One Day, One Job » online media

QuinStreet

Willy Franzen — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:03:36 +0000

In March of 2009 I got an e-mail that looked a lot like the spam you typically see when you’re a webmaster with a publicly listed e-mail address. When someone refers to my site as onedayonejob.com, it gives me the hint that the e-mail was probably automated and that I should send it to my Junk folder. But I was still intrigued by the following sentence: “I am reaching out to see if you will be interested in selling your site and would like to discuss potential acquisition opportunities with us,” so I followed up. Over the next few months I traded e-mails with a guy who works at QuinStreet about potentially selling the site, but we never even made it to the offer stage. The reason that the Foster City, CA based company was interested in One Day One Job is that they’re one of the leaders in vertical marketing and online media. They have tons of online properties, and they use them to market and generate leads for other businesses. They’ve been at it since 1999, so they’ve been around the block a time or two.

Take a Ride Down QuinStreet

QuinStreet’s main areas of focus are in Education and Financial Services (two extremely lucrative markets for lead generation), but they also work in Home Services, B2B, Medicine/Health, and Premium Brand Advertising. You won’t see QuinStreet promote their properties on their home page like some other online media companies do, and you won’t get too many details about what they actually do. Online lead generation is extremely competitive, so secrecy is really important. They do have a What We Do, but it’s extremely limited in its explanation of QuinStreet’s business (you’ll find a little more on their How We Do It page). If you really want to learn more about QuinStreet’s business, their Investor Relations site is probably the place to go. What might even give you a better sense of what they’re working is their Jobs page. By investigating the positions they’re hiring for, I’ll bet you’ll get even more insight into the business. You’ll also see some great opportunities for new or recent grads including:

Employee Benefits and Compliance Assistant
Client Strategy & Development Associate
Data Services Associate (Reno, NV)
Inside Sales Rep
Inside Sales Rep – Home Services (Portland, OR)
Jr. Java Developer
Jr. Vertical Manager (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Jr. Web Producer (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Marketing Analyst
PPC Media Associate
SEM/PPC Media Associate (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Media Associate
Media Associate – Home Services
PHP Developer
Vertical Manager – Online Marketing
Web Designer

If you’re interested in online marketing, QuinStreet would be a great place to learn, so give these positions a look and see what appeals to you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about QuinStreet?

Intergi

Willy Franzen — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:12:16 +0000

A few years ago during the beginning of the recession, I featured a bunch of jobs in the video games industry. All those people who lost their jobs were buying video games, and business was booming. Things have slowed since. I’m not sure if it has to do with the economy, but I do know that gaming on phones and tablets is really biting into video game industry sales. One video game related company that is continuing to grow is Intergi. They’re a Deerfield Beach, FL based company that “partners with the foremost gaming web publishers to provide advertisers with targeted ad placements.” They’re another Inc. 5000 company, and they’ve seen 2,383% three-year growth from $253,818 in revenue to $6.3 million in revenue.

Game On

Intergi is in the business of “site representation,” but a better explanation might be that they monetize gaming related traffic. They’ve built out a significant network of publishers and advertisers that enables them to offer a ton of value to both sides. You can read about their offerings for publishers here and their offering for advertisers here. Integri not only works with publishers, but they also are a publisher. GameZone.com is their major property, but I suspect that there might be a few more sites. I couldn’t find a list of Intergi’s publishers, but they do have a Client List. If you’re interested in the video game media business, then Intergi would be a great place to work. They’ve bee growing their headcount, and they have a bunch of entry level jobs posted on their Careers page. These include Online Editor, Web Designer, Book Keeper, Junior Account Executive, and Account Coordinator. The weird thing is that I can’t figure out how you’re supposed to apply for these positions. There’s no link, button, or e-mail address. WHOOPS! I guess you should use their Contact page to apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a gamer?

deviantART

Willy Franzen — Tue, 10 May 2011 10:44:41 +0000

Sometimes what you think is a niche community isn’t really “niche” at all. I’ve come across deviantART periodically while browsing the web, and I always thought how cool it was that there was a place online for artists to share their work. I had no idea that deviantART was a Top 100 website in terms of traffic and has “over 16 million registered members and over 145 million unique artist generated works of art.” I knew that it was a sizable community, but I had no idea that it was that sizable. While deviantART is a place for all kinds of art, there is definitely a focus on manga and digital art. Other categories include photography, traditional art, literature, Flash, filmmaking, and skins for applications. If it’s artsy, there’s a good chance that there’s a place for it on deviantART. The site was founded in 2000 in Hollywood, CA, and it’s unclear whether it was with the intention of building a business. Regardless, deviantART now appears to be a thriving business with a bunch of job openings.

Do You Deviate?

Whether it was back in 2000 when deviantART was launched or last week, we keep hearing about websites without business models. Social networks are especially notorious for being able to generate lots of users but little revenue. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for deviantART. They last took funding in 2007, and they still appear to be growing. Because the deviantART community is so focused, they’re a great market for advertisers. Additionally, deviantART offers premium memberships that offer extra benefits and provide another revenue stream. At the end of the day, deviantART is an extremely user-driven company that has grown because it listens to its community. If you want to dig deeper, check out deviantART’s About page. You can look at all of the deviantART profiles of their employees and see what kind of jobs people are working in at the company. If you like what you see, head over to the deviantART Jobs page. Right now they have a couple of positions that you should check out including Copyright & Etiquette Administrator, Online Marketing Merchandiser, and Web Application Developer. And if none of those look right, you can always try reaching out to them to see if there are other opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a deviantART member?

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

Willy Franzen — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:41:43 +0000

Ever consider a career in teaching? Here’s some info on how to get started.

There’s a long history of poking fun at Martha Stewart, and it started well before she went to prison. There’s just something funny about someone who takes perfection in domesticity as seriously as she does. My family even played an integral role in the satire of Martha with my little sister’s appearance in the parody magazine Martha Stuart’s Better Than You at Entertaining, which was a follow up to Is Martha Stuart Living? (here’s a picture my sister as young Martha Stewart in the parody). We can keep laughing at Martha Stewart, but she’ll always get the last laugh. She has an amazing track record of reaching the top in nearly everything that she has done–from babysitting for Mickey Mantle’s kids to starting a successful catering company in her basement to building a New York, NY based media empire in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Martha Stewart is apparently now worth well over half a billion dollars, and has used her personal brand to build amazing print, television, online, and merchandise properties.

Are You Living?

Whether or not you’re a Martha Stewart fan, you have to be impressed by what she’s done throughout her career. She’s had an amazing ability to stay relevant, and a lot of that has to do with her media strategy. She easily could have settled with a successful catering business, or a popular magazine, or having her own television show, but she didn’t. It seems that she is obsessed with using every channel possible to reach people with her “unique lifestyle content.” That’s what Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is all about. If you enjoy the Martha Stewart brand and want to work on the media or merchandise side, then you definitely need to take a look at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s Careers page. There are some great opportunities posted in their job listings, and a few seem suitable for new or recent grads including: Assistant Food Editor, PHP Application Developer – Internet Content Management Systems, Front-End Web Developer, Decorative Pillow and Bedding Accessory Designer, Executive Assistant, Freelance Recipe Taster, Retail Merchandising Assistant, Apparel Designer – Martha Stewart Pets and Quilt Designer. You can also apply for an unlisted position if you don’t see something that suits you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a Martha Stewart fan?

Reader’s Digest Association

Willy Franzen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:48:21 +0000

I must admit that I’ve never known anyone under the age of 60 to subscribe to Reader’s Digest, but I’m sure that there’s at least one college student out there with a subscription. I mean it was the top circulating consumer magazine for a long time up until 2009. They also can claim “more readers with household incomes of $100,000+ than Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week and Inc. combined. That means that they have some serious advertising power. Now Reader’s Digest is just one of the publications owned and operated by New York, NY based Reader’s Digest Association, which is “a global multi-brand media and marketing company that educates, entertains and connects audiences around the world.” They also have AllRecipes, Every Day with Rachel Ray, The Family Handyman, and quite a few other brands.

Make Your Grandma Proud

We typically like to look at growing companies because they tend to offer the most exciting job opportunities. But sometimes larger companies that are struggling with environmental changes that affect how they do business can offer similarly interesting opportunities. Reader’s Digest Association is in a tough spot. Their big brand, Reader’s Digest, has a dying (sorry to be morbid) subscriber base and increasing competition from web based publishers. That’s why it’s no big surprise that Reader’s Digest Association went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 after five straight years of reporting losses. Still, Reader’s Digest Association has vast resources and significant brand equity. There are certainly some bright spots in Reader’s Digest Association’s numbers. They have 90 magazine titles, worldwide readership over 100 million, 83 branded websites, and annual book, music, and video sales of more than 30 million units. Another bright spot is Reader’s Digest Association’s Jobs page–they have a lot of opportunities posted including quite a few that seem suitable for new or recent grads:

Advertising Sales Assistant – Home & Garden Group (New York, NY)
Marketing Coordinator, Reader’s Digest Ad Sales & Sponsorship Marketing (New York, NY)
Digital Coordinator / Project Management Team (Greendale, WI)
Online Food Editor – Australia Site (Seattle, WA)
Finance Leadership Development Associate (White Plains, NY)
Marketing Coordinator (Greendale, WI)
Account Manager – Home & Garden (New York, NY)

It’s hard to say what the future holds for Reader’s Digest Association, but I think that there’s a big opportunity for entry level talent to help them ensure that their brands are just as popular (or even more popular) when we become grandparents.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you know anyone under the age of 60 who subscribes to Reader’s Digest.

Instructables

Willy Franzen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:46:36 +0000

The other day I came across a video from a guy who built a remote control tri-copter strapped with fireworks to hunt hydrogen balloons. I love geeky projects like that—I just wish that I knew how to replicate them. Luckily, there’s a site built for exactly that (though they don’t have the exact how to video that I’m looking for). It’s called Instructables, and they offer a place “where passionate people share what they do and how they do it, and learn from and collaborate with others.” The company got its start at the MIT Media Lab, but has since moved to San Francisco, CA. Instructables covers a range of topics that includes Food, Health, Living, Outside, Play, Solar, Technology, and Workshop, which means that they have a place for basically any kind of how to.

How To Get a Job

Whether you want to share your expertise or learn from others, Instructables is the place to do it. You can learn how to make delicious cinnamon rolls or teach people how to make their own thongs (I’m not kidding). Maybe you want to build an awesome paper airplane or a retro phone charging station—either way Instructables can show you how. Not only do they have an amazing breadth of content, but it’s deep, useful content too. That’s probably why Instructables gets so much traffic. If you take a look at their media kit, you’ll get a rundown of what their audience looks like on paper and how they’ve leveraged this audience to work with some top quality advertisers. The only complaint that I have about Instructables is that they have a ton of ads—some of which are kind of scammy looking. But they also have some content built out of partnerships that is relevant and useful. Overall, it looks like Instructables is doing an excellent job of monetizing their massive trove of content (they also offer a premium membership), which is probably why they’re hiring. Right now they’re looking for an Online Editor and Sales Managers in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. The jobs look pretty cool, so maybe you should make an instuctable on how to get a job at Instructables.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have yo used Instructables?

UrbanDaddy

Willy Franzen — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:45:08 +0000

You love free daily e-mails. Obviously. We’ve covered a lot of companies whose main products are daily e-mails, and not so surprisingly, most of the businesses are focused on helping you find new places to spend your money—these include DailyCandy, Thrillist, and TastingTable. Then there are the ones that make you smarter like The Daily Beast, DailyLit, and the one you’re reading right now (the one that is also trying to help you grow your bank account). UrbanDaddy definitely falls into the former category. They dub themselves “the free daily email devoted to bringing you the single thing you need to know every day about your city.” They’re based in New York, NY, but their daily editions cover Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, DC, Jetset, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, National, New York, San Francisco, and Ski & Board. Each edition covers topics like Nightlife, Food, Style, Gear, Leisure, and Weekends—all things that you should be withholding from yourself until you get a job (just kidding).

Who’s Your UrbanDaddy?

For all the hype that social media and social networking sites get, it’s amazing how many businesses are built on good, old-fashioned e-mail lists. UrbanDaddy has a cadre of writers who know the cities they cover and have an exceptional skill for uncovering what’s cool and new. If you live in a city covered by UrbanDaddy, you’ll never really have an excuse to be bored. They’re aiming to be that friend—the one “who knows everyone—the maitre d’s at all the right restaurants, the bouncers at all the right clubs, the addresses of all the great parties. And the kind of guy who lives to share the wealth.” They even have a Perks Program that gives subscribers exclusive access to special deals (hey, everyone has to jump on the Groupon bandwagon—it’s too profitable not to). If you are that friend, or you’ve played a supporting role to that friend, then you need to check out jobs at UrbanDaddy. They have a number of great opportunities posted right now, and a few look suitable for new or recent grads including Copy Editor, Los Angeles Editor, Senior Writer (yeah, I know it says Senior, but why not try to wow them), Quality Assurance Analyst, Advertising Sales Planner, Interactive Designer, and Senior LAMP/Front-End Engineer. Check out the job descriptions and sign up for UrbanDaddy’s daily e-mails to see if you’ll be a good fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you subscribe to UrbanDaddy?

The Taunton Press

Willy Franzen — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:58:06 +0000

The world of publishing is a pretty crazy place right now. We hear about prestigious brand names struggling to stay afloat, while relative newcomers like Demand Media are IPO-ing. One of the key takeaways from all of the turmoil is that advertisers want results. That means that publishers need to be able to deliver targeted audiences that will respond to ads, whether it be through traditional outlets like magazines and newspapers or online. The Taunton Press is a publisher that has understood this for a long time. They’re based in Newtown, CT (a lovely town where I’ve done a lot of fishing), and they publish magazines, websites, and books for people who have a passion for creative activities. Their titles include Fine Woodworking, Fine Homebuilding, Fine Cooking, Fine Gardening, Threads, and more. Most of the publications come in both magazine form and an online version, so readers can consume the content however they feel comfortable.

The Finer Things

The Taunton Press reminds me a lot of Prime Publishing, another company that has found success by publishing content for niche markets. The Taunton Press seems a bit more brand focused, which is explained best by a quote on their About page:

We don’t run advertising that isn’t directly related to the subject matter of our magazines. We believe our ad pages serve as another vehicle for passing on educational information. It means our magazines might cost a little more at the newsstand. But it also means every page will be worth the price.

I love that! Advertising doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I often say that you can tell how intelligent your media consumption habits are by looking at the advertising that is targeted to you. If you’re seeing a lot of Shake Weight commercials, you might want to start worrying. Whether you have a specific interest in the topical areas that The Taunton Press covers or you are generally interested in media and publishing, The Taunton Press looks like a great place to start a career. Check out their Careers page and their job listings. Right now they have a couple of positions that might be suitable for a new grad: Assistant Editor – Threads Magazine and Chef’s Assistant. They also offer internships in Editorial, Media Sales, Publishing, and Web Publishing, so there’s the potential for more entry level opportunities in the future.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read any of The Taunton Press’ publications?

Hunch

Willy Franzen — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:55:18 +0000

Social networks are great. They help us maintain relationships more easily, while also introducing us to new people. The cool thing is that we’ve just scratched the surface with social networking. There’s a lot more value to come, and one of the things that I’m most excited about is social recommendations. Whether I’m looking for a restaurant, hotel, pair of shoes, or car, I want to be able to leverage the collective knowledge of my friends. Hunch is a New York City based startup that is doing exactly that. They’re “personalizing the Internet” by building “a ‘taste graph’ of the entire web, connecting every person on the web with their affinity for anything, from books to electronic gadgets to fashion or vacation spots.” They leverage the information that you’ve already added to your social profiles on Twitter and Facebook, and they also ask you a number of seemingly irrlevant questions to get a feel for what you might like.

Do You Have a Hunch?

I spent 5-10 minutes on Hunch this morning, and I have to say that I was impressed. Of the five tv shows that it recommended, I watch four regularly—Seinfeld, The Office, MythBusters, and Mad Men. They’re all pretty popular shows, so maybe it’s not all that astounding to recommend them, but I’m excited to keep playing with Hunch. What really gets me excited, though, is the economic potential in Hunch. If it can be an effective guide for purchasing decisions, then the people behind Hunch are going to make a lot of money. We all know how hard it is to find new things that we like. Hunch is trying to solve that problem without requiring a ton of users’ time by forcing them to input lots of data. If you like what you see at Hunch, you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Software Developer and paid Marketing/Content/Business Development interns. Those internships may indicate future job openings, so don’t overlook them. And while you’re checking out Hunch, be sure to recommend One Day, One Job.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you tried Hunch?

Wetpaint

Willy Franzen — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:49:53 +0000

I don’t know how many of you are data nerds like me, but I love checking out Google Trends to see what people are searching for. One of the things that I often notice is how much search traffic (especially in the evening) is driven by television. It seems as though everybody is watching tv with a laptop/iPad/iPhone within reach. That’s why Wetpaint, formerly a company that enabled people to make their own wikis, has adapted their proprietary publishing platform “to produce premium branded media destinations featuring professionally authored content” focused on television and fashion. Wetpaint, which is based in Seattle, WA, intends to move into other niches as they grow, but for now they’re extremely television focused. And they’re pretty confident that they can develop, deliver, and monetize this content much more effectively than “traditional web publishers.”

Not Like Watching Paint Dry

I knew the name Wetpaint sounded familiar, but when I landed on their homepage it didn’t feel right. I did a little investigating and learned that they made a major pivot away from their original business model. Wikis weren’t working, so they cleaned shop and leveraged the technology that they had created to take another stab at web publishing. It’s hard to say how successful the change has been, but their traffic does seem to be coming back after a pretty big dip. The best way for you to get familiar with Wetpaint is to browse their site and experience some of their content.

If you like what you see, then you’ll want to check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for Java and Ruby Software Engineers in addition to a Social Media Manager and an Editor II. The Software Engineer positions could be a good fit for a new or recent grad, but the latter two positions require a good amount of prior work experience. Why am I mentioning them? Well, the Editor II listing mentions that one of its responsibilities includes managing Associate Editors, Interns, and Writers. I think you can read between the lines. And if you’d like to write/blog for Wetpaint, they also have opportunities to do that (but I don’t think they’re full time).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you checked out Wetpaint?

BlogHer

Willy Franzen — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:48:11 +0000

Yesterday we took a look at a performance marketing firm called Prospectiv that specializes in helping brands reach women online. Today we’re going to continue with the female focus and take a look at BlogHer, a Belmont, CA based community and media company for women. In fact, they’re the “largest community of women who blog” with more than 23 million unique visitors per month. The company was founded in 2005, and since then its vision has been to “create opportunities for women who blog to gain exposure, education, community and economic empowerment.” Believe it or not, blogging is a big business, and BlogHer is leveraging the size of its community to create amazing opportunities for all of its members.

BlogYou

There are a number of pieces that make up the BlogHer business. One of the big pieces is their conference business which brings together the BlogHer community in real life. In fact, they put on the world’s largest conference for women in social media. In addition to the conferences, BlogHer also runs BlogHer.com, a content site, and the BlogHer Publishing Network, which is made up of 2,500 blogs. All of this adds up to a lot of pull with advertisers who want to reach women, which is why BlogHer is venture funded and has grown to more than 40 employees. They’re adding to that number, and you can learn more about those opportunities on BlogHer’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a hybrid Sales Operations Analyst/Sales Planner in their New York City office. It’s a contract position, and it does require some prior experience, but it looks like it could be a great fit for a new or recent grad.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read any BlogHer network blogs?

Neutron Interactive

Willy Franzen — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:51:46 +0000

Believe it or not, we’ve actually covered a fair number of entry level employers in Utah, but I think today’s company might have the most personality of them so far. Neutron Interactive is a Salt Lake City based interactive agency that is taking online business to the next level. Neutron Interactive is an Inc 500 company that has grown 812% over the past three years. Their annual revenue was $9.5 million last year, so they’re quite big when compared to many of the other interactive agencies that also made the list.

What Do You Know About Neutrons?

Unfortunately, Neutron Interactive doesn’t seem to show off any of their work on their website, but they do have a list of things that they do “ridiculously well,” which include: Affiliate Marketing, Banner/Media Marketing, Social Media, Creative, Email Marketing, Recruitment Marketing, Internet Marketing, Interactive PR, Leads & Lead Scoring, PPC Management, Product Development, Proprietary Technology, Search Engine Optimization, Web Analytics, Web Design & Consultation, and Conversion Optimization. Neutron Interactive is also big on showing off their culture and their team. That means that you can get a good, inside look at what it might be like to work there just by browsing their website. If you’re excited about what you see, you’ll obviously want to check out the Neutron Interactive Jobs page. They have 7 positions posted right now, and a few seem well suited for new or recent grads. These include Junior Software Developer and The Ultimate Marketing Specialist. The other positions require a little bit more experience, but you may want to check them out too. They also offer the option to submit a general job application.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Neutron Interactive?

IMM Interactive

Willy Franzen — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:54:24 +0000

Hopefully you’ve started to notice some trends as we’ve worked our way through the Inc. 500 list of the country’s fastest growing private companies. These trends are really important for you as a job seeker, because they are a strong indicator of where economic growth is happening. Even if your major doesn’t match up with the trends, you should start thinking about how you can adapt and start educating yourself to be a good candidate to work in growing industries like performance marketing, which we’re going to talk about today. Marketing and advertising campaigns have a single goal: increasing sales. Yet, until recently it has been extremely hard to link campaigns with results. Now you can not only track results, but you can actually pay advertisers only for sales that they’ve influenced. That’s what IMM Interactive is all about (they just changed their name from Intermark Media). They’re a Woodbury, NY (Long Island) based company that has spent the last decade “helping advertisers and agencies of all shapes and sizes execute strategic digital marketing campaigns that expand reach, define perceptions and drive revenue growth.”

It’s Time to Perform

You may not be quite as familiar with IMM Interactive’s clients as you would be with other marketing agency’s clients, but there’s a reason for that. Performance marketing still isn’t completely mainstream, but that doesn’t mean that IMM Interactive isn’t working with awesome businesses run by really smart people—the best example of one of their clients is Groupon. Now, IMM Interactive only came in at #312 on the Inc. 500, but there’s a reason for that too. They’ve been on the list for the past few years, and they are now at $92.6 million in annual revenue. It’s nearly impossible to maintain quadruple digit growth when you’re already that big. If you want to be part of one of the big names in lead generation and performance marketing, then you should take a look at jobs at IMM Interactive. They have a bunch of opportunities that seem suitable for new grads including Account Executive, Media Buyer, Financial Analyst, Marketing Coordinator, Sales Coordinator, and Public Relations Coordinator. The large majority of their openings are targeted towards young talent, so IMM Interactive is really worth checking out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about performance marketing?

Public Notice

Willy Franzen — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:23:05 +0000

Your pet would love you even more if you worked for Nestle Purina. Take a look at their entry level opportunities so that you can take the first step towards making that happen.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “fiscal responsibility?” It’s probably some old guy droning on like Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Oddly enough, Ben Stein actually has been writing on such a topic lately. But rarely do you hear young people getting worked up about deficits and national debt. Though if you think about it, Ben Stein probably won’t be around anymore when the time comes to pay the bill. You will. I’m extremely worried about how the economic policies of today are going to affect our generation’s career choices over the next 20 to 30 years. That’s why some recent television advertisements for a website called BankruptingAmerica.org have caught my attention. The site is run by a Virginia based non-profit organization called Public Notice, which identifies itself as “dedicated to providing facts and insight on the economy and how government policy affects Americans’ financial well-being.”

Start Working So You Can Someone Else’s Debt

Public Notice is quite obviously a politically motivated organization, and it’s unclear where they get their backing from. I wasn’t able to find much background information on the organization, but here are the executive director’s Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. You’ll probably want to do some more research on your own, and it will likely you lead you to some excellent viral content that they’ve developed. There’s the television ad that caught my attention:

And there’s also a video called “REAL or FAKE: Can you tell which of these government spending projects are real or fake?”:

The organization certainly seems to be using social media in an effective way, which is good because they are an awareness focused organization. If you care about our nation’s debt as much as I do, and you are all about new media, then you should check out Public Notice’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Managing Editor of Online Media which doesn’t sound like an entry level position, but I think a new or recent grad could do very well in it.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What are your thoughts on fiscal responsibility?

QuoteWizard

Willy Franzen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:54:56 +0000

Most people see insurance as a good thing. I see it as more of a necessary evil. The truth is that the large majority of people are losing money when they’re paying for insurance. Insurers wouldn’t take on your policy if it wasn’t going to be profitable for them. You’d be amazed at how good insurance companies are at predicting risks, which is why their business operations are so largely skewed towards getting new customers. Ever wonder why GEICO, Allstate, State Farm, and other auto insurers are so aggressive with their advertising? It’s because if you sign up, they’re going to make money. This means that generating leads for insurance companies is a huge business, and that’s why Seattle, WA based QuoteWizard came in at #36 on the Inc. 500 this year with 5,950.5% three-year revenue growth. They provide a simple online tool to help consumers find the best quotes for Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Renter/Condo Insurance, Health Insurance, and Life Insurance. By organizing and presenting information in a simple way, QuoteWizard is able to generate a ton of leads for insurance companies—and for every lead they generate, they get paid.

Are You a Wizard?

There are a ton of Internet business like QuoteWizard. They don’t actually sell anything, but they provide information that is extremely valuable to consumers. Lead generation is big business, and it’s all based on being able to drive traffic. That means that online marketing is essential to businesses like QuoteWizard. This includes a variety of different things like content generation, search engine optimization, ad buying, software/product development, and more. QuoteWizard does whatever they can to get people on their site, and then they use their content and the QuoteWizard application to refer people to different insurance companies. If you want to learn about results-based online marketing, a place like QuoteWizard is a great place to do it. Their Jobs page shows a number of positions that look interesting, including Online Media Analyst, Jr. Sales Representative, Online Media Buyer, and Web Developer. Check them out and see what fits you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used QuoteWizard?

Caring.com

Willy Franzen — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:03 +0000

Over the weekend I was complaining about irresponsible government spending (most of which is the result of the generations that came before us). Now, our parents and grandparents may have left us with a nasty bill to pay, but we still owe them a lot. Which is why I encourage you to take care of your aging parents—much like I do by accompanying my Dad on all kinds of fishing vacations. I’m truly looking out for his best interest. Obviously, I’m being sarcastic, but the truth is that it won’t be that long before we do have to start taking care of our parents. It can be an uncomfortable and unfamiliar situation, which is why resources like Caring.com exist. Caring.com is based in San Mateo, CA and “is the leading online destination for those seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones.” Their tagline is “You’re there for them. We’re here for you.”

Do You Care?

According to Caring.com’s About page, more than 40 million people in the United States care for someone over the age of 50 (like me for my Dad). That’s an astounding number, and it’s only going to go up as the Baby Boomers continue to age. While taking care of children is something that is supposed to be ingrained in our DNA, taking care of aging loved ones isn’t. This is why Caring.com provides “thousands of original articles, helpful tools, a comprehensive local directory of caregiving services, and the collective wisdom of an involved community.” Their business appears to be completely advertising based; however, they’re very upfront about how they separate sponsored content from editorial. If you’re interested in the intersection of online media and caregiving, then you should check out jobs at Caring.com. The positions they have posted aren’t really entry level, but a couple are close like Ad Operations Manager and Social Marketing Manager. It’s certainly possible that a new or recent grad could have the appropriate experience. Additionally, I saw that Caring.com is offering paid Marketing Internships (SEO, SEM, Social Media Marketing, and Display Advertising), so it’s certainly possible that they could have positions in those areas too.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you care for anyone over the age of 50?

Aol

Willy Franzen — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:00:24 +0000

Everybody acts like social media and social networking is a new development, but it really isn’t. Even 15 years ago there was a web service that enabled you to create profiles, connect with friends, engage with communities, and communicate instantly or asynchronously. It was called Aol, and there’s a good chance that you used it. I feel bad for Aol. They had it all. They were the behemoth of the social web before anyone knew what the social web was, but they were too big and not agile enough. They continued to act like an ISP, and their market share eroded as people transitioned to high-speed connections. Today most people think of Aol as irrelevant, but the NYC based company is doing their best to make a comeback. The good news is that they aren’t living in the past. They’re not trying to win at social networking or being an ISP—they’ve repositioned. They now describe themselves as “a leading-edge web services company, with an offering of premium and niche content sites, world-class tools and platforms.” The focus is on content, and in some ways that’s what Aol was always about—making great content easy to access for the masses. The tough thing for Aol is that they’re already a huge company, so they’re going to have to swing for the fences if they want their new business model to work.

You’ve Got Mail!

The only reason that I actually decided to feature Aol today was because they have an amazing internship contest going on right now. It’s focused on their new Lifestream service which aggregates all of your social profiles in one place (apparently Aol hasn’t completely given up on social networking, but I think that they probably should). It’s not your typical internship, so it might even be a temporary replacement for an entry level job. It’s paid, you get direct access to Aol’s CEO Tim Armstrong, and you get some serious responsibility. Oh yeah, and the most important thing is that your main duty is to live an awesome life and share it through Lifestream. The only downside is that only one person can get it. You can find all of the details here. After looking at that opportunity, I decided to hit up Aol’s Career site and look through their job openings. I was shocked to see that Aol currently has 749 vacancies! Obviously I don’t have 3 days to browse through all of those jobs and pick out the entry level jobs for you, but you should note that they have all kinds of opportunities ranging from Software/Web Development to Journalism/Editorial/Writing to Advertising to Sales. Aol is making a huge play to be relevant again, and if they’re going to do it, they need top talent. You’ll probably have to narrow down your searches to make Aol’s job listings a bit more manageable, but you should be able to find something that suits your interests—they even have opportunities all across the country.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about the new Aol?

Prime Publishing

Willy Franzen — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:54:15 +0000

Earlier this week we took a look at F+W Media, a company that is aggressively targeting niche media markets with books, magazines, trade shows, and digital products. Today we’re going to look at a company that is attacking similar niches, but strictly on the digital side. Prime Publishing is a Northbrook, IL based company that is, as they put it, “building the premiere woman’s lifestyle site on the Web.” I’m not sure I’d go that far, since businesses like DailyCandy and Gilt Groupe seem to be building pretty strong cases for themselves in that regard. Prime Publishing seems to be taking approach more like that of Demand Media. However, that doesn’t mean that Prime Publishing’s business isn’t interesting—”premiere” is just the wrong word. It’s quite obvious to me that their goal is to build easily monetizable digital properties, not to build an overarching woman’s lifestyle brand. When you take a look at their sites, you’ll see what I mean.

Prime or Choice?

Prime Publishing’s web properties include FaveCrafts.com, RecipeLion.com, AllFreeCrochet.com, FaveDiets.com, and quite a few more. If you visit each one, you’ll see that Prime Publishing has a formula for building profitable sites. They may not be taking an artistic approach, but it appears that they know how to make money from content (and that’s a REALLY important thing to learn these days). It’s the web version of direct marketing. I must admit that I was nervous about featuring Prime Publishing because their website looks similar to those of some entry level scam companies. It’s also a bit alarming that they don’t list the names of any of their employees or leadership on the site. With that said, I used LinkedIn to do some additional research and everything appears to check out. The jobs at Prime Publishing aren’t the glamorous Journalism jobs that you might have been dreaming about as a kid, but you will learn a hell of a lot from them about the intersection of marketing and content. Right now Prime Publishing’s Jobs page shows that they’re looking for both entry level and experienced Editors, so check out the job description and get ready to learn fast.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Prime Publishing’s business model?

Lunchbox

Willy Franzen — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:46:14 +0000

If you haven’t already checked out this week’s sponsor, New York City Teaching Fellows, take a look now. They’re recruiting new grads with no prior experience or education in teaching to teach in NYC public schools.

Although Twitter’s search results are getting filled with more and more junk, I’m still finding that Twitter is a pretty easy way to find jobs and internships that wouldn’t typically be on your radar. That’s how I came across Lunchbox, a Culver City, CA based “full-service agency that specializes in creating complete-branded content packages.” Since I have no idea what that actually means, I took a look at Lunchbox’s portfolio to get a better idea of what their work entails. Basically Lunchbox helps build brands by developing new ways for their clients to introduce their brands to customers. It may be creating stuffed animals for Discovery Channel or designing a magazine for CMT. Whatever the challenge is, Lunchbox brings an amazing creative team that has worked in the past with some of the world’s biggest brands.

What’s in Your Lunchbox?

My take on interactive agencies like Lunchbox is that the best way to judge whether you want to work for them is to look at their portfolio. Not only should you consider the names that they work with—Lunchbox has worked with Pepsi, Nick at Nite, Walmart, Warner Bros., and plenty more—but you should also look closely at what kind of work they put out. I’m impressed with what I see from Lunchbox, but it’s up to you to determine if you’d fit in with them. If you think you will, you should check out Lunchbox’s Jobs page. They have 7 positions open right now, and the most likely fits for new grads are Back-End Software Engineer, Front-End Software Engineer, Interactive Developer, QA Analyst, and Video Production Assistant. Lunchbox seems much more focused on talent than experience, so get ready to impress if you’re going to apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Lunchbox’s portfolio?

Undertone Networks

Willy Franzen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:56:14 +0000

The future of marketing and media is getting more results based, and that trend is going to continue as tracking technology progresses. Some people think that means that branding campaigns are a dying breed, but the folks at Undertone Networks would strongly disagree. They are a New York City based online advertising network that is helping Fortune 500 companies move their branding campaigns online. The trouble with doing this is that controlling your brand online is much more difficult than controlling it on tv, radio, or in print. That’s why Undertone Networks has developed an ad network that offers “Fortune 500 marketers an ad network where they [can] confidently and safely market their products and services without having to compromise their brand.”

Undertones of Your Career

Undertone Networks is bringing the sophistication of online advertising to branding campaigns. I’m not sure that I’d call it results oriented, but measurement is key to the success of campaigns. Instead of focusing on directly attributing sales or actions to specific campaigns, Undertone Networks is more concerned about driving brand awareness by obsessing over the quality of the audience that sees the ads that they serve. By only working with huge brands and trusted websites, Undertone Networks is able to maintain an intense focus on targeting. If they can’t deliver the audience that they think they can, they’ll happily refund the advertiser’s money. To get a better sense of how Undertone Networks works, you should check out their case studies or this interview with Alan Schanzer, their Chief Strategy Officer.

If you do that and like what you see, then you’ll probably want to take a look at jobs at Undertone Networks. They’re an Inc. 5000 company and one of Crain’s Best Places to Work in NYC, so you know they’re the kind of place that you want to be. Undertone Networks has a number of open positions, and a few seem suitable for new or recent grads. These include QA Engineer (San Francisco), Media Buyer, Finance Coordinator, Flash Designer/Creative Services Manager, and QA Engineer. You can apply for any of these positions through Undertone Networks’ applicant tracking system.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Undertone Networks?

Do Something

Willy Franzen — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:06:13 +0000

Whether you’re trying to land a job, start a business, get in shape, figure out your personal finances, or get a date, there’s one piece of advice that I’ve found to be the most appropriate. It’s really simple and a little disappointing, but it just works. Do something! Get off your butt and take action. It will get you 80% of the way to accomplishing your goal. I’m not the only one who thinks this. Do Something, a New York City based non-profit, has adopted this two word phrase as their name. They’re focused on encouraging teenagers to take positive ideas and turn them into action. Instead of focusing on a specific cause, Do Something is all about getting teens to do something about the issues that matter to them—whatever they may be.

Umm… Do Something!

What impresses me most about Do Something is how they’re harnessing the power of the Internet to reach teens with their message. In fact, Do Something has created an online platform that gives teens the tools and resources that they need to take action. Everything that Do Something does is based on 5 guidelines:

Believe in teenagers. Teenagers can lead today. We don’t require adults.
Trust teenagers. We provide reliable, easy to access information and activation strategies, but teens decide for themselves what to do.
Celebrate teenagers. We think all measurable contributions from teens are valuable.
Respect teenagers. We understand that teenagers have diverse abilities and constraints.
Value teenagers. Our programs and products are free. We’re not after teens’ money; we want their passion, time and creativity.

The result of following these guidelines is a website that encourages teenagers to Act Now by using a search engine to find a project that they can join. Or students can start their own club or apply for a grant. Teens are completely empowered to take action on their own. How can you take action? You can check out jobs at Do Something. They’re a young non-profit, and they have what look to be two awesome jobs. You won’t find the word “experience” in either of the job descriptions, so as a new grad you should definitely consider their Clubs Associate and Digital Media Associate positions. The application instructions vary, so pay attention… and DO SOMETHING!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Want to get a job? Do something!

The FeedRoom

Willy Franzen — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:51:36 +0000

Having developed a product that relies on delivering video content, I know firsthand how difficult online video can be. Yes, any idiot can record something and upload it to YouTube for millions to watch, but it takes a significantly greater effort for a company to deliver an even slightly more professional video experience. New York City based The FeedRoom is a company that offers enterprise solutions for online streaming video and digital asset management. You may have seen their software at work on sites like PentagonChannel.mil and BestBuyTrueStories.com. It’s about 14 steps above publishing to YouTube, yet it’s nearly as easy to do for corporate clients who use The FeedRoom’s products, services, and solutions. If I had the budget for some serious enterprise software, I’d definitely The FeedRoom for Found Your Career.

Feed Your Career

Online video delivery is only going to continue to grow, and as expectations grow, YouTube isn’t going to cut it any more. The FeedRoom is primed for success as more companies decide that they need to get serious about video. The FeedRoom is already working with some serious names (The Pentagon!), and they seem to have the ease of use thing down. If you’re excited about the growth in the world of online video, then you might want to consider a job with The FeedRoom. Right now all of their opportunities require some pretty serious Software Development experience. They wouldn’t be defined as entry level, but if you’ve been hacking since you were a kid, you might have a shot. Those opportunities are in Westborough, MA; however, The FeedRoom also has offices in New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Additionally, The FeedRoom does have an internship program in Digital Media Technology, so they must have some interest in young talent. Take a look at what The FeedRoom is all about, and if you think that you’ll make a great addition, then send a cover letter and résumé to jobs@feedroom.com. They are always looking for people who “have a background in digital media, and are experienced in the areas of sales, software development, marketing, customer service or support, human resources or administration.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you impressed with The FeedRoom’s offerings?