when the second goal was called off after the officials viewed the replay. In addition to the overturned goal, there was a shorthanded goal, a missed penalty shot, a 5 minute major, a prolonged 5×3 that didn’t lead to a goal, a game tying goal late in the 3rd period (for the bad guys), and an overtime game winning goal for the good guys. I woke up with no voice and an inability to think about anything but hockey, which is why we’re going to take a look at Colorado Springs, CO based USA Hockey today. It was founded in 1936 and has been “the National Governing Body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States” since. In addition to that, USA Hockey does everything that it can to “promote the growth of hockey in America and provide the best possible experience for all participants by encouraging, developing, advancing and administering the sport.”

Put Your Job Search on Ice

Hockey is a great sport. The only problem is that it’s not something you can just pick up. It takes years of development, lots of expensive equipment, and ice time (which is scarce in a lot of places). That’s why one of USA Hockey’s biggest initiatives is focused on supporting and developing “grassroots hockey programs.” They do this through affiliate associations who help grow the sport on a local level. There is a lot more to what USA Hockey does, so I highly recommend that you read over their About page and Annual Reports to get a more in-depth look at their work, and also take some time to browse the rest of their website–there’s a ton of content. If you love hockey, then a position with USA Hockey may be just what you’re looking for. Right now their Jobs page shows a Program Services Manager position. They do ask for “three to five years of sports-related experience, preferably in ice hockey,” but I could definitely see the right recent grad having that. There are also some event based (not full-time) jobs with the Women’s National Team including Equipment Manager, Video Coordinator, and Team Leader. You may want to take a look at those too. I need to go try to get my voice back for tonight. LET’S GO RED!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Who’s your favorite hockey team?

Entercom

Willy Franzen — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:29:17 +0000

The next car I get will definitely have some sort of iPhone integration. Right now I still rely on one of those tape to AUX thingies, which means that I usually just listen to the radio. I couldn’t find any good stats on the topic, but I have to think that listeners in cars are what’s keeping radio going. But according to Entercom, radio is still going strong. You would expect them to say that though, considering that they’re “one of the five largest radio broadcasting companies in the United States.” Entercom is headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, PA, but they operate more than “100 stations in 23 markets, including San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Sacramento and Kansas City.”

Enter Entercom

While Entercom’s stock performance over the past ten years doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the future of radio, it’s hard to write off a business that reaches so many people. The best way to get a better understanding of Entercom’s business is to read up on their markets and the stations that serve them. To me the most noteworthy point is that Entercom stations are the broadcast partners of the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Oakland A’s, Kansas City Royals, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks. Sports is huge, and online delivery of radio broadcasts is becoming a big deal (I love listening to baseball games on my iPhone). If you’re thinking about a career in radio, Entercom would be a great place to start. Their Jobs page shows a ton of positions in locations all across the country. Whether you’re interested in working in Sales/Account Management, On-Air, Promotions, Copywriting, Production, Journalism, Marketing, or something else, there’s probably something for you at Entercom or one of their stations.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite radio station?

Inspirato

Willy Franzen — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:48:21 +0000

Mid-February is a great time for a vacation. It’s typically still really cold, but it’s late enough in the winter that you can reasonably expect that it might feel like spring when you get back home. Unfortunately, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, but if I was, I’d really like to use Inspirato. It’s a super high-end vacation club that offers members access to amazing residences in fantastic locations. The company is based in Denver, CO, but they have long-term leases on properties in places like St. Barts, Paris, Patagonia, Jackson Hole, Kenya, and Tuscany. For a meager $15,000 initiation fee and a $2,500 annual fee, you can access any of these properties. You still have to pay a nightly rate, but it’s well below what’d you pay if you were renting a similar property on your own (the average nightly rate is $650).

Choose Your Destination

I know this will shock you, but Inspirato’s initiation fee is way below most vacation clubs–like an order of magnitude. It’s still not a possibility for most people, but they’ve significantly expanded the market for these types of services, and that has allowed them to grow extremely quickly. They’re targeting people with net worths in the $800,000 to $10 million range–so it’s super rich, not super super rich people. Inspirato already has more than $50 million in funding, which means that they should be able to add more and more great destinations. Their membership has grown to over 1,200, and they expect sales to increase significantly in 2012. All those stats came from this WSJ article on Inspirato, which does a great job of explaining how the business works. If you aspire to one day be a member of Inspirato, you might want to start by working for them. They use Facebook for their Careers page, which is annoying because it breaks the back button. However, there are some great positions worth checking out including:

Technical Business Analyst
Social Media Coordinator
Business Intelligence & Database Support Specialist
Destination Concierge, Vail and Beaver Creek
Graphic Designer
Sales Analyst
Web Designer
Destination Concierge – South Beach, FL

These positions tend to have higher experience requirements than jobs I usually write about, but Inspirato looks awesome, so it’s worth taking a look at these positions and trying to figure out how you can fit in.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Inspirato’s destinations would you chose?

Outward Bound

Willy Franzen — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:52:46 +0000

I went to small, private middle and high school. They were really big on outdoor education, so almost every year we took some kind of class trip to promote bonding and a kind of learning that can’t be done in the classroom. The trips were wonderful–even when 20 of us got lost in the woods with one teacher overnight. I was lucky to get these kind of experiences through my school, but if I hadn’t, there’s a good chance I would have done something like Outward Bound. They are “a non-profit educational organization and expedition school that serves people of all ages and backgrounds through active learning expeditions that inspire character development, self-discovery and service both in and out of the classroom.” Outward Bound is headquartered in Golden, CO (but operating across the country), and “was founded in 1941 in the tumultuous waters of the North Sea during World War II, to provide young sailors with the experiences and skills necessary to survive at sea.” They got their start in their current state in 1961.

Job Bound?

While Outward Bound may no longer be about teaching survival skills to people who are actually likely to use them, they still do some really important educational work. Outward Bound’s programs serve all kinds of people ranging from “at-risk youth” to corporate employees, and they stretch across all kind of activities including Canoeing, Rock Climbing, Dogsleeding, Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, and more. I know that Outward Bound has an extremely strong connection with alumni, and that speaks to how truly great their programming is. If you want to be part of the Outward Bound family, take a look at their Careers page. Right now they have some great opportunities for new and recent grads including:

Backpack/Canoe Instructor (Baltimore, MD)
Backpack/Canoe Instructor (Philadelphia, PA)
Canoe/At Risk Instructor (Ely, MN)
Backpack/Canoe/At Risk (Newry, ME)
Course Director (Omaha, NE)
Field Instructor (St. Paul, MN)
Insight Facilitator (Baltimore, MD)
Insight Instructor (St. Paul, MN)
Logistics Coordinator (Midpines, CA)
Logistics Coordinator (Newry, ME)
Logistics Coordinator (Wheeler’s Bay, ME)
Logistics Coordinator (Redmond, OR)
Logistics Coordinator (Moab, UT)
Mountain Instructor (Leadville, CO)
Mountain/Raft Instructor (Redmond, OR)
Program Manager (Omaha, NE)
River Instructor (Moab, UT)
Sailing Instructor (Wheeler’s Bay, ME)
Urban Center/Field Instructor (Omaha, NE)

If you love the outdoors and want to work in the non-profit world, it’d be hard to beat a job with Outward Bound.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you do Outward Bound?

Allegiant

Willy Franzen — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:52:56 +0000

I don’t mind flying; in fact, I kind of enjoy it–especially on smaller planes. Unfortunately, it’s not often that you can hop in a 6 seater and get a sweet view for the entire flight. Usually you are crammed into a 150-seater and spend most of the time looking at clouds. I guess most people are more comfortable with that, but not me. When I’m flying I’m not particularly brand conscious, so I mostly choose my airline by who has the cheapest fare. That means that I end up on flying all different airlines, but I’ve never flown Allegiant. They’re a low-cost carrier and travel company based in Enterprise, NV. They travel to 75 destinations with a fleet of 75 MD-83s and MD-87s. All of Allegiant’s routes begin or end in one of 9 hubs: Bellingham, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; Myrtle Beach, SC; Orlando, FL; Tampa Bay, FL; Fort Myers, FL; and Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Show Your Allegiance

Allegiant doesn’t cover a ton of destinations, but if you want to fly to one of the 9 places mentioned above, there’s a good chance that they’ll be offering a good fare. Allegiant is extremely focused on profitably (unlike some other airlines), so they’re constantly tweaking their routes and leaving airports that don’t perform well for them. They’re also constantly finding new ways to generate ancillary revenue. The average Allegiant passenger will spend nearly an extra $35 over the price of his or her ticket. Some of this is for baggage fees and in-flight food, but Allegiant also makes money by selling other travel products and services through their website. They seem willing to try anything, and they even are toying with the idea of variable pricing based on fuel costs at the time of the flight. All of this makes Allegiant sound like an airline that might be a little annoying to fly, but would be really cool to work for. That’s why you should check out their Careers page. Right now they’re hiring a Component Repairs Analyst, an A/C Structures Engineer, a number of Customer Service/Ground Operations Agents (Medford, OR; South Bend, IN; Peoria, IL; Des Moines, IA; Fort Collins, CO; and Laredo, TX), a Financial Analyst, a Materials Coordinator, a Revenue Management Analyst, and a few other positions. Give all the jobs a look and see what looks best for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you flown Allegiant?

Pawngo

Willy Franzen — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:20:15 +0000

Sponsored Job: Want to learn all about the technology that makes financial markets work? PEAK6 is a Chicago, IL based proprietary trading firm that specializes in inventory and risk management. They’re developing the next generation of automated trading systems and businesses, and they’re looking for a technically minded recent college graduate to join their team as a Junior Project Manager to build and scale a high speed, low latency stock trading business. Learn more and apply here.

I’ve never stepped foot in a pawn shop, but I am hopelessly addicted to watching both Pawn Stars and Hardcore Pawn. The two shows offer diametrically opposed views of the pawn industry. The former is all about antiques and interesting merchandise, while the latter is more focused on the people who pawn everyday items. In case you didn’t know, pawn is one of the simplest forms of credit. You give a pawn broker an item to hold as collateral, and he or she gives you a loan based on the value of the item. To get the item back you have to pay back the principal plus interest within a certain amount of time, otherwise the pawn broker can keep the item and sell it. Pawn makes credit available to anyone who owns something of value, and that’s generally a good thing. The pawn model has been around for thousands of years, so it’s about time for someone to take it online. That’s what Denver, CO and Chicago, IL based Pawngo is doing, and they’re taking it one step further. Pawngo is solely focused on the high end of pawn, so they only do loans from $250 to $100,000 (though you might be able to convince them to go higher if you have a really awesome item).

Be a Pawn for Pawngo

Pawngo’s Denver based operations facility looks nothing like your typical pawn shop. It’s truly a state of the art facility, that you can check out in the video below while also learning about Founder Todd Hills’ story (e-mail readers may need to click through).

If you’re still a little clear on how Pawngo works, you can read up on their online pawning process. I’m extremely impressed with what Pawngo is doing, and it looks like they’re growing well–they’ve already “loaned more than $2.1 million in 46 states.” I’m sure they’ll be loaning a lot more as they take in items like diamonds, gold, Apple products, DSLR cameras, and more. Pawngo makes their money from the interest on loans, but they also are working on opening an online pawn shop where you can buy high end items like Rolex watches. If you’re as fascinated by this business model as I am, then you should take a look at Pawngo’s Jobs page. Right now the two entry level jobs they have are Account Executive – Inside Sales (Chicago, IL) and ECommerce Manager (Denver, CO), but they also are looking for a an Appraiser (Denver, CO) and a Digital Marketing Strategist (Chicago, IL). Get a job with Pawngo before you have to pawn all your stuff to pay rent.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you use Pawngo?

SendGrid

Willy Franzen — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:56:10 +0000

E-mail is supposed to be simple: you send a message and the recipient gets it nearly instantly. That’s the way it usually works for most people, but there are those rare instances where a message gets caught in a spam folder or bounces back to the sender. Those problems get much bigger when you start to send a lot of e-mail; in fact, I recently had to deal with an issue that resulted in some of our daily e-mails that were sent on a Friday being received the following Wednesday. Because I send nearly 400,000 e-mails a month, I use one of the top providers in the business, and this still happened. E-mail is a complicated beast, which is why companies that send multiple orders of magnitude more e-mail than I do need help to overcome the fact that “20% of emails sent by web applications either go missing or they get caught by spam filters.” SendGrid is a Boulder, CO based company that specializes in e-mail delivery. They’ve delivered more than 20 billion e-mails for clients that include Foursquare, SlideShare, and GetSatisfaction, so I think they must do a lot better than 80%.

Get in the Grid

While many e-mail providers focus almost entirely on newsletters and marketing-type e-mails, SendGrid can deliver pretty much any kind of e-mail it needs to. Businesses plug their web applications into SendGrid using APIs, and they can send to both individuals (think receipts, notifications, etc) or to a larger group. SendGrid runs the mail servers so that their clients don’t need an individual or team devoted to e-mail delivery. It’s a big win for businesses who need near flawless e-mail delivery but want to stay focused on doing the things that are core to their business. I know all of the e-mail technical talk can be a little overwhelming, but there’s a good mix of technical and non-technical jobs at SendGrid. Their Jobs page shows that they’re looking for an Account Receivables Specialist, a Technical Support Representative, a Quality Assurance Engineer (Anaheim, CA), Content Writer (Anaheim, CA) and a Web Engineer.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about SendGrid?

Niner Bikes

Willy Franzen — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:34:18 +0000

I get the dirtiest looks when I tell people that I don’t enjoy riding bikes. It’s as if I hate puppies and babies and unicorns. But if I did like biking, I’d probably enjoy mountain biking the most. And if I was to go mountain biking, I’d probably want a bike with control and stability. That’s exactly what Niner Bikes offers. They build bikes with 29-inch diameter wheels, which are bigger than the wheels on most other mountain bikes. Why? Rotational inertia. A bigger wheel is more likely to keep rolling when it hits an obstacle. Niner Bikes must give a pretty nice ride. Why else would the Torrance, CA and Fort Collins, CO based company have made the Inc. 5000 with 364% three-year growth to $5.8 million in revenue?

Did I Catch a Niner in There?

Since I’m clearly not a bike expert, you’re going to have to dig into Niner Bikes’ website to get a better feel for them. You’ll definitely want to browse through their bikes, their videos, and their wheel size explanation. If that’s not quite enough for you, you may want to Demo a Niner–they have dealers all across the country. Obviously Niner Bikes is a company full of bikers, so if you’re into bikes, you have to check out their Jobs page. Niner Bikes doesn’t post specific positions, but they are “always open to thoughtful letters, well-edited resumes and ideas about how you could be the next great addition to [their] team.” In other words, they want you to design your dream job.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever ridden on a Niner?

ShopAtHome.com

Willy Franzen — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:35:05 +0000

It’s not often that you see 25-year old companies on the Inc. 5000, but that’s exactly what ShopAtHome.com is. They got their start as a husband and wife team, and they’ve growing consistently since 1986. It seems that the growth has accelerated over the past few years, as ShopAtHome.com, which is based in Greenwood Village, CO, has a 442% three-year growth rate and generated $35.4 million in revenue last year. Now, ShopAtHome.com isn’t really what it sounds like. It’s not an online version of QVC. It’s a coupons site; in fact, it’s “one of the largest websites offering free online coupons, grocery coupons, cash back rewards, free samples, restaurant coupons and contests.” Their site had 37 million visits last year, which is a staggering number. What’s even more staggering is that they appear to have generated about $1 in revenue for every visitor.

Shop at Home, Work at Shop at Home

Although ShopAtHome.com does offer some forms of daily deals, they’ve really stuck to the traditional coupon model. It’s proven, and it obviously generates a ton of money. Essentially, ShopAtHome.com has built the ultimate audience (median age 35 with a household income more than $75K per year) for distribution of coupons, contests, and other types of deals. The killer feature is ShopAtHome.com’s Cash Back program, which rewards people with cash for shopping through the site. So far they’ve delivered $50 million back to consumers, so it’s been pretty effective. If you’re interested in what ShopAtHome.com is doing to save people money, then give their Jobs page a look. Right now they’re hiring an Online Marketing Data Analyst, and the position looks like a great fit for a new or recent grad. You may also want to check out their internships in Sales Support, Site Marketing, and Paid Search Marketing.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used ShopAtHome.com?

SurveyGizmo

Willy Franzen — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:25:45 +0000

It’s been a while since I did a survey of One Day, One Job readers. There’s really no excuse for that considering how useful survey data can be and how easy it is to run a survey online. (So watch out for a survey sometime in the next month or two.) When I see online surveys, they’re usually run on SurveyMonkey or Google Docs, but I’ve also seen a few surveys driven by SurveyGizmo. They’re based in Boulder, CO, and they offer “a web-based software company giving researchers, and small and enterprise companies powerful tools to create online surveys, questionnaires and forms – allowing capture and analysis of virtually any type of data essential for business.” It’s working for them. SurveyGizmo came in at #144 on the Inc. 5000 with 1,940% three-year growth to $3.3 million in revenue.

Survey Says…

If you look at all of the online survey platforms out there, you’ll see a huge range of features. There’s a ton of overlap, but some companies offer a killer feature that enables them to serve a certain group of needs really well. SurveyGizmo definitely puts a big emphasis on product development and delivering new and useful features for their customers, but it seems that they put a bigger emphasis on customer service. There can be a lot of complexities when it comes to running surveys online, and SurveyGizmo has invested in making sure that they deliver the ultimate customer experience. That’s why they can name companies like Adobe, Apple, Gulfstream, General Mills,Hershey’s, and Disney as clients. If you like SurveyGizmo’s approach, head over to their Jobs page. They have a bunch of opportunities available including Technical Programming Genius, Sales Representative, Technical Writer/Product Writer, Web Designer, Accounting/Billing Clerk, and Customer Software Support Hero.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you respond to surveys?

Smashburger

Willy Franzen — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:03:10 +0000

I love hamburgers, but I wouldn’t eat a fast food burger even if it could make me fly. Luckily, better burger places are popping up all over the place. Some are local joints and some are chains, but they’re all working to remind us what a burger is supposed to be. Smashburger is taking a leading role in restoring dignity to hamburgers, although I can’t fully support a burger chain that won’t cook a burger medium-rare or even medium. They’re another Inc. 5000 company with 2,673% three-year growth from $1.4 million to $39.4 million in annual revenue. Smashburger is based out of Denver, CO and they have locations all across the country. They “start with 100% Angus Beef, smashed, seared and seasoned on the grill, placed on a butter-toasted artisan bun and topped with the highest-quality cheeses, freshest produce and condiments.”

Smashing Jobs

It used to be that chain restaurants were indelibly linked to low quality food, but that has definitely changed. Smashburger is a perfect example of how combining higher quality food with the fast food business model can lead to rapid success. In 2007 there was one Smashburger in the Denver area. Then they opened a few around town. Now there are dozens of Smashburgers all across the country. If you don’t have one in your neighborhood yet, it’s only a matter of time (they plan to grow from 70 restaurants to 500 restaurants over the next 4 years). With this rapid growth, Smashburger is hiring a ton of people. Most of them are obviously in the restaurants, but they’re also growing on the Corporate side. If you look at Smashburger’s Jobs page, you’ll see a few opportunities that are suitable for new or recent grads including Strategy Analyst, Real Estate Analyst, Data Analyst, FP&A Analyst, and Field Marketing Coordinator (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever had a Smashburger?

Active Network

Willy Franzen — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:52:23 +0000

Lately I’ve been making it a habit to look for interesting companies in cities I visit–it’s just another way to generate new ideas. Since I’m in San Diego, CA for the weekend, I did a little searching and came across Active Network. They’re a company that is all about enabling active lifestyles, so their location is quite fitting. They are “a technology and media company powering the largest network of organizations, activities, and people.” I know that sounds like marketing speak, but Active Network actually serves more than 47,000 customers and handles over 70 million event registrations annually. If you’ve ever run in a race, played in a sports league, or stayed at a campground, there’s a good chance that you in someway interacted with Active Network software.

Be Active About Your Job Search

To really get a feel for Active Network, you need to browse their website. Be sure to take a look at the Industries They Serve, the Technology Solutions They Offer, and the Media Properties they own. Active Network’s customers include a ton of big names ranging from IBM to Notre Dame to the State of California. The business continues to expand, but the common theme of supporting active lifestyles remains. So if you’re into being active, you’ll want to check out Jobs at Active Network–there are more than 100 positions open at Active Network right now. Since there are so many, I’m going to leave you to browse through the positions. There are options in Sales/Account Management, Marketing, Software Development, and lots of other areas. Additionally, the jobs are kind of all over the place geographically.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How active are you?

evoJets

Willy Franzen — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:52:55 +0000

You have to love it when July 4th lines up on a Monday to make for a long weekend. It provides a great opportunity to get away, see friends or family, and enjoy our freedom. When I’m getting away, I prefer to do it via private jet. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to one, which is why I’m staying put in Chicago this weekend. But if I did want to spend every penny I have on a flight for the weekend, I’d totally try evoJets. They’re an Aspen, CO based company (though I see some indication that they’re actually based in New York, NY) that provides “on-demand private jet charter service.” That means that you don’t need to own a plane or a share of a plane. You can just call them up, and they’ll get you where you want to go. evoJets is another company that I learned about from Inc Magazine’s 30 Under 30. Both founders are 28, which seems too young to be flying on private jets, let alone running a company that provides access to them.

Jettison Your Job Search

According to the Inc. article, evoJets is still a really small company. They’re only expected to generate $1.8 million in revenue this year, but that’s a more than 50% increase over last year. (The revenue number only sounds small because we’re talking about private jets here.) Just to be clear, evoJets doesn’t own or operate any planes. They help you find “the right jet at the right time for the right price.” They have access to a network of more than 7,000 aircraft, so they work with the companies that own and operate those planes to make sure you can get where you want to be. They take on all of the administrative stuff that comes with booking a private jet, and get a fee for doing so. It’s a pretty smart business idea. Now, the evoJets website could probably use some work (it went down while I was writing thins), but that will come in time. The company only has 3.5 employees, but they are looking to grow. They invite people interested in working at evoJets to reach out to them at hr@evojets.com. What kind of jobs they might offer is unclear, but you have to think that two 28 year olds would be more than willing to take a chance on entry level talent. I should also note that I did find this posting for a paid Marketing & Sales Intern.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever flown on a private jet?

Metromix

Willy Franzen — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:22:43 +0000

My two biggest problems in life are figuring out what to wear and where to go. Since we covered the former yesterday, today it’s time to cover the latter. Ok, those aren’t really my two biggest problems in life, but I sometimes get frustrated that I live in a city the size of Chicago and feel like I can’t come up with a good idea of what I should do on a given weekend. There are a million opportunities out there, but figuring out what’s worth your time is difficult. That’s why Metromix was started as a joint-venture between newspaper behemoths Tribune Co. and Gannett Co. Metromix covers 60 different geographic areas (each individually) and offers a “guide to local restaurants, bars and clubs, events, concerts and movies.” While sites like Yelp have been built off the backs of their users, Metromix has an editorial staff generating content for each of their sites along with some user-generated content; however, smaller cities seem to get less original content. I must admit that Metromix isn’t my go to for what’s happening in Chicago, IL (which is where Metromix is located), but they seem to generate a ton of traffic and they have the resources of two major publishing/ad sales businesses behind them.

Get in the Mix

It’s kind of tough to get a full read on Metromix as a company. Once you’ve gone to one of their local sites, like the Austin, TX one you get redirected there whenever you try to go to Metromix.com. I guess this makes sense for a normal use case, but it means that you can’t really find any general information about Metromix beyond their Wikipedia page. The world of local publishing can often be a bit decentralized, and that certainly seems to be the case with Metromix. They don’t even make it easy to find where they’re headquartered (I had to check their LinkedIn company profile). If you start looking through their staff on LinkedIn, you see a lot of Chicago, but you also see a lot of other cities. My guess is that they hire a lot of freelancers to hone in on local markets. Metromix directs job seekers to their Careerbuilder page, which shows an even more decentralized approach to hiring. Most of the jobs that appear are posted from local tv stations or newspapers. I guess Metromix farms out some work like ad sales and marketing to other affiliated businesses. I don’t quite get it, but the opportunities are worth checking out, especially the Metromix Marketing & Promotion Coordinator position in Denver, CO and a couple of Account Management positions in Cincinnati, OH. If you’re looking for something else, you might find it difficult to track down the right person to contact, but it could be worth it.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Metromix?

Threadless

Willy Franzen — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 16:22:57 +0000

If you’re like me and wear t-shirts sometimes, then you know the value of a good one. Despite the fact that I have dozens of t-shirts in my dresser drawers, I wear the same few over and over again. My favorite is a Cornell Athletics t-shirt that has seen better days, but for many of you it might be a shirt from Threadless. They’re a brand/company of skinnyCorp that uses community-inspired designs to make awesome t-shirts. It’s hard to explain exactly what skinnyCorp is, but they’re all about using technology to facilitate collaboration within creative communities. Threadless is by far skinnyCorp’s most successful project (others include Threadless Kids, Naked & Angry, I Park Like An Idiot, and ExtraTasty). The company was founded in 2000 in Chicago, IL, and they also have an office in Boulder, CO. They’ve done a lot in that time, including being named “the most innovative small company in America” by Inc. Magazine.

New Job, New Threads

Have you seen the Seinfeld episode where both Jerry and Elaine are waiting out the relationship of a couple they’re friends with? I feel that way about Threadless. I’ve been watching their Jobs page forever, and I’ve never seen anything even remotely relevant to new grads (I’m not sure if I’ve even seen anything posted before today). I found this extremely frustrating since they make a point of bragging about their being named #8 on a list of the “50 most Gen-Y friendly companies in the Chicagoland area.” It’s hard to be “Gen-Y friendly” if you don’t have jobs for them. Threadless still doesn’t have anything entry level post , but there is an internship in Operations along with a Senior Developer position. Since I’m sick of waiting, I decided to look at skinnyCorp’s LinkedIn profile, which shows their new hires. I see titles like Accounting Coordinator, Junior Copywriter, and Consultant. I never saw these jobs posted, so I either overlooked them–or they never got posted. A lot of jobs get filled before they’re posted, so maybe you should consider applying before the jobs get posted. And if that doesn’t work out, you can also try to make a living submitting designs. They do pay selected designers “handsomely.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any Threadless shirts?

Rock the Earth

Willy Franzen — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:48:31 +0000

Music has always been connected with social change. There’s just something about it that gets people motivated to take action. But often the music can also be a distraction. It takes a delicate balance to combine the power of music with a specific cause to elicit a positive response. That’s what Rock the Earth is all about. They’re a Denver, CO based non-profit organization that is “dedicated to protecting and defending America’s natural resources through partnerships with the music industry and the world-wide environmental community.” They were founded in 2002, and since then they’ve been “defending the planet one beat at a time.”

What Are You Rocking?

Rock the Earth identifies specific projects and works tirelessly to increase awareness about a variety of environmental threats. Some of their past projects include protecting wilderness from drilling on Colorado’s Roan Plateau, protecting marine ecosystem off the coast of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, and targeting cruise ships for their discharges and emissions. They’ll often tie in their music partners to help with specific causes. There are some big names on their partner list including Alanis Morissette, Allman Brothers Band, Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews Band, Guster, Incubus, Ozzy Osbourne, Phish, Tom Petty & the Heatbreakers, and lots more. If these artists aren’t tied to specific causes, then they’re participating in the Rock the Earth Tours. If you’re digging what Rock the Earth is all about, then you should check out their jobs on Idealist. Right now they’re looking for an Office Administrator. It’s not totally an entry level job, but I’m pretty sure that the right new grad could be a great fit for this position.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you rockin’ the Earth?

Orbotix

Willy Franzen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:53:40 +0000

I love Pi Day. It’s a geeky holiday that comes with an awesome way to celebrate (eating pie). I’ve never been able to find a pie company with solid entry level opportunities, but in past years we’ve looked at Pi Media and The Mathematical Association of America for pi-related jobs. I had forgotten that today was Pi Day, and I was already going to write about Orbotix, and then I realized that they couldn’t be more perfect for the holiday. They’re a Boulder, CO based company that I came across when I was reading Feld Thoughts, and they’ve revolutionized the simplest and best toy ever created–the ball. Their product is called Sphero, and it’s a robotic ball that you can control with your smartphone. I think it could be the next big Christmas blockbuster toy, but even if it’s just relegated to geeks and cat owners, it should sell a ton.

4/3 π r Cubed

There’s no better way to learn how Orbotix has harnessed the power of pi in Sphero than by watching a video of Sphero in action (e-mail readers should click through).

I’m sure some of you aren’t impressed by a video of a ball rolling around, but I am. It’s impressive technology, and it’s only the beginning for Orbotix. They say that they work “with consumer electronics companies and developers to bring phone controlled open devices to market,” so it looks like there will be plenty of other devices in the future–especially if Sphero is successful. Now, Sphero isn’t on the market yet, but they do have a reservation list. They expect to release Sphero in late 2011, and now it looks like they’re working on growing their team as they near launch. Their Jobs page lists some amazing perks along with some really great opportunities. These include Social Media & Marketing Manger, Electrical Engineer (Controls/Firmware), Game Designer, iPhone Game Developer, and Android Game Developer. Orbotix has some exciting times ahead, and they really look like a cool place to work, so give them a closer look if you’re excited about their balls. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the best part, Orbotix employees get to make balls jokes all day.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you buy a Sphero?

Return Path

Willy Franzen — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:52:29 +0000

There’s only one thing more annoying than getting spam in your inbox—getting real messages sent to your spam box. Unfortunately, because spam is such a problem, ISPs are extremely strict about which e-mail messages get through spam filters. This can sometimes be a problem when you’re sending e-mail individually, but it becomes a much bigger problem when you’re sending bulk. Whether you’re sending hundreds of thousands of messages a month like I am or billions of messages a month like Facebook does, you have to ensure that your e-mails get to your users inboxes. It’s a complicated science, but there are companies that specialize in e-mail deliverability. One of—if not the biggest name in the industry is Return Path. They’re headquartered in New York, NY with major offices in Broomfield, CO and Sunnyvale, CA, and they’re experts on all of the issues surrounding e-mail deliverability and spam detection.

A Return Path for Your Career

If you’re sending e-mails, Return Path can help you make sure that your e-mails get through to the inbox. If you’re an ISP that is trying to filter out spam, Return Path can help you better identify the good messages from the bad. As I see it, if a few spam messages get through to me, it’s fine. But if I miss out on an important e-mail because of someone else’s filtering software, that’s unacceptable. Return Path is constantly working to make sure that e-mail remains a viable platform for trusted communication. If you’re still not quite getting what e-mail deliverability is all about, you can read up on Return Path’s Research and take a look at some of their Client Case Studies. If you like what you see, then you should check out Return Path’s Careers page. They have quite a few positions posted, and a few look suitable for new grads including Business Intelligence Coordinator (New York, NY), Account Coordinator (Broomfield, CO), Application Support Analyst (Broomfield, CO), and Desktop Support Analyst (Broomfield, CO). Go apply and help me get more e-mails delivered.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever had a problem with e-mail deliverability?

Volunteers of America

Willy Franzen — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:22:13 +0000

When you’re job searching, volunteering is a great way to both put your skills to use and develop new skills. There are countless non-profit organization that put volunteers to work in situations where they can really make a difference. One of our country’s largest volunteer organizations is Volunteers of America, which is a faith-based non-profit headquartered in Alexandria, VA. With their staff of 16,000 paid employees and 70,000 volunteers, they’re able to help “more than 2 million people in over 400 communities in 48 states.” Since the organization was founded in 1896, they “have supported and empowered America’s most vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions.” An organization that has been around as long as Volunteers of America has must adapt to changes over the years. While they continue to remain focused on providing neighborly aid to all people, it looks like Volunteers of America is putting more emphasis on helping the growing population of aging Americans.

Volunteer for a Job

Volunteers of America has a nice video on their About page that goes more in-depth in describing how they work and what they do. I’ve embedded it below (e-mail readers need to click through).

Volunteers of America also has this Overview sheet that provides some really specific information about the organization’s work. If you’re moved by their mission, then you’ll want to check out Volunteers of America’s job opportunities. They separate these into three groups: National Office, Nationwide, and Health Services. The Nationwide section actually has over 200 positions posted, along with 25 entry level opportunities, so it probably makes the most sense to check out. They have a wide range of opportunities, and they’re in a variety of locations, so you should be able to find something that piques your interest.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Volunteers of America?

Scientific Games

Willy Franzen — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:49:41 +0000

The other day I read a fascinating article about a Canadian guy who figured out how to determine whether scratch-off lottery tickets would be winners… without scratching them off. He decided not to take advantage of his discovery, because he realized he made more money as a statistician then he would have made taking advantage of the flaw. When he tried to tell the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, they thought he was some crackpot and ignored him. Finally, he got their attention when he sent them 20 tickets with predictions of their outcomes—he was right on 19 out of 20 of them. The article mentioned the names of a few U.S. based companies that work in the scratch-off lottery games, and I instantly wondered whether they had any entry level jobs. One of those companies is Scientific Games, which is headquartered in New York, NY but appears to be operationally based in Alpharetta, GA. Lotteries in the U.S. are a $50 billion market, and Scientific Games is “the primary instant ticket provider for 8 of the top 10 U.S. lotteries.” It may not seem as though there is a lot of room for innovation in lottery games, but Scientific Games has consistently proved otherwise.

An Instant Career Winner

Now, we all (well, at least most of us) know that playing the lottery isn’t a sound alternative to a career, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities in the industry. Some people may think that running lottery games is as simple as picking numbers or printing tickets, but there’s actually a ton of science and research that goes into developing the games. You can learn more about the specifics by looking into Scientific Games’ three core businesses: Printed Products, Lottery Systems, and Diversified Gaming. Across these businesses the company offers products and services that include “instant ticket manufacturing, systems and services; lottery gaming systems and technology; licensed branded games; operations management services; video gaming management systems and terminals; server-based systems and gaming machines; and Amusement-With-Prize (AWP) and Skill-With-Prize (SWP) betting terminals.” If you love the action of a scratch-off ticket, then you need to take a look at Scientific Games’ Careers page (which does specifically mention entry level opportunities). Their job search function isn’t great, so I can’t link to specific jobs, but you should look out for the following positions: Junior Graphic Designer (Alpharetta, GA), Field Service Technician (Urbandale, IA and Colorado Springs, CO), Computer Operator (Pueblo, CO), and Sales Analyst/Product Manager (Little Rock, AR). The company is pretty large, so if you don’t see something that you like, look them up on LinkedIn and see what other positions they might have opening up in the future.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you play any scratch-off lottery games?

The Cadmus Group

Willy Franzen — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:02:31 +0000

I’m sure that you keep hearing about the green job revolution and how environmentalist ideals are actually going to start fueling economic growth (instead of hindering it), yet you’re probably wondering where all of these opportunities are. Most of the green entry level jobs that I come across are either in the non-profit or energy sectors. However, if you look a little more closely there are a lot more options—some of which have been around a lot longer than you would have expected. Take The Cadmus Group in Watertown, MA for example. They were founded in 1983 to “take advantage of a change in how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) procured contractor support,” and they’ve evolved into a leading environmental consulting firm. They’ve done this by gathering “the best minds across a variety of disciplines to help address the nation’s most pressing environmental, energy, and health challenges.

Cadmus Was a Phoenician Prince

The Cadmus Group works in a variety of areas that include Water, Energy Services, Social Marketing and Communications, Green Building, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Strategic Environmental Management, and International Development. There’s a lot there, but they’re a decent sized consulting firm, so it makes sense for them to cover a lot of service areas. To get specifics on the kind of work that they do in each of these areas you can look at this section on their website. You may also want to read through their blog, although it hasn’t been updated in quite a while. Although Cadmus doesn’t get specific about client projects on their website, they provide plenty of information for you to be able to figure out where you might fit in. Their Careers page says that they generally seek applicants with backgrounds in Engineering, Public Policy, Public Finance, Statistics, Economics, Ecological Modeling, Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecosystem Analysis, Media and Marketing, Public Relations. You can find their current openings listed here. In terms of entry level positions, you’ll want to look at the following jobs: Entry Level Communications Professional (Arlington, VA), Part-Time Computer Support Technician (Watertown, MA), Part-Time Environmental Research and Policy Analyst (Watertown, MA), Research Analyst (Arlington, VA), Research Analyst (Watertown, MA), Research Analyst – Energy Services (Watertown, MA), and Research Analyst/Analyst (Arlington, VA). And in addition the locations that I mentioned, they also have offices in Portland, OR; Boulder, CO; Salt Lake City, UT; Los Angeles, CA; Helena, MT; and Madison, WI.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about The Cadmus Group?

Environment America

Willy Franzen — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:44:36 +0000

Want to connect with me and other One Day, One Job readers? Join our LinkedIn Group.

Now, I’m not one to worry much about Global Warming, especially when I’m enjoying a snap of 60-plus degree weather in Chicago in mid-November, but that doesn’t mean I’m not concerned about the environment. There’s no doubt that our way of life has numerous negative impacts on the natural world around us, and we’re not doing enough to minimize those impacts. Environment America is a nationwide, non-profit “federation of state-based, citizen-funded environmental advocacy organizations” that is headquartered in Washington, DC. Their strategy is focused on combining “independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for the environment.” (Yes, they’re another special interest that is fighting special interests.) They’ve been around for 30 years, and I’m sure that they’re going to keep on going as long as mankind is harming the environment.

Try a New Environment

While much of Environment America’s work is focused at the state level, some of of the broader initiatives that they’re currently working on are Repower America (Green Energy), Stopping Global Warming, Our Rivers, Lakes & Streams, and Stop Toxic Pollution. As you can see, Environment America spreads their work across a lot of issues, which means that they have a ton of different job opportunities. You can find the full rundown here. For students and recent grads, their Fellowship Program is probably the best fit (and I believe potential locations include Mobile, AL; Little Rock and Fayetville, AR; Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and Santa Barbara, CA; Denver, CO; Hartford, CT; Washington, DC; Miami and Tallahassee, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Des Moines, IA; New Orleans, LA; Portland, ME; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Ann Arbor, MI; Minneapolis, MN; St. Louis, MO; Gulfport, MS; Missoula, MT; Las Vegas, NV; Concord, NH; Trenton, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Albany and New York, NY; Raleigh, NC; Columbus, OH; Portland, OR; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA; Providence, RI; Austin, TX; Richmond, VA; Seattle, WA; and Madison, WI), but you may also want to check out positions like Communication and Development – Grants Associate (Los Angeles, CA), Financial Assistant (Washington, DC), Executive Assistant (Boston, MA or Washington, DC), Communications Associate (Boston, MA or Philadelphia, PA), Web Associate (Boston, MA), and Online Organizing Software Developer (Denver, CO). There are all kinds of options, so give everything a good look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What environmental issues are you most concerned with?

EffectiveUI

Willy Franzen — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:00:12 +0000

Back when I was about 13, I ran a music related website. I designed it myself, and it led to quite a few other web design projects (and they paid very well for a high schooler). If you built web pages, you were a web designer, and that was it. Now, it’s called web development, and it’s been fragmented into quite a few different areas. One of the areas that is getting the most attention these days is User Experience/Interaction Design. As a larger percentage of our life is lived on the Web, how we interact with web sites becomes more and more important. Creating a good user experience leads to more users, more sales, and higher levels of engagement. But you don’t need to tell that to the people at EffectiveUI in Denver, CO. They already know all about this stuff. They stake their reputation on one thing: “delivering superior user experiences that exceed expectations and drive valuable outcomes.” They must be doing that, because Inc. Magazine has them with a 694% three-year growth rate to $15.9 million in annual revenue.

How Effective Are You?

I’ve put hundreds of hours into thinking about how you use this website. I am constantly tweaking and testing things to make sure that we’re offering you a fantastic tool for discovering new career options. Although I do all of the UI/UX design myself, I still like to think that I’ve made this site pretty darn usable. However, if I had the cash to hire EffectiveUI, you can bet it would be a heck of a lot better. Just look at the work that they’ve done for their clients. It appears that they typically break their work up into three areas: User Research & Strategy, Design, and Development. That means that there could be a variety of career opportunities at Effective UI. Right now their Careers page shows positions like CSS/HTML Developer, iPhone Software Developer, and User Experience Designer. Maybe they’ll have some Research positions in the future. You should also note that they were named the 9th Best Small Company to Work For in Colorado.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Does One Day, One Job have an effective UI?

OtterBox

Willy Franzen — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:27:11 +0000

Last night as my girlfriend and I were getting out of the car, she dropped her phone. It’s still works, but she put some serious gouges in the back of her beautiful white iPhone 3GS. Maybe I should buy her a case, and by that I mean the most hardcore, rugged case you can find. Maybe something like this (it’s an airtight, water resistant case that looks like a submarine). It’s made by OtterBox, a Fort Collins, CO based company that is “dedicated to all the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device or valuable due to their active lifestyle.” They’re also an Inc. 500 company that has seen 744.1% three-year growth to $48.6 million in annual revenue. They make serious cases that are built for all kinds of conditions. They’re not focused on enhancing the looks of your phone—they want to make sure it’s nearly impossible for an idiot like you to break your phone.

Check Out the Ottertunities

The name OtterBox came from the company’s initial cases which were simple waterproof boxes. The company has been around since 1996, but it seems that their business has really taken off as more and more people drop significant amounts of money on smartphones (or drop smartphones worth significant amounts of money). OtterBox seems to have a pretty relaxed culture, and they put a big emphasis on living an adventurous life—so they can test their products, of course. Their headcount is up over 100 now, and they’re still hiring big time. Most of the “ottertunities” are mid-level or higher, but you should still check out their Jobs page and take a look at what they have to offer. Current postings include Regional Sales Manager, Consumer Electrical Design Engineer, Fashion Accessory Designer, Industrial Designer, Mechanical Engineer, Buyer – New Product Introduction, and Sourcing Engineer. Take a look and see if any of these positions are a fit for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own an OtterBox?

Global Visionaries

Willy Franzen — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:41:08 +0000

I don’t know if you’ve been watching much tv lately, but here in Chicago every commercial seems to be for a political candidate. These people keep claiming that they’re going to make the world a better place, but I’m not very optimistic. Politicians are a necessary evil, I guess, but what we really need more of is social entrepreneurs—people who truly put everything that they have into solving some of the world’s problems. Global Visionaries is a Seattle, WA based non-profit that “empowers youth from diverse socio-economic, ethnic, racial, and geographic backgrounds to become active leaders and global citizens who promote justice.” Young people (like you and me) are our best hope for social change, and Global Visionaries is all about providing even younger people (high schoolers) with opportunities to start making a difference through a variety of community development projects.

Are You a Global Visionary?

Global Visionaries’ programs combine localized leadership training with “a cultural immersion trip to Guatemala, and local and international service projects focused on social justice and environmental conservation.” And one of the interesting things that Global Visionaries does with their programs is that they intentionally “bring together 50% of [their] participants from low-income families and 50% from middle/upper income families.” Beyond their headquarters in Seattle, WA and Antigua, Guatemala, they also have satellite offices in San Francisco and Northern Colorado. Right now they only have one job posted in their Seattle office, but it seems perfect for a new grad. Global Visionaries is looking for a Development and Executive Assistant. Check it out and see if it sounds like something that you want to do.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Global Visionaries?

The1stMovement

Willy Franzen — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:55:20 +0000

I’ve been watching a lot of Mad Men on Netflix lately, and I’m almost through the first season. It’s pretty cool to see what an ad agency looked like 50 years ago, since things seem to be changing pretty rapidly now. Obviously, drinking and smoking are out at work, but what’s way more interesting is how many upstarts are taking on big name clients. Yes, the old guard is still going strong, but companies like The1stMovement, which was founded in 2006, are tearing it up. They’re based in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO, and they’ve seen 1,077% three-year growth to $2.3 million in annual revenue. They are a full-service digital advertising agency, and they actually admit to putting a mastery of technology before creativity. Sometimes the medium is more important than the art, and that definitely seems to be the case when it comes interactive advertising.

Join the Movement

The1stMovement offers four categories of services: Strategy, Marketing, Creative, and Technology. All are important individually, but The1stMovement excels when they’re putting it all together. Their clients include names like AT&T, Cisco, G4, Airwalk, E! Online, Nike, and plenty more. They’ve done some really cool stuff for their clients, so I recommend that you check it out to get a better feeling for what The1stMovement is all about. They do a really nice job of showing off what they’ve done and explaining the thought behind it, so it’s worth digging into if you want to work at a company like The1stMovement. Then you should check out their Jobs page. It doesn’t include any specific listings, which is pretty common for interactive agencies—they want you to show your creativity by pitching them on how you can help their team. So do just that, whether you think you can help with Account Management, Design, Web Development, or something else, reach out to them at info@the1stmovement.com and let them know about you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you watch Mad Men?

Accruent

Willy Franzen — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:23:52 +0000

Location. Location. Location. You know how important it is. Chances are that one of the major drivers in your job search is location. It’s even more important for businesses, yet they rarely manage their locations as effectively as they manage everything else. There are all kinds of sophisticated software platforms to manage customer relationships, products, human resources, and plenty of other things, but what about managing the places where they do business? That’s what Accruent is all about. They’re a Santa Monica, CA based company that develops software to help businesses “analyze [their] real estate and facilities portfolios and implement actions to cut costs and drive performance improvements.” It may not sound like the most exciting stuff on the face of it, but when you realize that Accruent helps clients manage “over 1 billion square feet of commercial space, for which they pay over $100 billion in rent annually,” you start to realize how interesting what Accruent does actually is.

Accruent Is Accruing Talent

Think about your college. Huge facilities with lots of people using them. How the heck do they figure out how to make the most of what they already have? If you went to Yale, USC, Michigan State, Syracuse, Brown, or one of the other higher education institutions on this list, you’d know that they used Accruent to figure it out. Accruent also has clients in Retail, Corporate, and Public Sector environments. That includes “20% of the Fortune 500 and over 40% of the top 100 retailers.” If you’re intrigued by what Accruent does, then you should check out their Careers page. In their job listings you’ll see postings for entry level Account Executive / Sales positions in Little Rock, AR; Jacksonville, FL; Philadelphia, PA; New York, NY; Minneapolis, MN; Houston, TX; Boston, MA; Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Altanta, GA; and Des Moines, IA. There’s also an entry level Software Developer and Quality Assurance Engineer positions in Austin, TX. There are lots of opportunities, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Accruent?

Groupon

Willy Franzen — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:46:22 +0000

If you’re not already a Groupon member, here’s an invitation link.

In February of 2009, when I had only been in Chicago a few months, I got invited to an event for Chicago tech startups hosted by a local incubator named midVentures. I felt awkward when I walked in because I didn’t know a single person, but I quickly got to meeting people. One of the people I talked to was named Andrew Mason. He started a collective action site called The Point that allows you to put up money for big ideas with the qualification that you only have to pay if a certain threshold is met. That way you can put up money to build a collapsible dome over Chicago for the winter, but not have to worry about shelling out the cash unless the project is actually going to happen. At that point Andrew was working on an offshoot of The Point called Groupon. In some ways it was much like One Day, One Job. Instead of offering its readers a new job every day, it offered a deal. It was growing really fast, and he and I both knew that he was on to something pretty neat, but I don’t think either of us appreciated how big it could be at the time. Now, a year later, Groupon is valued at over $1 billion dollars. That would be nine zeroes if you ignored the fact that their actual valuation is around $1,350,000,000 (only 7 zeroes, ha!). The company is growing at an insane rate, and they always seem to be hiring. I’ve pinged Andrew and one of his recruiters a couple of times to let me know when they have positions to feature, but I get so many requests on Groupon that I’m just going to pull the trigger.

Get Your Groupon

For those of you who don’t know what Groupon is, it’s pretty simple. Every day they offer a new deal from a local business—it’s essentially a heavily discounted gift certificate. The business gets new customers, you save money, and Groupon gets a big cut of the sale. That’s what is so impressive about Groupon. Their growth is based on real revenue. Most startups as early as Groupon are losing money, while Groupon would probably be less profitable if they had a money printing machine. They’re not hiring people on a hope and a dream. They’re hiring people because they’re leaving money on the table otherwise. This may make them sound like they’re all serious, but Groupon also happens to be one of the goofiest startups out there. Humor is a key part of the company, and that clearly comes from the top, as Andrew is a pretty goofy guy.

Another key to the company is sales. Groupon is all about helping local businesses reach customers, and that means that their sales force has to kick butt. That’s why you’ll notice that most of Groupon’s postings on their Jobs page are Account Executive positions. They have Inside Sales positions in Chicago, and Outside Sales positions all across the country including cities like Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA; Cincinnati, OH; Denver, CO; Honolulu, HI; Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Kansas City, KS; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Nashville, TN; New Orlenas, LA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Raleigh, NC; Sacramento, CA; San Diego, CA; San Franisco, CA; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA; and St. Louis, MO. The Inside Sales positions seem better suited to new grads that the Outside Sales positions, but I bet that they’ll happy to talk to you if you’ve proved that you can sell. Groupon also has a variety of other positions that might interest new or recent grads like Copywriter, Factchecker, Reviews Researcher, Customer Service Representative, Recruiter, Loyalty Marketing Coordinator, SEM Specialist, Affiliate Manager, Front-end Developer, QA Engineer, Software Developer, User Experience Designer, and Visual/Graphic Designer. There are a ton of jobs, and I’m sure there will be plenty more in the near future. It may seem like you’re too late, but remember that Groupon hasn’t even been around for two years.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a Groupon member?

Frontier Airlines

Willy Franzen — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:36:55 +0000

I just spent a wonderful Memorial Day weekend in Denver, CO, and now I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my flight back. I walked in to see a huge line for people checking bags, and I got a little discouraged. Luckily, I thought fast and checked in on my phone and went right to the bag drop area (with a short stop to fix a server problem that caused the site to be down earlier this morning) where there was no line. At some point during that process, I managed to get upgraded to a seat with more legroom. That also allowed me to check my bag for free and get the word “Plus” stamped on my boarding pass. I don’t know why Frontier Airlines is treating me so well since I booked the flight on a discount site, which usually means that I get stuck with a middle seat. Since Frontier is treating me so well for no good reason, I thought that I might as well see what kind of jobs they have. It’s my first time flying Frontier, probably because I usually travel east of the Mississippi (and they fly mostly west of it as they’re currently headquartered in Denver, but allegedly moving to Indianapolis, IN), but I figure that you gotta love an airline that has a different wild animal on the tail of each of its aircraft. Frontier also apparently offers in-flight television in the seat backs, so maybe I’ll get some good daytime tv watching in during my flight.

A New Frontier

Despite the fact that Frontier Airlines is new to me, they happen to be the fastest growing major airline in the United States. They seem to keep adding new routes, and it looks like they take a very customer-friendly approach to flying. That seems to be the winning approach these days, as I try avoid the larger carriers if I can. My guess is that airlines that are nice to fly are also nice to work at. So far everyone that I’ve encountered with Frontier has been extremely pleasant, but that could just be a Denver thing. Anyway, if you want to consider a career with Frontier, you should check out their Jobs page. There are way too many jobs to list, but they have plenty of opportunities for new grads in a variety of locations. Browse through them and see what catches your eye.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you flown Frontier?

F+W Media

Willy Franzen — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:56:48 +0000

I don’t need to tell you all that the publishing industry has hit a rough spot. All you need to do is look around and see the iPads, Kindles, and Nooks. For hundreds of years the industry has used the same method delivery, but suddenly they’re losing control of how their content is distributed. This is really scary for a lot of people, but they’re forgetting something important: it’s all about the content. And the more targeted your content is to a specific audience, the better. The General Interest publication is a dying breed, and niche media is what it’s all about. F+W Media is a Cincinnati, OH based publisher that gets this. As they put it, F+W Media “offers the highest quality content in a wide variety of formats—from print to digital to video—to highly passionate enthusiast communities.” That’s a model for success that many in the publishing industry are scared of.

Join the Community

At F+W Media it’s all about communities and connecting “passionate, likeminded groups of people to share an ongoing exchange of information, ideas, and inspiration.” That’s why F+W has selected niches like Antiques & Collectibles, Automotive, Construction/Trade, Crafts, Design, Fine Art, Firearm + Knives, Genealogy, Horticulture, Numismatics, Outdoors, Sports, Woodworking, and Writing. You’ve probably never heard of many of the titles that F+W Media publishes, but that’s ok with them. As long as the woodworkers and weapons collectors know about them, they’re happy. In addition to books and magazines, F+W Media also produces digital products and courses and even operates trade shows. The focus on developing and distributing content for enthusiast audiences makes for the potential for some pretty cool jobs. There aren’t a ton of job opportunities posted on F+W Media’s Jobs page, but you should check out positions like Associate Project Manager – Adams Media (Avon, MA), Associate Designer – Design/Crafts (Cincinnati, OH), Web Developer – eMedia (Fort Collins, CO), and Web Developer – eCommerce (Ft. Collins or Cincinnati). If none of those seem to suit you, keep an eye on F+W Media or reach out to them and tell them where you think that you can fit in.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of F+W Media’s communities appeals most to you?