One Day, One Job » music

Songtrust

Willy Franzen — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:57:13 +0000

Ready to be done with school but not done with college? Take a look at these entry level jobs at the University of Chicago.

We’re almost back to where we were ten years ago in terms of being able to listen to music online. There are finally services that will let you listen to whatever you want whenever you want, and many of them are free (with ads). The big change (beyond the move to streaming instead of downloads) is that most of this listening is actually legally sanctioned. This is good new for artists and songwriters, but it also creates a lot of new headaches. Managing your music’s rights and collecting the royalties that you’re owed is extremely time consuming if you can’t pay a professional to do it for you. Songtrust replaces the need for that professional with a simple software solution. The company is based in New York, NY, and their product ensures that their “writer members keep 100% of their rights, get paid 100% of their royalties and can opt out at anytime.”

Trust in Songtrust

The vast majority of musicians are operating on a small scale, so Songtrust is in their sweet spot. It’s super simple, and it’s also super affordable. Here are the details on their plans, and here’s a video intro to how the service works:

I hear from a ton of readers who want a career in the music industry, and most of them don’t have much expertise beyond liking music. Rights management may not sound like the most exciting part of the industry, but it’s an area where you could build a great career. That’s why you should check out Songtrust’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Lead Designer, a Python/Django Engineer, and a Publishing Associate. Take a look at the job descriptions and see if any of them make sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Songtrust?

Time Out

Willy Franzen — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:15:42 +0000

We want to do even more to help you land a job. Take our survey and let us know how we can better serve you as we start our fifth year.

One of my favorite things about living in Chicago is the restaurants. There are so many great places to eat, and there are new ones opening constantly. It’s a lot of fun, but it can be overwhelming if you try to keep up with it. That’s why I rely on Time Out Chicago to keep me up to date with what’s going on in Chi-town, whether it’s restaurant openings, cultural events, or things to do. I guess I’m lucky that Time Out chose to cover Chicago, considering that the London, UK based publishing company typically focuses on major international destinations like Bangkok, Barcelona, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Venice for their guides and magazines. As far as I can tell, Boston, MA; Chicago, IL, and New York, NY are the only U.S. cities to get weekly magazines, though a few other like Las Vegas and San Francisco do get their own travel guides. I must say that Time Out’s online presence is quite disjointed, so there’s a chance that there are locations in the U.S. where they might be hiring and I just missed them.

Take a Time Out from Your Job Search

It seems as though the U.S. based Time Outs operate somewhat independently from the parent company. You’ll probably want to bounce around TimeOut.com, NewYork.TimeOut.com, TimeOutChicago.com, and TimeOutBoston.com to get a sense of all of the different sub-brands. You may also want to take a look at Time Out’s Wikipedia entry to get a fuller sense of the business. But really you should focus on digging into Time Out’s content (a lot of which they publish online) and getting a feel for how they cover different locales. Then you’ll want to read up on the specific Time Out that catches your interest and take a look at their jobs (all of the Time Outs seem to hire independently from each other). In the Worldwide office based in London they have a few job openings and also offer what they call work experience. You can use the links below to find the Jobs pages for Boston, Chicago, and New York, and you’ll see that they have a number of interesting opportunities including:

SEO Master (New York, NY)
Copy Editor (New York, NY)
Ad Operations Specialist (New York, NY)
PHP Symfony Web Application Developer (New York, NY)
Account Manager (Chicago, IL)

They’re also big on internships, so if you want to get a position on the editorial side it would probably benefit you to start as an intern. (I have a friend who did exactly that at Time Out Chicago). Here’s a list of all of the internships that they offer:

Photo Intern (Boston, MA)
Editorial Intern Intern (Boston, MA)
Art & Design Intern (Chicago, IL)
Editorial Intern (Chicago, IL)
Online Photography Intern (Chicago, IL)
Online Production Intern (Chicago, IL)
Photography Intern (Chicago, IL)
Web Intern (Chicago, IL)
Admin/Human Resources Intern (New York, NY)
Advertising Intern (New York, NY)
Art – Magazine Design Intern (New York, NY)
Audience Development Intern (New York, NY)
Editorial Intern (New York, NY)
Editorial – Visual Arts Intern (New York, NY)
Editorial – Food & Drink Intern (New York, NY)
Public Relations Intern (New York, NY)
Editorial – Music Intern (New York, NY)
Editorial – Online Intern (New York, NY)
Editorial – Shopping & Style Intern (New York, NY)
Marketing & Events Intern (New York, NY)
Online Production Intern (New York, NY)
Photo Intern (New York, NY)
Editorial – Film Intern (New York, NY)
Special Projects Intern (New York, NY)
TONY Kids Intern (New York, NY)
TONY Kids Photo Intern (New York, NY)

They’re all unpaid, but they could be a good way to get a foot in the door.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any Time Out guides or subscribe to any of their magazines?

Skullcandy

Willy Franzen — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:26:48 +0000

Yesterday we looked at Niner Bikes and how they’ve carved out a really nice niche in the outdoor action sports market by building mountain bikes with bigger wheel bases. Today we’re going to look at a company that has built a much bigger business in the same market by offering products that you may not initially associate with the market. Skullcandy is a Park City, UT based company that “markets high-end headphones, earphones, hands free devices, audio backpacks, MP3 players and other audio enabled lifestyle products.” They target consumers who associate with sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and mountain biking, so they’ve been able to build a really strong brand identity that has fueled some serious growth. Skullcandy was founded in 2003, and they made the Inc. 5000 this year with 354% three-year growth to $160.6 million in annual revenue. In fact, the growth has been so great that Skullcandy had an IPO earlier this year.

Get It Through Your Skull

Obviously a big part of Skullcandy’s brand is style–a really big part. Just look through their headphone selection. It seems that the focus is more about what your headphones say about you than what they actually sound like. There’s nothing wrong with that–it’s obviously working for Skullcandy. Oddly enough, finding information on Skullcandy the company isn’t all that easy. They don’t seem to have an About page, so their Wikipedia entry is worth looking at. You may also want to check out Skullcandy’s Investor Relations page, as it also has some really useful information. Unfortunately, the trend of not providing much information continues to Skullcandy’s Jobs page. They don’t post specific positions and only ask that you “submit a resume and cover letter to careers@skullcandy.com.” They are a publicly traded company with $160 million in revenue that has been growing at an insane rate. It’s time for them to get a little more serious about hiring people. If you’re into the intersection of action sports, music, and fashion, then Skullcandy would be a perfect fit, so don’t let their lack of job postings hold you back.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any Skullcandy products?

Bach to Rock

Willy Franzen — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:05:30 +0000

I started playing the drums in 5th grade. I started with a snare drum, but soon after I got a drum set that filled my entire bedroom. At about the same time I started taking private lessons, and I had a teacher who seem like the coolest guy in the world to my 11 year old self. After taking the summer off from lessons, I came back to my first lesson to find a new teacher sitting in the drum room. I was heartbroken. I never liked the new teacher, and my excitement for playing the drums never returned. I could have been a rockstar if only I had taken my lessons at Bach to Rock. They are “the Music School for students of all ages.” They’re based in Bethesda, MD, and they have a growing number of locations across Maryland and Virginia. They’re also an Inc 5000 company that has seen an even 1,000% growth in their revenue over the past three years.

Bach to Work

Even though the recording industry seems to be struggling with how technology has fundamentally changed their business, music is as hot as ever. The Bach to Rock Method is all about engaging people who love music and keeping them excited about improving their talents. (I love that Bach to Rock’s name says so much so simply.) Last year Bach to Rock generated $3.3 million in revenue, and I expect that number to keep increasing. They’ve adopted a franchising model, so there’s a very clear path to future growth. If you want to be part of that growth, then you’ll want to take a look at Bach to Rock’s Jobs page. It includes listings for all of their locations, which include Bethesda, MD; Gaithersburg, MD; Herndon, VA; Leesburg, VA; McLean, VA; and Chantilly, VA. Most of the positions are for Music Specialists (Voice, Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Early Childhood, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Obo, and Bassoon), but they also have some Administrative Assistant and Audio Engineer/Composer positions. There’s nothing at Corporate right now, but I’m sure there will be more positions as they continue to grow.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you play an instrument growing up?

Sixthman

Willy Franzen — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:19:01 +0000

As much as I love the Inc. 5000, there is one thing that bugs me. It seems that the large majority of companies on the list don’t even have Jobs pages. These are companies that are growing rapidly in terms of revenue and number of employees, yet they often lack even a single recruiting message on their own websites. If you follow these companies, you’ll see that they eventually get the picture and put up a Jobs page, but why wait? Sometimes you just need to find cool companies and pitch them on why you’d be a great addition to their team. Speaking of great additions to teams, let’s take a look at at a company called Sixthman. They’re an Atlanta, GA based company that “creates theme cruises with an emphasis on celebrating music and fan communities.” Neither cruises nor concerts are my thing, but if you like both, Sixthman is your dream come true.

Can You Be a Sixthman?

Sixthman was founded in 2001, so they are certainly a pioneer in the “music theme cruise movement.” Being a first mover is great, but what really makes Sixthman stand out is that they have worked “with entertainers such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, John Mayer, Kid Rock, KISS, Jillian Michaels, Barenaked Ladies, Sister Hazel, Lyle Lovett, Sarah McLachlan, Patty Griffin, Zac Brown Band, and 311, and brands such as VH1, TCM and Graceland.” Those are huge names–the kind that people might actually want to be trapped on a boat with. So far Sixthman has done more than 30 full-ship charters, and 60% of their guests return for another cruise. That’s unbelievable considering that a cruise is typically a high-ticket item. Who would have thought that combining to seemingly unrelated leisure industries would be so successful? If you like what Sixthman is doing, then you should think about a job with them. Despite their lack of a Jobs page (maybe it has something to do with outsourcing HR), they were “named one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work in 2008 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.” There is no guarantee that they’re hiring right now, but if you’re passionate about what they’re doing, you should definitely reach out to them and tell them why you think you should be part of their team.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you go on a Sixthman cruise?

C3 Presents

Willy Franzen — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:54:32 +0000

Today marks the beginning of the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago. Musical festivals definitely aren’t my thing, but it seems that everyone in the city is talking about Lolla. If you don’t know what Lollapalooza is, you can get the full story at Lollapalooza.com or on the Lollapalooza Wikipedia page. I was most interested in figuring out what company puts on the festival, because there’s a good chance that they might have some interesting job opportunities. It turns out that Lollapalooza is “presented” by C3 Presents, an Austin, TX based (I hear they also have locations in Los Angeles, CA and Chicago, IL) company that “creates, books, markets, and produces live experiences, concerts, events, and just about anything that makes people stand up and cheer.” They were formerly known as Capital Sports Entertainment, and in addition all of the live events that they do, they also offer artist/talent management services.

What Will You Present?

Beyond Lollapalooza C3 Presents puts on The Austin City Limits Music Festival and Wanderlust, has a publicity and marketing firm called Fresh and Clean Media, and manages a bunch of venues. You can check out all of their concerts at C3Concerts.com. Unfortunately, C3 Presents doesn’t offer much information about themselves on their website. They don’t even mention which artists they manage. You can get a few additional tidbits from their Wikipedia page, which mentions that they’re the third largest concert promoter in the United States behind Live Nation and AEG. C3 Presents does have a Careers page, but all it says is that “C3 Presents is not currently hiring.” So why am I writing about them? Companies in this industry are notoriously hard to get jobs with. If you think that waiting until they post a job on their Careers page is a good strategy, then you have a lot to learn. You’re going to have to find a way to contact them, and pitch yourself. LinkedIn tells me that their recent hires include a Festival Marketing Coordinator, a Talent Assistant, and a couple of interns. I also imagine that C3 Presents does a lot of event staff hiring, but I’m not sure how they do it (they probably contract it out).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you been to any concerts put on by C3 Presents?

Complex Media Network

Willy Franzen — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:22:09 +0000

I like to consider myself an “influential 20-something male consumer,” but maybe I’m wrong. I don’t read Complex.com or visit any of the sites in the Complex Media Network, and they say that they are “the premier online destination for the most influential 20-something male consumers.” They’re getting nearly a million unique visitors a day across their network, so they’re certainly influential, and I have to think their audience is too. Complex, which is based in New York, NY caters to an audience that is “driven by style, sports, music, games, gear and girls,” and they’re experts at creating content for and delivering advertising to this audience. Complex.com is their main property, but the network extends to dozens of sites that zero in on niches within the niches.

It’s Complex

I had heard about Complex before from some internship postings that I came across, but I only really took another look at them after a reader e-mailed me to tell me that he had landed an internship with Complex Media Network. After taking a closer look, I realized that Complex has done something really impressive. They took a magazine (which always has two covers–one male celebrity and one female celebrity) that was started in Mark Ecko in 2002 and used it to launch a much larger network. By getting publishers who cover similar topics to join they’re network, they’re able to sell advertising on a much larger scale while still staying true to their target demographic. Here are some case studies to give you a better idea of how Complex Media actually leverages their network. If you’re a true “influential 20-something male consumer” or you want work in a business that focuses them, check out jobs at Complex Media Network. While they don’t have any positions posted for new grads, I’ve heard that both applying through their General Inquiries form and tweeting at Complex employees can deliver good results.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read Complex?

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?

Octagon

Willy Franzen — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:19:11 +0000

Usually when readers recommend companies, I put them on my list and cover them soon after if they look interesting and have relevant opportunities. Lately I’ve had two readers mention that they applied to Octagon, but I somehow overlooked the company. My only excuse is that I’m often skeptical of sports and entertainment marketing companies because there are so many sports marketing hiring scams. But that’s very clearly not the case with Octagon, they’ve been around since 1983 and they have offices all across the world. As they put it, they’re “the recognized, global thought leader in passion-based, sports & entertainment marketing.” Some of people they represent are Chris Paul, Michael Phelps, Randy Johnson, John Elway, Elena Dementieva, Landry Fields, Michael Johnson, Anna Kournikova, Apolo Anton Ohno, and many more huge names.

Can You Compete Inside the Octagon?

From what I can tell, Octagon separates their business into four divisions. On their Octagon’s What We Do page, you’ll see links to: Marketing, Marketing North America, Athletes & Personalities, and Events. Within the Athletes & Personalities section you’ll find links to specific verticals like OctagoOly.com, OctagonHockey.com, OctagonBasketball.com. Additionally, there are separate sites for Octagon’s international businesses like OctagonBrazil.com, and Octagon-UK.com. It’s all a bit overwhelming, but it’s indicative of how big Octagon’s presence is in the field of sports and entertainment marketing. In fact, the best overview of what Octagon’s businesses actually do is on their Careers page. Once you read through that, then you can take a look at their current job postings. Right now they have a few positions that seem right for a new or recent grad including Account Executive – Telecom (Kansas City, KS), Non-Profit & Media Relations Coordinator (Portland, ME), Account Executive – Sales Assistant (Norwalk, CT), Associate Producer – Digital (Norwalk, CT), and Account Executive – Multicultural – Home Improvement (Atlanta, GA).

Octagon has offices in the following locations, so you may want to watch out for new postings in any of these places:

Atlanta, GA
Cary, NC
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Los Angels, CA
McLean, VA
Minneapolis, MN
Naples, FL
New York, NY
Norwalk, CT
Ormond Beach, FL
Portland, ME
Richmond, VA
Rogers, AR
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Ottawa, Ontario
Waterlool, Ontario
Adelaide, South Australia
Hobart, Tasmania
Melbourne, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Beijing, China
Mumbai, India
Tokyo Japan
Singapore, Malaysia
Paris, France
Frankfurt, Germany
Doha, Qatar
Moscow, Russia
Cape Town, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Barcelona, Spain
Sevilla, Spain
Stockholm, Sweden
Istanbul, Turkey
London, United Kingdom

That’s a lot of locations, so keep an eye on Octagon’s job postings for opportunities closer to home (or further away if that’s what you’re looking for).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Octagon?

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?

FanBridge

Willy Franzen — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:56:37 +0000

E-mails not giving you what you’re looking for? Check out our archives of 1,200+ entry level employers.

My first online business was a music fan site. It wasn’t a huge success, but it was nice to get the occasional $100-$200 check for advertising as a high schooler. Back then the Internet was still kind of new. Most artists had websites, but they were usually static and rarely updated. The best fans sites were better than the official sites. Most fan sites died off as musicians, sports teams, comedians, and other fan-worthy acts started to get more serious about interacting with fans online. However, fans aren’t just for mega stars who have huge budgets to pay agencies to take care of managing fan relationships. Anyone can have fans, but it’s hard to be fan-worthy if you spend all of your time managing fan relationships. FanBridge is a New York, NY based company that has built a platform for managing and leveraging fan lists. FanBridge makes keeping fans engaged easy so that their customers can keep doing what they do best–whether it’s playing music, making jokes, or baking cupcakes.

Cross This Bridge

You’re nothing without your fans. If you can’t get people to consume what you’re creating, you’re not going to eat. Artists of all kinds need to be more serious about mobilizing their fan bases so that producing art (whatever it is) can continue to be a viable business. FanBridge makes this easy by offering an affordable way to collect fans’ information, excite fans, and keep fans engaged. The FanBridge platform focuses on three mediums: e-mail, SMS, and social networks. They’re already managing over 100,000,000 fan relationships, and they’re constantly working on new ways to make managing these relationships easier. One of the key focuses of FanBridge is increasing “Fan Lifetime Value.” This may sound really transactional, but it’s really all about increasing the opportunity for mutually beneficial exchanges. If you dig the idea of FanBridge, then you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a few opportunities that seem perfect for new grads including Music Industry Relationship Builder (New York, NY), Client Service Representative (New York, NY or San Francisco, CA), UI/UX Designer (San Francisco, CA), and Web Developer (Buenos Aires or New York, NY or San Francisco, CA). If you’re a fan of fans, then FanBridge is the place to be.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Whom are you a fan of?

United Talent Agency

Willy Franzen — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:02:27 +0000

When I chose to pursue a degree in Labor Relations, a big part of my decision was based on the fact that I wanted to be a sports agent (me and every other 18 year old sports loving guy). I eventually realized that I wasn’t interested in that kind of lifestyle, but I’m still fascinated by the profession (I’d kill to read an in-depth biography of Scott Boras). If you’re like me, but haven’t given up the dream–and you’re more interested in Hollywood than professional sports, then you’ll want to check out United Talent Agency. They’re a Beverly Hills, CA based talent and literary agency. They were founded in 1991, and they have “more than 100 agents representing actors, writers, directors, producers, recording artists, below the line talent, IP rights holders, emerging technology companies and corporate brands in a variety of practice areas including film, television, music, digital media, intellectual property, computer and video games, commercials, voiceovers, endorsements, branding & licensing, corporate consulting and entertainment marketing” according to Wikipedia. Their clients include Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Owen Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Dempsey, Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan, and plenty of other huge names, so you know they’re for real.

Do You Have the Talent?

United Talent Agency doesn’t provide much information about anything on their site, but their About page does give a brief rundown of what each of their divisions do. The company’s Wikipedia page is a much better source of information. The most in-depth section on UTA’s website is actually focused on their Agent Training Program. It’s an entry level rotation program that can put you on the path to a career as a Talent Agent at one of the world’s top talent agencies. The idea of getting your start in the mailroom seems a little outdated, but apparently that’s how it still works at United Talent Agency and quite a few others in the industry. If you do a good job there, then you’ll get assigned to be the Assistant for one of UTA’s agents. If you keep excelling, there’s a good chance that you’ll get promoted to agent status. UTA accepts applications on an ongoing basis, so take a look at all of the details here.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you want to be a talent agent?

Global Inheritance

Willy Franzen — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:03:21 +0000

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.

On Friday we took a look at Voxiva, a company that uses mobile technology to help people make simple behavioral changes to improve their health. They’re a for-profit company that is using creative ways to encourage behavioral change to better the world. Global Inheritance is a non-profit that is taking a similar approach, but doing so in a very different way. The Los Angeles, CA based organization develops “unique initiatives [that] focus on the power of creativity to communicate issues with audiences that need a kick in the butt.” The audiences that they’re talking about seem to be largely those at concerts and festivals, but it could be anywhere where young people congregate (and that includes online communities).

What World Are You Inheriting?

Global Inheritance is extremely program focused. They claim to devote 98% of their time designing and executing programs (and not fundraising). These programs are typically focused on using “technology, the arts and interactivity” to reinvent “activism by inspiring people to act responsibly and make the right small every-day choices, which are the ones that matter and create change.” Global Inheritance’s programs include Energy Playground, Energy FACTory, TRASHed :: Recycling Store, TRASHed :: Art of Recycling, Tour Rider, Environmentaland, and more. Some of the programs seem a little goofy (like having Spin and Shake classes where “bike-powered blenders to generate delicious protein shakes for all participants”), but they’re certainly thought-provoking. If you’d like to get involved with Global Inheritance, then you should check out their Idealist page. Right now they’re looking to hire a Special Project Coordinator. The position starts as an unpaid internships but will turn into a paid, full-time position after a month of excellent performance.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Global Inheritance?

Hip Hop Caucus

Willy Franzen — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:00:53 +0000

Having looked at as many non-profit jobs as I have over the past three years, I must admit that many of the organizations start to blend together. It happens with companies too, but I feel as though there is distinctly less uniqueness in the non-profit world—maybe because competition affects the “marketplace” very differently when it comes to non-profits. It just seems that there are many organizations that fill similar niches. When I came across the Hip Hop Caucus, it stood out from the pack—probably based on the organization’s name alone—they just sound different. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “aims to promote political activism for young U.S. voters using hip-hop music and culture.” Culture is always a great tool for pushing change forward, and hip hop culture is especially vibrant.

Caucus with the Beat

The Hip Hop Caucus works to “to empower young people in urban communities to participate in the policy making process,” and they do this with a focus on promoting “social and political equality in the areas of economics, education, health care, housing, the environment and social justice.” While there’s a significant portion of hip hop culture—especially in the mainstream—that has a message at odds with that goal, there’s also a big part of the culture that is much more conscious. And my take is that as Hip Hop Caucus uses hip hop to better the world, they’ll also end up bettering hip hop culture. Hip Hop Caucus is run by Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., who happens to be the same guy who helped create P. Diddy’s “Vote or Die” campaign, so he has experience with this stuff. If you’d like to join his team, you can find Hip Hop Caucus’ jobs on Idealist. Right now they’re only recruiting for senior positions in Program Marketing and Development, but I still think you might want to reach out to them if your interests align with theirs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Hip Hop Caucus?

New York Philharmonic

Willy Franzen — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:24:27 +0000

I’ve never been one to listen to classical music. I know it’s supposed to make you smarter, but for me, the more mindless the music, the better. Then again, I’ve never really given classical music a try. I’ll be going to a good friend’s piano recital in a few weeks, so maybe that will change me forever. If that does happen, I’m sure that I’ll aspire to visit the New York Philharmonic (also known as the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York) at some point. It’s been around since 1842, which makes it the “oldest symphony orchestra in the United States.” The New York Philharmonic performs at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City’s Lincoln Center, and the current music director is Alan Gilbert.

Start Your Career on a High Note

Interestingly enough, most of the information on the New York Philharmonic’s website is about the music, which means that I’m probably not the best person to parse it for you. You can learn all about the orchestra, and you can even meet the members on the About page. There are also opportunities to watch and listen online. Unfortunately, the New York Philharmonic doesn’t actually tell you much about the organization. Your best bet to learn more is to read the New York Philharmonic’s Wikipedia entry and then take a look at their Annual Report and Fact Book. Once you learn a little bit more, you can check out jobs at New York Philharmonic. Right now they have a few opportunities posted that might be suitable for a new or recent grad. These include Communications Assistant and Marketing Manager. And if you’re looking for an opportunity on the music side of things, then you may want to consider an audition.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever seen the New York Philharmonic?

JLab Audio

Willy Franzen — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:02:02 +0000

Dress pants. Dress shirts. Dress shoes. If you’re a guy who needs to look good for a job interview, you should check out Bonobos. They’ll even give you $50 off your first order. They even have glow in the dark pants.

Headphones are pretty much a modern necessity. I have a bunch of devices that I carry around with me whenever I’m working from a different location, and they all have headphone jacks. By plugging in I can hear phone conversations better, tune out when I’m trying to focus, or educate myself while sitting on the train. Despite this, I still kind of hate headphones because I always lose them and whenever I wrap them around my phone the phone immediately rings and I have to unwrap them. I also spend a ton of time untangling my headphones. These are problems that probably can’t be fixed, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t innovation in the headphone industry. Tucson, AZ based JLab Audio is a perfect example. They are yet another fast growing Inc. 500 company, and they “design and market portable audio products and accessories, including the JBuds line of earbuds and the B-Flex Portable USB Laptop Speaker.” They were only founded in 2005, but they’ve already reached $3 million in annual revenue.

Are You Listening?

JLab Audio invested a lot of time in research and development before launching their line of products, and it seems to have paid off considering that they’ve been praised in the press for their “originality, design, and value.” JLab Audio is still a very small company, but they seem to growing both in terms of revenue and head count. Their Jobs page is as basic as it gets, and doesn’t even offer job descriptions, but it does say that they’re looking for a General Manager, a Sales Manager, and a Brand Ambassador. I could also see the potential for opportunities in product development. The latter seems most appropriate for a new grad, so reach out to them and see if JLab Audio sounds like a place that you want to be.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any JLab Audio products?

Symphony Space

Willy Franzen — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:30:08 +0000

There aren’t a lot of things that I can do for 12 hours straight. I’m not even sure that I can sleep that long anymore unless I’m sick or completely sleep deprived. Yet for some people it’s a tradition to participate in or attend free twelve-hour music marathons. It all started in 1978 when a group of New Yorkers came “together to create their own performing arts center.” It became a movement and a non-profit organization called Symphony Space, which has been “embraced by its cultured and educated neighbors and become the centerpiece of the Upper West Side Renaissance.” Cultural institutions like community theaters can have wonderful effects on neighborhoods and their residents, so it should be no surprise that Symphony Space is still going strong and garnering tons of support 32 years later.

Start on a High Note

There’s no way that I can describe what goes on at Symphony Space better than they do. Here’s how they put it on their History page:

A packed house listening intently as an actor conjures up the mood of a short story…the soulful notes of a jazz trumpet fading into the night…children laughing with glee at the antics of a master puppeteer…dancers creating rhythmic patterns across a darkened stage…high school students cheering one of their own as she accepts congratulations after a public reading of her work…images of cinematic brilliance flickering across a screen…families coming together to watch their kids rock out…this is Symphony Space today.

If that’s the kind of stuff that you get excited about—excited enough to sit and watch for 12 hours—then you should probably consider a job at Symphony Space. Their Employment page only has internships listed, but there’s a Production Coordinator for Performing Arts Programs posting on Idealist. It looks well suited to new grads, so give it a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever been to Symphony Space?

Pandora

Willy Franzen — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:27:33 +0000

I used to listen to a lot more music. In fact, my first website was music related (I won’t go into any more detail because it’s embarrassing). I guess I got a bad taste in my mouth from the shutdown of all of the file sharing websites. As new services have popped up that make it easy to listen to music for free, I’ve started to listen again. One of those services is Pandora, which uses The Music Genome Project to deliver users a radio station that is tailored to their individual tastes. It’s a simple idea, but a huge technical challenge. Not only does Oakland, CA based Pandora have to deliver different music to every user—and all at the same time—but they also have to be able to predict what kind of music you’re going to like based on songs that you tell them that you like. They do the hard part, and all you have to do is click a thumbs up or a thumbs down when they start playing a song for you.

Pandora Is All Gifted

If you were wondering where Pandora got its name, you can read all about it here. And if you’re wondering what Pandora is like, just try it. You can even get an iPhone app and play music in the background, which is awesome. There’s not a lot more to the Pandora product than being able to listen to great music whenever and wherever you want for free. The business is built on both an advertising supported and a freemium model. For $36 a year you can get Pandora One, and if you don’t want to pay you can listen to targeted ads occasionally—just like normal radio. If you’re interested working at a place where music, media, and technology intersect, then you should check out jobs at Pandora. They have a ton of positions posted right now, and plenty seem suitable for new or recent grads. These include positions in Advertising Sales, Software/Web Development, Accounting, Design, and more. You can apply online, and if you have any questions you can reach out to them at pandora-jobs@pandora.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Pandora?

Ticketfly

Willy Franzen — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:58:51 +0000

Usually when you take a business and put it online, you make it better. Take the facebook for example. It used to be a book that was distributed to freshman with a headshot and a tiny profile of all of the other freshman. Now Facebook has taken that idea online and improved on it significantly. GrubHub is another example. Ordering food over the phone requires having menus, GrubHub gives you everything that you need. Even Amazon has made the process of buying books and pretty much everything else better. Yet the biggest name in online ticketing has done just the opposite. Waiting in a long line may be a pain in the butt and so is calling and getting a busy signal, but all of the extra fees and the terrible online interfaces make buying concert tickets online a huge hassle. Ticketfly is trying to change that. Right now they’re “a boutique alternative for clubs and smaller theaters” according to The New York Times, but the San Francisco based company (with a New York office too) hopes to have a much larger effect on the overall ticketing ecosystem.

Punch Your Ticket

The reason that Ticketfly is able to gain ground in the ultra competitive (read: monopolistic) ticketing space is because of the relationships that they build with club owners. The company is customer focused in two ways: they want end users to have a seamless ticket buying process and they want promoters to have a seamless ticket selling process. If they can win over both groups of customers, they should be really successful. Ticketfly has started small, but they’re growing fast. A search for tickets in Chicago turned up lots of results, but I must admit that I’d never heard of any of the bands (I admit to having poor taste in music). Ticketfly is another company that I found on Fast Company’s list of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies,” and they are hiring. Their Jobs page lists a number of positions that include opportunities in Software Engineering and Sales. You can apply online by sending “a link to your LinkedIn account or a resume to: jobs@ticketfly.com.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used Ticketfly?

Man Made Music

Willy Franzen — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:54:04 +0000

Like I told you on Monday, I have a ton of new companies to feature thanks to Fast Company’s list of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.” It may not have been one of the lists that I mentioned in my article 9 Magazine Lists That Will Help You Find a Job, but I’d certainly add it if I were writing the article again. Today we’re going to take a look at Man Made Music, “a unique bi-coastal music production company and Sonic Brand consultancy with an extraordinary team of young music and sound design talent, well-known composers, music supervisors, programmers, club DJ’s, musicologists and brand strategists.” By bi-coastal, they mean New York and LA, obviously, and you can’t really talk about Man Made Music without mentioning their founder and President, Joel Beckerman. He’s been in music media for nearly two decades, and he rolls with big names like John Legend, Morgan Freeman, and John Rzeznik.

Music Made Jobs

At Man Made Music it’s all about telling stories. Whether they’re working with NBC Nightly News, The History Channel, Mercedes, or ESPN’s X Games, they’re always ensuring that music is more than just some noise in the background—it’s furthering the message. The company is open to working in any medium, format, or industry, and to get a sense of what they do, you should check out their Case Studies. You may also want to play around with the Man Made Mixer, although it’s really just for fun. So what about jobs? If you’re trying to break into the music industry, and you’re not all that concerned with working at a major record label, Man Made Music might be the perfect place for you. They don’t get specific about their job opportunities; in fact, their Employment/Internships link goes straight to an e-mail address: employment@manmademusic.com. That may be a little too much ambiguity for some of you, but if you reach out to the folks at Man Made Music and let them know what you can add, you might just find a really cool opportunity.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Man Made Music?

VICE

Willy Franzen — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:59:25 +0000

Yesterday I spent a few hours poring over an issue of Fast Company that includes their list of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies.” It is loaded with companies that I’d never heard of, so I picked out the most interesting ones and checked to see what their job opportunities looked like. Luckily, I found quite a few prospects, so you’re in for some really cool stuff over the next few weeks. One of the companies that I found was VICE, a New York City magazine and media conglomerate that publishes a “superedgy hipster bible.” Their content is about as safe for work as American Apparel advertisements, which is partially because AA is one of their main advertisers. The interesting thing about VICE is that they are a huge company—they have a print circulation of nearly a million magazines and their sites get 3.5 million monthly unique visitors. This has sparked growth from $45 million in revenue in 2008 to $64 million in 2009.

What’s Your VICE?

Now, I don’t want to be too hard on hipsters, but I find it funny that a company that caters to their audience by being controversial and subversive is actually a major media company raking in the dough. Next we’ll find out that plaid and fixed gear bicycles are also being manufactured by corporate behemoths. Ok, VICE might be making lots of money, but they’re certainly keeping it real. They’ve become more journalistic over time, while maintaining their “blithe and caustic irreverence.” In addition to the magazine, VICE also has VICE Retail (clothing), VICE Recordings (Music/Record Label), VBS.tv (Film and Television), Virtue (Creative Agency), and an Events business. VICE is definitely not for everyone, but if you were offended by my poke at hipster culture (and are not offended by much else), then it’s probably for you. You can learn about jobs with VICE here. Current openings include VICE Events Assistant, Junior Digital Marketing Coordinator, Account Executive / Manager, and Online And Motion Graphics Designer. The application instructions vary, so check out VICE’s Jobs page for all of the details.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read VICE?

Jazz at Lincoln Center

Willy Franzen — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:56:13 +0000

I may not be into jazz, but I will readily admit that people who like jazz have better taste in music than I do. I don’t know why I feel that way, but jazz gives off an aura of being ultimately cool. You just can’t tell a jazz lover that he has bad taste in music. If you’re one of those people who is cooler than me, then I hope that you know about Jazz at Lincoln Center. It’s a New York City based non-profit arts organization that aims “to enrich the artistic substance and perpetuate the democratic spirit of America’s music.” Their mission is accomplished through four key strategies: Curatorial, Educational, Archival, and Ceremonial. Whether it’s producing and presenting performances or maintaining “a comprehensive library of original scores, transcriptions, arrangements, books and artifacts important to jazz,” Jazz at Lincoln Center is doing its best to promote the art.

Jazzy Jobs

Jazz at Lincoln Center is everything jazz. While most other genres of music are driven by commercial interests, it seems that jazz—along with classical music—is more tied to the arts scene than popular music. That’s why non-profits like Jazz at Lincoln Center play such a big role in promoting and preserving the art. If you’re a jazz lover and looking to work in the non-profit world, then you need to head over to the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jobs page. They have a number of seemingly entry level job openings that include Concert Marketing Assistant, Human Resources Assistant, and Production Assistant. There are also Usher positions available. The application instructions vary from job to job, so check out the individual job listings for all of the details.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a jazz lover?

Grooveshark

Willy Franzen — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:56:47 +0000

When’s the last time you bought a music CD? For me it has to have been something like 5 years ago. Oddly enough, in the glory days of online file sharing when Napster and then AudioGalaxy were around, I was buying lots of CDs. Not anymore. Now that downloading songs is kind of risky (unless your Dad is a good defense lawyer), a lot of people have moved to listening to music through web apps. Some use YouTube. Others use Pandora or Last.fm. Then there’s Grooveshark. They’re a Gainesville, FL company that was started by University of Florida students, and they let you listen to music online for free. They still have some intellectual property issues to work out, and their business model could use some refining, but they’ve grown to 40 employees and their user bases is trending nicely upwards. If you want to be part of a startup that could change the way the music industry works, this might be the place.

Get Your Groove On

Grooveshark’s business model has already changed a few times, but right now they’re an ad supported free service with a premium subscription option to remove ads and get some other extra features. They’re apparently in negotiations with a number of major record labels to make sure things are on the up and up, so that might lead to some more changes. What Grooveshark does is pretty simple at the consumer level, but there are a ton of complexities that lie under the surface. If this sounds like the kind of place where you want to get your start, then check out Jobs at Grooveshark. Their current job openings include Web Developer, Java Developer, and Database Engineer. Right now they’re heavy on tech positions, but if you take a look at their team you’ll see what other kind of job opportunities might be available in the future at Grooveshark. You can apply through e-mail to jobs@grooveshark.com, but be sure that you read the job descriptions closely first. They have very specific application requirements for each position.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Grooveshark to listen to music?

RightsFlow

Willy Franzen — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:28:52 +0000

Copyrights aren’t what they used to be. It’s not that they’re any less valuable, it’s just that it’s so easy to rip someone off these days. Every day my posts are automatically scraped by bots and republished on sites that slap ads on my content to make pennies. The photos that you posted online might end up in a multi-million dollar ad campaign without your permission. And then there’s the world of music. Piracy and infringement has completely changed the face of the industry. New York City’s RightsFlow is an employee-owned company that “specializes in intellectual property licensing and copyright management” in the music industry. Their core areas of service are Strategic Planning, Business Analysis, Music Licensing Services, and Digital Music and Media Strategies. Put simply, they help artists and labels ensure that they are fairly compensated for the work that they produce.

Are You Right for RightsFlow?

RightsFlow’s website uses a lot of buzzwords that I’m not quite familiar with, but it’s pretty clear to me that their combination of industry expertise and technological aptitude enables them to push innovation in an industry that is unwilling to accept that the game has changed. Through “FLOW”, their “proprietary royalty and licensing system “they’re able “to provide labels, distributors, and online music services with a turnkey solution for licensing, accounting, and royalty payment administration including mechanical, DPD, physical, ringtone, interactive streams, and limited downloads, as well as subscription and ad-supported models.” RightsFlow has put together an extremely impressive clients list, and they seem to be growing at a great rate. That’s why it’s no big surprise that they’re hiring. If you check out their Jobs page, you’ll see that they’re looking for a Database Engineer and a Copyright Coordinator. Both jobs appear to be suitable for new grads, and you can apply by sending a resume and cover letter to info@rightsflow.com. You should also use the information on RightsFlow’s Contact page (like the CEO’s e-mail address) to your advantage.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about what RightsFlow does?

Topspin

Willy Franzen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:29:26 +0000

We all have at least one friend who “has a band.” He’s the one that sends you a Facebook Event invitation for his “gigs” every other week. He’s also still on MySpace (because it’s awesome for bands, of course). It may just so happen that you friend is actually really good, but he’s still waiting for his big break. Regardless of your friend’s talent level, there’s a good chance that he’s struggling with marketing his band. (That’s why that big break hasn’t come yet.) Your friend may think that MySpace is advanced as band marketing gets, but it’s not. There’s a new game in town, and it’s called Topspin. They haven’t launched yet, but they’ve already put a lot of work into achieving their mission “to provide artists the tools they need to build successful businesses.”

Your Résumé Needs a Little Topspin

I know that’s it’s hard to get really excited about a company that doesn’t even have a public product yet, but sometimes you just have to trust the judgment of venture capitalists. You also have to like the fact that Berklee College of Music (one of the most prestigious music schools in the country) has teamed up with Topspin in an “exclusive partnership to develop online music courses designed to teach artists, managers and labels on effective use of the Topspin platform to market music and develop fan relationships.” That Topspin platform sounds a little mysterious, but as far as I can tell, it’s a web app that will allow bands to easily mange things like catalogs, connecting with fans, and generating demand for music.

Topspin has offices in Santa Monica and San Francisco, and they already have a sizable team. Their Jobs page says that they’re looking to add to the team, although it doesn’t get specific. If you have an interest in music, marketing, business, and technology, then you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to work than Topspin. You can apply by sending a personalized cover letter and a résumé to jobs@topspinmedia.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do any of you have friends whose bands are actually good?

JamLegend

Willy Franzen — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:08:44 +0000

I’ve already written posts on Activision (Guitar Hero), Harmonix (Rock Band), and Tapulous (Tap Tap Revenge), but can you ever really get enough of the music playing video game genre? Of course not! That’s why we’re looking at JamLegend today. How are they different from the other game makers that I just mentioned? First, JamLegend is free. Second, it offers more songs. Third, you can use your computer keyboard as a guitar. Fourth and most importantly, it’s social! You can play your friends, you can play the world, and you can even enter tournaments to win prizes. JamLegend isn’t just the name of the game, it’s also the name of the company, a small startup based out of San Francisco.

These Jobs Are Your Jam

If you’re a music loving video game junkie who is fascinated by the social web, then you really couldn’t find a better fit than JamLegend. Beyond that, it’s a good career choice. The video game industry continues to thrive through the recession, and social gaming appears to be the next big thing. That’s why you need to check out Jobs with JamLegend. You won’t find any specific postings on their Jobs page, but that’s ok because I love their philosophy. They say, “Our belief is that we should hire gifted people even before we need them, so send us an e-mail (jobs@jamlegend.com) and tell us why you are interesting.” That’s about it. Awesome. JamLegend does have some positions posted on Startuply for a Flex / AS3 Developer and a Facebook Connect / Social-Web Developer, but it’s unclear whether these are internships or full-time jobs. It really doesn’t matter though, just reach out to them and tell them how you can help them. Don’t constrain yourself by applying for a specific position.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played JamLegend?

Harmonix

Willy Franzen — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:42:00 +0000

If you’ve been reading every day for the past few months, you’ve probably heard me talk about the recession/video game paradox. When people are out of work, they often play lots of video games. (I also think that people who play lots of video games are often out of work.) Some might claim that video games sap productivity from our economy, but I’d argue otherwise. When a recession hits and lots of unemployed people start gaming, it actually creates jobs in game development. So, when you’re jamming to Rock Band 2 for 9 hours straight instead of job searching, don’t feel too bad, because your purchase made it possible for someone with a little more ambition, initiative, and drive to land a job at Boston based Harmonix. That’s how the economy works. Isn’t it a beautiful thing? If only your high score translated into dollars…

Jobs that Rock

There isn’t a lot of information about Harmonix on their website, but all you really need to know is that they’re behind Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and Phase. There’s a pretty cool video about them on their Jobs page too, but that’s it. Despite the sparse information, people who want to work for Harmonix are probably already familiar with the company. If your interests include music and video games and you have strong Software Development skills, then you’re just who Harmonix is looking for. (And don’t worry about not liking the job. Harmonix was named one of Boston’s 100 Top Places to Work. So what can you do at Harmonix? Right now they have half a dozen job openings, and a couple could be suitable for new grads – Software Developer, Network Services Support and Game Programmer. You can apply for these jobs online directly from the descriptions, and if you don’t have the software skills to do them, then get back to playing Rock Band 2 in your underpants.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you game instead of job search?

Harlem Success Academy

Willy Franzen — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:00:11 +0000

Did your Kindergarten class have a special name? Something beyond the teacher’s name? If it did, you probably don’t remember it, but kids at Harlem Success Academy are going to remember the names of their classes for a long time. Not only are their classes named by the colleges that their teachers went to, but the classes are identified by the year that they will be graduating from college (if my math is right, then this year’s Kindergarteners are the Class of 2025). I think that’s pretty inspirational, and that’s the point. Harlem Success Academy is a charter elementary school that is exactly what its name says it is.

You Can Succeed Too

Harlem Success Academy has a different culture and a different take on academics. It all comes down to results, and that’s what Harlem Success Academy is all about. They’ve only been around for just over two years, but they were able to take their first class of 1st Graders from 44% reading at grade level to 96% reading at grade level by the end of the year (and 2/3 were reading at 2nd Grade Level or above). That’s a serious accomplishment in a short amount of time. It seems that Harlem Success Academy has cracked the code when it comes to improving educational outcomes in underserved communities.

If this sounds like something that you’d like to be a part of, then you’re in luck, because Harlem Success Academy is doing a lot of hiring. Their job listings show 25 current positions that they’re hiring for. Three of these are in Elementary School Teaching – Elementary School Teacher (with openings in Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Science, Special Education, Music, Dance, Sports, and Art), Assistant Teacher, and Special Education Teacher. It’s hard to tell whether these jobs will be well suited to a new college grad since the job descriptions aren’t very clear about what the experience and degree requirements are, but they’re certainly worth inquiring about. There are also openings that are seemingly entry level in Student Support Services (Educational Associate, Speech Therapist, and Teacher Aide) and Administration (Instructional Data Analyst, Technology Assistant, School Affairs Coordinator, Finance Assistant, Recruitment Assistant, Executive Assistant, and Special Projects Manager). You can find full descriptions of each of these jobs on the category pages that we just linked to, and you can apply for the jobs directly from the descriptions. And in case it wasn’t obvious, the jobs are located in Harlem, NY. Now go tie your personal success to the success of Harlem Success Academy and apply for a job!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about getting Kindergarteners focused on going to college?

Fuse Marketing

Willy Franzen — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:55 +0000

Hopefully college hasn’t drained you of your youth, because its going to be one of your strongest assets if you want to apply for an entry level jobs with today’s company. Fuse Marketing is a youth marketing agency that focuses on offering Consulting, Event Marketing, Communications, and Creative services. They work to “connect brands with youth through sports, music, fashion and other relevant youth cultural interests.” They’ve worked with Eastern Mountain Sports to build a more youthful customer base and with the Association of Surfing Professionals to increase awareness of its World Championship Tour. These are just a couple of examples of how major brands trust Fuse Marketing to reach young people.

Light Your Fuse

If you want to work for a company where your lack of experience is an asset and your youthful ignorance is worth something, then Fuse Marketing is a company that you need to look at. Their general focus is on youth marketing, but they get more specific than that. Fuse helps companies with sports, music, fashion, buzz, viral, lifestyle, entertainment, ethnic, and college marketing. Within each of these categories they have expertise on targeting tweens, teens, Gen Y, and Gen X. Their site is loaded with case studies based on their Consulting, Event Marketing, Communications, and Creative practices. A quick look at those will give you a more detailed look of exactly what kind of work Fuse does.

Fuse Marketing doesn’t currently have any job listings that are specifically suited to new college grads, but you have to think that they love hiring at the entry level. There is a Brand Consulting Group Account Manager that requires 2 years of experience that might be within reach, but even that’s a stretch. There are 60 Brand Ambassador jobs for students on specific campuses, but these are contract jobs, not full-time. They are paid, and they might be a great way to build up a relationship with Fuse Marketing during your Senior year to make way for a full-time job after graduation.

The good news is that Fuse Marketing accepts applications for unlisted positions. That means that you can send them your resume, and they’ll let you know if they have something that will be a good fit for you. You might even be able to convince them to create a new position for you if you’re impressive enough. Fuse Marketing is headquartered in Burlington, VT, but they also have an office in New York City. You’re not going to find a better company to cold call, so get to it and show them why you’re going to be a youth marketing superstar.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Fuse Marketing’s case studies do you find most interesting?

Carnegie Hall

Willy Franzen — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:42:06 +0000

We’ve written about Andrew Carnegie’s generosity before – we discussed entry level jobs with the Carnegie Corporation of New York back in May. It’s just one of many non-profit organizations that bears Carnegie’s name. Another is Carnegie Hall, which Andrew Carnegie built because of his interest in music. It’s an architecturally beautiful building in the heart of Manhattan with a storied history and amazing acoustics. It’s also host to approximately 250 performances every year. Carnegie Hall is the “ultimate destination for music lovers across the world,” according to Sanford Weill, the Hall’s Chairman of the Board, and it’s hard to argue with him. Carnegie Hall is all about music at its best, and if you believe strongly in the importance of music, you should consider working at Carnegie Hall.

Get a Gig at Carnegie Hall

If you think about it, Andrew Carnegie is responsible for creating quite a few interesting entry level job opportunities. I bet he didn’t think about that when he donated all that money. His donations have certainly gone a long way. If you truly love music but don’t know how to turn that into a career path, you should consider a job at Carnegie Hall. It can provide you with great work experience in a setting that you’ll love. It can also provide the foundation for a great future. I have a friend who started working at Carnegie Hall after graduating from college, and now she’s working in investment banking. It certainly will open up new opportunities for you.

Carnegie Hall currently has three job listings that look well suited to new college grads. These are Associate Editor, Performance Manager, and Technical Analyst. The titles almost sound like higher level jobs, but the descriptions confirm for us that these jobs should be considered entry level. Carnegie Hall is located in New York City, and so are its jobs. You can apply for a job at Carnegie Hall by sending a cover letter and resume to hr@carnegiehall.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research