I don’t know about you, but I love the smell of gasoline–at least in limited doses. Oddly enough, I absolutely hate the smell of coffee, so I’m not sure how I’d do if I had to work at a RaceTrac. They’re an Atlanta, GA based chain of more than 525 gas stations and convenience stores that stretch across twelve southeastern states. The odd thing about them is that their home page puts more emphasis on their coffee than on the gas. I guess gas is pretty much the same at every gas station, but good coffee will actually bring people through the doors. Besides the coffee RaceTrac differentiates itself with its size–their stores are typically over 5,000 square feet with more than 4,000 items and 20-24 pumps. If I owned a chain of gas stations, I’d probably use clean bathrooms as a point of differentiation. I think it would be a goldmine, but RaceTrac’s $8 billion in annual revenue makes them the third largest private company in Atlanta, so maybe coffee is the right choice.

Start Your Engine

As I mentioned before, RaceTrac’s home page doesn’t make it very clear that they’re a gas station, but there is a huge emphasis on different forms of transportation. They’re obviously trying to sell themselves as a part of an on the go lifestyle. This makes a lot of sense considering that it’s often the convenience items that drive the profits for retail gas stations. I’m sure there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on behind the scenes at RaceTrac, which is why you should check out their Careers page. They have page for Associate and Manager positions, but my guess is that you’ll be most interested in the positions at their Store Support Centers (Corporate). Right now they have some great opportunities for new or recent grads including:

• Real Estate Analyst (Atlanta, GA)
• Fuel Pricing Coordinator (Atlanta, GA)
• Engineering Coordinator (Atlanta, GA)
• Recruitment and Engagement Specialist (Atlanta, GA)
• Recruitment and Engagement Specialist (Baton Rouge, LA)
• HR Business Analyst (Atlanta, GA)
• Software Developer (Atlanta, GA)

There are some really interesting look positions at RaceTrac, so check them out and see if any of them make sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• RaceTrac.com
• Jobs at RaceTrac
• About RaceTrac
• RaceTrac News

Have you ever stopped at a RaceTrac?

If you haven’t already taken a look at our profile on MATCH Public Charter School, now is the time to do it. They’re changing the world of education, and they’re hiring a ton of new grads.

I don’t know about you, but my college never gave me Presidents’ Day off. At it’s core it’s an important holiday, but it’s pretty much become a reason for car dealerships and furniture stores to have sales. Since it’s a day for cars and I’ve been going through Fast Company’s list of The 2011 Most Innovative Companies, I decided it’s only appropriate that we take a look at Nissan USA, which came in at #4 on the list. While Nissan is headquartered in Japan, their US group is based in Franklin, TN with a number of other locations across North America. Now, the reason that Nissan is getting so much buzz is that they recently released the Nissan LEAF Electric Car, the “first mass-market all-electric car.” With the release of this automobile, Nissan went from an industry laggard to a leader in sustainability. It’s hard to say whether electric cars are truly the future, but you have to give Nissan props for going all out.

Plug In to Nissan

It’s really interesting to think about careers in the automotive industry. In some ways it seems super risky–there’s a ton of change going on. On the other hand it has to be a good bet–cars aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The big question for car guys and girls is where do you go? Do you take a risk on a newcomer like Tesla Motors? Or do you play it safe (or not so safe) with one of the Big Three? Maybe somewhere in between? It’s really hard to say which car manufacturers will be on top in ten years, but you have to like Nissan’s chances. Their slogan is “SHIFT_the way you move,” and they say that they want to make “cars that are more efficient, more beautiful, more inspiring and more human than ever before.” If that gets you fired up, then you’ll want to check out Nissan.jobs. The site includes a section on Student Opportunities, but it really only tells you that they offer internships, entry level jobs, and an MBA rotation program. It’s completely unhelpful, and their job search function isn’t much better.

Despite Nissan’s claim that they “have many exciting opportunities for recent undergrads,” I don’t see them posted. My recommendation is that you take a look at their internship postings, and use the information in those to inform you on what might be available. Then send a general application from here. Nissan’s current internship offerings include (can’t link to them because of the way their site works): Communications Intern (Franklin, TN); Manufacturing Intern (Smyrna, TN); NTCNA Engineering Intern (Farmington Hills, MI); Production Control/SCM (Smyrna, TN); Parts, Service, & Accessores Intern (Mt. Juliet, TN); Purchasing Intern (Farmington Hills, MI); NMAC Dealer Review Coordinator Intern (Irving, TX); Sales & Marketing Intern (Franklin, TN); NMAC Collections Intern (Irving, TX); Infiniti Business Unit Intern (Franklin, TN); Finance Intern (Franklin, TN); Social Media Marketing Intern (Franklin, TN); and Engineering Intern (Canton, MS). I wish that I could be more helpful, but Nissan needs to get their campus and online recruiting acts together.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• NissanUSA.com
• Nissan.jobs
• Student Opportunities at Nissan
• About Nissan
• Nissan Corporate Info
• Nissan’s Locations

Have you ever driven a Nissan?

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

• VolunteersOfAmerica.org
• Jobs at Volunteers of America
• About Volunteers of America
• Volunteers of America’s History
• Executive Leadership at Volunteers of America
• Volunteers of America’s Media Center

What have you heard about Volunteers of America?

College students are notorious for ending up in bad credit situations, but as the past few years have demonstrated, they’re not the only ones. Credit markets are integral to keeping our economy running, yet millions of Americans run into credit problems every year. The really big problem is that having a poor credit makes it even tougher to dig out of a financial hole, so you get a sort of vicious cycle. There are lots of companies that try to take advantage of people in financial distress, but there are also companies and non-profits that truly help people through credit counseling. One of them is the non-profit organization CredAbility, which is based in Atlanta, GA.. Since they started in 1964 they have “been helping people in financial distress move from crisis to control by providing compassionate service with innovative, yet practical solutions.”

How Much CredAbility Do You Have?

CredAbility calls itself a “financial emergency room.” Their services include Bankruptcy Counseling, Debt Management, Housing Counseling, and Budget & Credit Counseling, and they’re offered 24/7 via phone and Internet as well as in person in 30 offices across Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee. They also offer CredAbilityU which offers “financial training through online courses, webinars, portable podcasts, expert tips, tools, calculators and other resources.” Basically, if you’re having financial troubles, CredAbility can offer a wide array of resources to get you back on track and out of a hole. If you’d like to be part of CredAbility and their work to help people achieve financial freedom, then you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Reporting Analyst. The job posting is a bit confusing (I think the experience requirement is directed towards those without a degree), but I’m pretty sure that a new or recent grad with a background in Statistics would be a great fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• CredAbility.org
• Jobs at CredAbility
• About CredAbility
• Leadership at CredAbility
• CredAbility’s Services
• CredAbility’s Media Center

What have you heard about CredAbility?

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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

• EnvironmentAmerica.org
• Jobs at Environment America
• About Environment America
• Environment America Staff Profiles
• Environment America’s Annual Reports
• Environment America News
• Environment America’s Blog

What environmental issues are you most concerned with?

This is a sponsored post. We’ve worked directly with Alcoa to bring you the inside scoop on their top entry-level career opportunities.

My introduction to Alcoa came through the Baseball Express catalog. I was a high school baseball player, and I spent hours poring over the pages dreaming about saving up enough to buy a brand new baseball bat made out of cutting edge materials. The catalog’s copy had me convinced that a bat made from Alcoa’s latest alloy was the key to hitting home runs. Had I spent more time in the batting cage, and less time researching my baseball bat purchase, maybe I would have done more than played Club Baseball in college for a year. Then again, the bat that I finally chose did hit the ball a lot farther than the bats that I had used in previous years. Since you probably had better things to do in high school than read baseball catalogs from cover to cover, you may not be familiar with Alcoa, but you should know that producing aluminum for baseball bats is just a tiny sliver of what they do. It is, however, an excellent example of how Alcoa seems to have a hand in almost everything.

What Does Alcoa Do?

In one word: aluminum. Alcoa’s major cash cow is their Global Flat Rolled Products business, which “offers the widest variety of aluminum plate and sheet in the world.” If you’re using a product made out of aluminum, there’s a good chance that it started out at Alcoa’s Global Flat Rolled Products. Just think of all the cool things that are made from aluminum – baseball bats, beer and soda cans, airplanes, consumer electronics – we could keep going. If you really want to see some of the coolest things that have been made out of aluminum, you should check out Alcoa’s blog posts from the Consumer Electronics Show. The possibilities with aluminum as a material are seemingly endless, and that’s why Alcoa has branched out over the years into an a amazingly diverse array of businesses that include Defense, Plastics, Energy, Recycling, Propulsion, HVAC, and many more. They’re blogging about their work in Recycling and Aerospace, so check those blogs out for a unique look inside Alcoa.

When it comes to researching Alcoa, you could spend weeks learning about the entire company – it’s huge. They have 97,000 employees who work in 34 countries. Your best bet is to focus on the divisions that interest you the most, and learn about them and their specific entry-level opportunities. You may never have considered a job at a major industrial corporation, but you should look closely at Alcoa. It’s likely that they’ll exceed your expectations. For example Alcoa has recently been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies and one of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies. They also send their employees on Earth Watch trips and invite them to blog about their experiences. Pretty cool, huh?

What Can I Do at Alcoa?

Alcoa is a major entry-level employer, and they typically add about 175 new college graduates to their ranks every year. The positions that they hire for are as diverse as the businesses that they operate in, and they have locations all across the country – there’s something for everyone. They’ve worked with us to identify the positions that One Day, One Job readers will be most interested in, and you will find those listed below. They’ve also provided a link directly into their applicant tracking system for students who can’t find a job listing that is well suited for them. If you don’t find anything below, use this link to submit your cover letter and resume for consideration by Alcoa’s college recruiting team. If you look like a good fit, they’ll work with you to find the right position in the company.

We know that Alcoa has a very strong internship program, so we asked the folks at Alcoa what kind of jobs their interns who stay with the company usually take after they graduate from college. We were told that last year’s intern class went into areas like Legal, Electrical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and Finance. We were also told that Alcoa counts internships, volunteer work, and other similar activities as years of experience. That means that even if a job listing says that 3 years of experience is required, you shouldn’t be afraid to apply.

Here are Alcoa’s entry-level jobs for new college graduates with the most recently posted listed first:

• ABS Technician (Continuous Improvement/Lean Production/Manufacturing) – Global Primary Products – Point Comfort, TX
• Communications Specialist – Global Rolled Prod & Hard Alloy Ext – Warrick, IN
• Associate Buyer – Alcoa Corporate – Springdale, AR
• Capital Council Commodity Analyst – Alcoa Wireless Services – Pittsburgh, PA
• NDT Level III – Aerospace Automotive and Commercial Transportation (Howmet Castings) – LaPorte, IN
• Business Analyst I (HRMS) – Alcoa Corporate – Pittsburgh, PA
• Product Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – LaPorte, IN
• Safety Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Whitehall, MI
• EHS Professional – Global Rolled Prod & Hard Alloy Ext – Massena, NY
• Tooling/Product Engineer – Aerospace Automotive and Commercial Transportation – Flexible Location
• Process Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Whitehall, MI
• Metallurgical Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Winsted, CT
• Electrical Engineer – Global Rolled Prod & Hard Alloy Ext – Alcoa, TN
• Process Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Whitehall, MI
• Process Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Dover, NJ
• Mechanical Engineer – Global Rolled Prod & Hard Alloy Ext – Warrick, IN
• Metallurgical Engineer – Global Rolled Prod & Hard Alloy Ext – Warrick, IN
• Safety Specialist – Global Primary Products – Wenatchee, WA
• Cost Accountant – Engineered Products & Solutions – Whitehall, MI
• Facilities Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – LaPorte, IN
• Reliability Engineer (Power Distribution) – Global Primary Products – Wenatchee, WA
• Sr. Accountant – Engineered Products & Solutions – Torrance, CA
• Product Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Dover, NJ
• Project Specialist – Aerospace Automotive and Commercial Transportation (Howmet Castings) – Whitehall, MI
• Process Engineer – Global Primary Products – Rockdale, TX
• Facilities Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Whitehall, MI
• Senior Treasury Analyst (Global Leasing) – Alcoa Corporate – Pittsburgh, PA
• Safety Coordinator – Engineered Products & Solutions – Hernando, MS
• EHS Engineer (EHS-RD) – Alcoa Technical Center – Alcoa Center, PA
• Mechanical Engineering Technician – Engineered Products & Solutions – Cleveland, OH
• Marketing Analyst – Engineered Products & Solutions – Nashville, TN
• Jr. Business Analyst – Engineered Products & Solutions – Simi Valley, CA
• Project Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Eastman, GA
• Process Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Eastman, GA
• Facilities Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Whitehall, MI
• Environmental Engineer – Global Primary Products – Wenatchee, WA
• Engineered Products & Solutions – Global Primary Products – Nashville, TN
• Process Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Dover, NJ
• Manufacturing Engineer – Sapa (Alcoa Extrusions) – Morris, IL
• Production Planner – Engineered Products & Solutions – Dover, NJ
• Process Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – LaPorte, IN
• Plant Sales Representative – Engineered Products & Solutions – Dover, NJ
• Manufacturing Engineer – Engineered Products & Solutions – Hampton, VA

If you see something that catches your eye, just click the link, read the description, and apply. They’ll know that you came from One Day, One Job. If you’re intrigued by these jobs, but don’t see anything in your desired field or location, you can still send your resume and cover letter to Alcoa through this online form or you can use their search function to find newly listed opportunities. You may also want to look at Alcoa’s GREA Acquiring Talent Program, which is a Leadership Development Program and has a separate application process.

Thanks to Alcoa for working with us to bring you these excellent entry-level job opportunities. Now go get researching!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• Alcoa.com
• Careers at Alcoa
• About Alcoa
• Working at Alcoa
• Profiles of Employees at Alcoa
• Why Alcoa?
• Alcoa’s Career Opportunities for Students (Mostly Internship Related)
• Alcoa’s Businesses
• Alcoa’s Vision and Values
• Alcoa’s Annual Report

What’s your favorite product that’s made out of aluminum? Leave a comment.