One Day, One Job » product development

Coursekit

Willy Franzen — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:42:34 +0000

I’ve been a devoted Apple fanboy since 1990, yet I didn’t watch the liveblogs for their Education Event yesterday. It’s hard to get excited about digital textbooks when you never intend to read a textbook again, but I have to say that I’m looking forward to seeing how much technology will change the ways that future generations learn. Apple pushed a lot of people forward yesterday, but there’s a lot more to education than the content. Communication between teachers and students is essential, and technology can play an amazing role in this relationship. Coursekit is a New York, NY based company that offers “instructors and students amazingly designed tools to manage their courses – calendaring, file management” while making “it unbelievably easy to interact with one another.” It may kill a lot of your excuses for why you didn’t do your homework, but I think that the benefits are pretty obvious.

What’s in Your Kit?

From what I can tell, Coursekit is currently focused on the college market. That probably makes sense, especially considering how terrible the Blackboard experience is for most students. To get a feel for what Coursekit looks like, check out this video (you may have to click through to see it):

There are already professors at top schools using Coursekit, so check out the company’s Case Studies to get a better feel for how the software fits into the education environment. The remaining question is how does Coursekit make money? The short answer is that they don’t–they’re still running on investor cash. As their FAQ explains, the platform is intended to always be free. How they monetize the platform is yet to be determined. If that doesn’t scare you off, then you may want to take a look at Coursekit’s Careers page. They have a number of opportunities that look great for a new or recent grad including:

If you want to help continue the convergence of technology and education, then it would be hard to find a better place to do it than Coursekit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Were you frustrated by your professors’ lack of tech savvy?

Specialized

Willy Franzen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:02:24 +0000

They say that you can’t forget how to ride a bike, but I’m giving it my best try. In elementary and early middle school I was constantly riding around town. I picked up inline skating for a year or two after that, and never got back on the bike. Now I tell people that I hate bike riding. I don’t actually hate it, but as I mentioned in my post on Niner Bikes, I love seeing people’s reactions to that statement. My twelve year old self would be disappointed that I don’t even own a bike, let alone a cool brand like a Cannondale or Specialized. Luckily for Specialized, they’ve been able to grow an impressive business without me as a customer. They’re based in Morgan Hill, CA, and from what I can gather their annual revenue is measured in hundreds of millions of dollars (but I can’t find a reliable source on that). That’s impressive considering that it all started in 1974 when founder Mike Sinyard sold his “old VW Microbus for $1,500 and used the money to fund a cycling trip through Europe.” That led to importing Italian bicycle parts into the United States, and a business was born.

Are Your Skills Specialized?

Specialized positioned itself at the high end from the start, and they’re still all about quality whether you’re talking about their Mountain, Road, Multi Use, or Kids bikes. Their vision is to be “the best cycling brand in the world,” and it seems that in many people’s eyes they’ve achieved that. It’s hard for me to really dig into Specialized since I’m no longer into bicycles, but I’m sure that those of you who are will find all of the information you need on their site. One thing I found frustrating about Specialized’s website is that you don’t find any background information on the company until you hit their Careers page. Luckily, there’s a ton of information there. There are videos, an About tab, a History tab, and obviously job postings. In fact, there are a lot of jobs posted, and some look great for new or recent grads including:

City & Globe Product Engineer
Credit Representative
Field Visual Merchandiser (Philadelphia, PA)
Field Visual Merchandiser
Jr International Trade Specialist (Salt Lake City, UT)
MTB Product Engineer
Social Media / Customer Service Specialist
Store Designer/BIM
The European Fitness / Mobility Graphic Designer (Switzerland)
Video Editor and Asset Manager

There are even more jobs that I didn’t cover, and there’s also a general job posting called Bike Shop Experience Wanted!. It mentions positions in sales, marketing, customer service, product, engineering, design, operations, and finance, so I’d apply to that position if you don’t see anything that matches up with your skills.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What kind of bike do you own?

UncommonGoods

Willy Franzen — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:11:21 +0000

Today is my seven year anniversary with Amy. Now that we’re getting married, we’ll be getting a new anniversary, but for now this is a date worthy of celebration. As a result, I was thinking about presents that I’ve bought her in the past, and I remembered one of the first gifts that I got her. It was an “in vitro orchid”– a tiny orchid plant in a test tube with some sort of nutrient filled gel. I can’t remember how I found it, but I know that I bought it from UncommonGoods, which is a great site for finding “unique gifts and creative design.” They’re based in Brooklyn, NY, and they “believe that creativity and the expression of individuality represent two great human treasures.” UncommonGoods was founded in 1999 and is a registered B Corporation, which means that they “have struck an insightful balance between the realities of business and each of the key components of sustainability – including human resources, environment, community, financial, and governance.”

How Uncommon Are You?

The best thing about UncommonGoods is their product selection. It’s certainly not the place to go if you’re looking for something specific, but if you only have a vague idea like “gift for a coworker” or “kitchen tools,” then UncommonGoods is the perfect place for finding something that you didn’t know existed. They put extra emphasis on finding products that are handmade or made by featured artists. They also like to drop Uncommon Knowledge on you while you’re shopping, so watch out for that. If you’re digging the UncommonGoods vibe, then you’ll have to give their Careers page a look. They have a ton of job openings, and quite a few seem suitable for a new or recent grad. These include:

Copywriter
Junior Web Developer
Buyer
Product Development Assistant

It looks like there are some pretty cool options, so take a look at the Careers page to see the full descriptions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you bought anything from UncommonGoods?

Bluefin Labs

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:58:16 +0000

When I first learned about Google Trends, I was shocked to see how much Internet search traffic is driven by television. It’s pretty clear that browsing the web and watching the tube go hand in hand, which is great news for both marketers and tv content producers. Since its inception tv’s biggest problem has been that it is a one way medium with no real feedback loop. That’s changed, and Bluefin Labs “has accomplished a breakthrough in this field by applying cognitive science research combined with large scale computing techniques to successfully and automatically link TV to social media.” If all goes as planned, the Cambridge, MA will make traditional tv ratings obsolete. Who cares how many people are watching when you can know who’s watching and what they’re saying?

Hook a Bluefin

While there’s no doubt about what Bluefin Labs does, they don’t really emphasize their business on the website. You have to scroll down on their home page to learn that their “clients span TV networks, advertising agencies, and brand advertisers” and include AMC Networks, CBS, MTV Networks, Mars, PepsiCo, MediaCom, and lots more. The solution that they sell to these clients is called Bluefin Signals, and you can read about the science behind it here. If you want to get a very basic sense of the kind of data that Bluefin Labs offers, you can check out their sample dashboard. Last night’s hottest show was the Heat vs. Hawks game, which was closely followed up by Jersey Shore (I know which one I would have preferred to watch). I found out about Bluefin Labs from a reader who landed a job there recently. They don’t post specific positions on their Jobs page, but it mentions that they’re looking for people in the following areas:

Machine learning
Natural language processing
Computer vision
Social network analysis
Data analysis
Information visualization
Interaction design
Large scale data storage and analytics
Sales
Account management
Marketing
Product development

That covers a wide range of interests, so don’t be afraid to reach out to careers@bluefinlabs.com and apply for a position in one of those areas.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Bluefin Labs?

PUMA

Willy Franzen — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:25:19 +0000

I’ve always wanted to see a mountain lion in the wild–as long as it’s not stalking and about to eat me. They’re amazingly strong, athletic animals, and they have a serious mythology surrounding them. That’s why they’re called by so many names including panther, catamount, ghost cat, painter, and PUMA. It’s an appropriate name for a “sportlifestyle” company that “designs and develops footwear, apparel and accessories.” By bringing together sports and fashion, they’ve built an iconic brand that is known all over the world. What I find odd about PUMA is that they were founded in Germany in 1948 and are based in Herzogenaurach, Germany (with their USA headquarters is in Westford, MA). I find that strange because pumas are very much American cats, but I guess plenty of American companies use foreign animals in their branding.

Get Ready to Pounce

In addition to their eponymous brand, PUMA also owns Cobra Golf and Tretorn (a Swedish rubber tire company that used to make a lot of products for tennis and now is more boot focused). I actually don’t own anything from PUMA and I don’t play golf, but my Tretorn flip flops and boots are awesome. The best way for you to get familiar with PUMA is go to PUMA.com and start browsing their products. They go in a variety of directions with their “sport lifestyle” focus, but their two main product areas remain apparel and footwear. If you love the PUMA brand, then you need to check out PUMA’s Jobs page. It’s a bit difficult to browse through their listings (and their Entry Level Positions page is a dead end), but if you do you’ll see some great opportunities for new or recent grads including: Running Tech Rep (Atlanta, GA), Facilities Coordinator (Westford, MA), Accounts Receivable Representative – Cobra Puma Golf (Carlsbad, CA), Credit Analyst (Westford, MA), Credit Analyst (Carlsbad, CA), Assistant Developer Footwear – Lifestyle (Westford, MA), Junior Designer – Brand Marketing (Westford, MA), Junior Brand Strategist – Brand Communications (Westford, MA), and a number of other positions. So start stalking PUMA and see where it leads you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own anything from PUMA?

Switch

Willy Franzen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:13:40 +0000

The University of Chicago has a number of entry level positions open right now. Check them out here.

Call me whatever you want, but I still buy incandescent light bulbs. I tried a few CFL bulbs in the past, but they were an utter disappointment–not very bright and a disgusting color of light. I paid more for them because they’re supposed to pay off in the long run, but they can’t save me money if I don’t use them. It’s going to take a more compelling energy efficient light bulb design to get me to switch. And that’s exactly what Switch has come up with. They’re a San Jose, CA based startup that is using LED technology to replicate the beautiful light of an incandescent bulb without wasting so much energy. They’re close to achieving the holy grail of light bulbs (and a big pay day), especially considering that there will essentially be a ban on incandescent bulbs by 2014. Now they just need to convince people to switch.

How Many College Grads Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb?

Right now Switch is testing their light bulbs at “several distinctive hospitality properties,” but it sounds like they’re close to making them available to the general public. This article does a fantastic job of telling the Switch story and mentions that they were planning on shipping in October, but that date seems to have slipped. The story that really makes Switch’s bulbs compelling is all numbers. This spreadsheet from the aforementioned article will show you how the bulbs compare with incandescent bulbs. You break even in year 4 of owning a Switch bulb, and you come out almost $100 ahead over 20 years (yes, a Switch bulb is supposed to last 20 years). Multiply that out by an average of 45 lightbulbs per household (source: the internets), and you are looking some really meaningful savings. And that’s exactly what it will take to get people to switch. If you want to be part of the future of light bulbs, then consider a Career with Switch. They don’t list specific openings, but they do appear to be interested in hearing from candidates who want to work with them. They’re a small, young, growing company, so it’s worth a shot to reach out to them.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Will you Switch?

Hotel Tonight

Willy Franzen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:03:26 +0000

Want to try Hotel Tonight? Use this link to get $25 off your first booking.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I either book hotel rooms way in advance or the day of. When I reserve a room in advance, I’m usually looking for more than just a place to sleep. Price is still important, but it’s not the most important thing. But when I need a room for tonight, I want a place that meets my minimum standards for the lowest price. As long as I can get a good night’s sleep without being bitten by bedbugs or woken up by a domestic dispute, I’m happy. It’s the latter situation that can be frustrating for bargain hunters. You know that the hotel is at 12% capacity, but they still won’t give you anything better than the AAA rate. As long as they can cover the cost of cleaning the room, they should be willing to take you. Hotel Tonight is a San Francisco, CA based company that is making it easy to get rooms for up to 70% off at the last-minute.

Job Today?

At least for now, Hotel Tonight is completely app based. You can’t even search for a hotel on their website. They want you to whip out your phone (Android or iPhone) when you need a room and book from there. Every day they launch new deals at noon local time, so that’s the best time to check the app (some stuff does sell out). I spent a little time playing around with the app, and the deals look good, but they’re not mind blowing. If you stay somewhere expensive you can save a few hundred bucks, but a more basic hotel room might only come with $10-$20 in savings. Still, Hotel Tonight will help you find a good deal with almost no hassle, and it provides a great yield management tool for hotel owners. If you’re interested in the intersection of technology and hospitality management, then take a look at Hotel Tonight’s Jobs page. Right now they have some great opportunities available including:

Take a look at the jobs. Hopefully one of them will be a good fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite hotel?

Urban Outfitters

Willy Franzen — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:28:02 +0000

I’m a strong believer in the theory of hipster relativity. If someone has more interesting facial hair than you, wears more plaid than you, or has thicker rimmed glasses than you, then he’s probably a hipster… at least to you. I’m pretty far up the chain (though I do have an affinity for plaid), which means that a whole lot of 20-somethings look like hipsters to me. The only thing I don’t get is where they get all of their cool hipster gear. I often walk by Urban Outfitters, and occasionally step inside. The store is packed with people and filled with what I consider to be hipster merchandise. This confuses me, because I know that no true hipster would shop somewhere so mainstream. I mean, Urban Outfitters, which is based in Philadelphia, PA, is publicly traded, has nearly 200 locations, and also owns Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN, and Terrain. I guess the only loophole for a hipster shopping at Urban Outfitters is if you liked corporations before they were cool.

Get Urban Outfitted

Despite my sarcasm, I actually think that Urban Outfitters is an amazing company. They started as a single store in Philly in 1970, and they have grown the brand and the business to an amazing level. Urban Outfitters may be a corporation with a $4 billion market cap, but they offer a distinctly different feel from many other retailers in the fashion industry. I think the paragraph on Urban Outfitter’s About page really says its all:

Our established ability to understand our customers and connect with them on an emotional level. The reason for this success is that our brands — Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain and BHLDN — are both compelling and distinct. Each brand chooses a particular customer segment, and once chosen, sets out to create sustainable points of distinction with that segment. In the retail brands we design innovative stores that resonate with the target audience; offer an eclectic mix of merchandise in which hard and soft goods are cross merchandised; and construct unique product displays that incorporate found objects into creative selling vignettes. The emphasis is on creativity. Our goal is to offer a product assortment and an environment so compelling and distinctive that the customer feels an empathetic connection to the brand and is persuaded to buy.

If that sounds like a company that you want to be a part of, then check out Urban Outfitters Careers page. You’ll probably get overwhelmed if you look at all of their posted jobs (there are 100s of positions), so I recommend using some of the search criteria they offer to narrow down your search. For instance you can look at positions at their Home Office or in their Anthropologie Retail Stores. I’m not going to list all of the positions that make sense for new or recent grads, bot here are some that caught my eye:

This is just a small sampling of the jobs available at Urban Outfitters, so dig in and see what positions might be out there for you. Judging from that last posting, they must do some campus recruiting too–so that’s something to look into. Finally, Urban Outfiters has a Twitter account for job postings, so you may want to follow that.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you a hipster?

MakerBot Industries

Willy Franzen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:04:19 +0000

In case you didn’t get the drift from out post on Best Made Company, artisan craftsmanship is in and mass manufacturing is out (unless it’s done by Apple). But what if you could combine the two? You’d have the technology of mass manufacturing, but the closeness to the process of something that is handmade. That’s what MakerBot Industries is making possible. They’re a New York, NY (Brooklyn) based company that has been “producing an open source 3D printer to democratize manufacturing.” All you need is a CAD drawing and one of their Thing-O-Matic 3D printers, and you can print pretty much whatever object you want in plastic. I think they might have finally figured out Santa’s trick.

You Might Need a 3D Resume

To get a better sense of what MakerBot is doing with the Thing-O-Matic, you need to check out some of the things that people have already made with it. There’s the Turtle Shell Racer, a squirrel, a log cabin, and a whole lot more. What’s really cool about MakerBot is that they offer different sorts of gadgets that you can combine with what you print out to add functionality. That means you can even build something as cool as a remote control car–the opportunities are limited only by your imagination and your ability to do the CAD drawings. What I think is most remarkable, though, is the price. You can get a fully assembled Thing-O-Matic for $2,400. That’s a lot of money if you just want to print out a few toys, but it’s an absolute steal for someone who might be building prototypes or needs very specific one-off plastic items. Presumably the price will keep coming down, and it will be more and more likely that you’ll have your own Thing-O-Matic one day. If the idea of 3D printing has you amped up, then take a look at MakerBot Industries’ Jobs. They have a number of interesting opportunities right now, including:

There’s a ton of variety here, so take a look at all of the positions and see which one makes the most sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What would you make if you had a 3D printer?

Best Made Company

Willy Franzen — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:53:56 +0000

Last night as I was falling asleep, I kept thinking about chopping wood. It’s something that I really enjoy doing because it’s mentally relaxing, yet physically exhausting. Then I started thinking about these awesome axes that I saw on Gilt Groupe and how I wish I had bought one, but I realized that the fact that I live in downtown Chicago means that I’d be more likely to use the ax for home defense than for chopping wood. This morning I decided to look those axes up, and I ended up on the Best Made Company site. They’re a New York, NY based company that “is dedicated to equipping customers with quality tools and dependable information that they can use and pass down for generations.”

Tools to Empower & Inspire

The best way that I’ve come up with to describe Best Made Company is as a curator. They don’t appear to actually do the manufacturing, but they find amazing vendors and either buy from them or partner with them for a custom run of products. Their current collection includes steel cups, hunting knives, first aid kits, books, maps, and all kinds of other stuff that I want in addition to their unbelievably awesome collection of axes. If you’re loving Best Made Company’s stuff as much as I am, then you should take a look at their Jobs page. Its name is a bit deceptive in that it only includes internships (unpaid and in Workshop, Projects, and Community), but I think it’s worth reaching out to Best Made Company and inquiring about full-time positions. You may also want to read up on their Outposts, as they have a team of “Guides” who report back on topics like Urban Expeditions, River Rafting, Fly Fishing, Field Photography, Cycle Touring, Wandering, Food & Foraging, Urban Homesteading, Cartography, and Aviation.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you bought anything from Best Made Company?

littleBits

Willy Franzen — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:05:13 +0000

So far our survey says that you find the job search frustrating. Tell us more so that we can help.

When I was a kid I had this really cool electronics set that allowed me to build all kinds of devices just by connecting different wires to each other. It looked kind of like this. A friend and I even built our own radio transmitter and were able to transmit music about 20 feet to my mom’s car. It totally blew our 10-year old minds. Unfortunately, neither of us had any idea how it worked. littleBits is a New York, NY based company that has more than one-upped the electronic playground. They have developed “a growing library of pre-assembled circuits that snap together with tiny magnets.” Not only do littleBits look super cool, but they should be pretty intuitive considering that each piece has a unique electronic function. I think it would be hard to play with them and not understand how they’re working.

littleJobs

When I see littleBits, I instantly see them as the perfect Christmas gift for a kid with a budding interest in science. However, littleBits aren’t necessarily even targeted towards kids. littleBits’ goal is to move “electronics from late stages of the design process to its earliest ones, and from the hands of experts, to those of artists, makers, students and designers.” They want more people to look at life through the frame of electronic hardware, and that’s definitely something that I can get behind. littleBits is still a little company, though they have a lot of people pushing for them succeed. If you love what they’re doing as much as I do, you should take a look at littleBits’ Jobs page. The only non-internship position they have posted right now is for an experienced Industrial/ Product Designer; however, they do say: “Other openings may also be available, if you have what it takes, and are excited to embark on this exciting adventure, get in touch (jobs@littlebits.cc), we’d love to meet you!” I say go for it.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you play with littleBits?

Niner Bikes

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

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

Did I Catch a Niner in There?

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

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever ridden on a Niner?

Dynomighty Design

Willy Franzen — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:54:54 +0000

I’ve repeatedly tried to thin down my wallet, but I keep ending up like George Costanza and sitting with a tilt (and it’s not because of all the money). I can’t wait for the day when my phone entirely replaces my wallet, but until then I’ll need to find another solution. I may have found it with the Mighty Wallet from Dynomighty Design (though I’m not sure that I’m ready for another wallet transition). The company was “established in 2002″ in New York, NY and “seeks to create a vibrant array of products to complement and accentuate the modern urban lifestyle with the designs of Terrence Kelleman.” It started with magnetic bracelets, but it seems that the Mighty Wallet has really caused the company to explode. Dynomighty Design was named to the Inc. 5000 with 416% three-year growth to $2.2 million in revenue.

Fatter Wallet or Skinnier Wallet

What makes the Mighty Wallet so cool isn’t its slimness–it’s the fact that it’s made out of Tyvek. That means it’s light, eco-friendly, tear-resistant, and water-resistant. It also comes in all kind of cool designs. And it’s not just wallets, Dynomighty Design offers a wide range of cool products. If you’re digging the products, check out this video on how a simple idea became a multi-million dollar business:

It’s a pretty cool story, huh? If you like what Dynomighty Design is all about and want to show off your Dynomight, then you should consider a job with them. They don’t post specific positions, but they do have a Jobs section on their Contact page. They say that they “accept any applications from individuals with a strong work ethic, a persistent initiative to grow and a desire to continually learn,” so e-mail them at jobs@dynomighty.com if you fit the bill.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have a Mighty Wallet?

Yeti Coolers

Willy Franzen — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:33:33 +0000

I spend a ton of time outdoors between fly fishing and playing beach volleyball. You’d think I’d have a cooler to take along with me, but I don’t. If I did, it’d have to be one of the models made by Yeti Coolers. They’re an Austin, TX based company that builds coolers that are more durable and keep things colder than any other coolers on the market. Yeti Coolers are built for tough conditions, which is why some of the biggest names in outdoors sports endorse them and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee has deemed them Grizzly Proof. You may think it’s cooler overkill, but the market for high quality coolers seems to be extremely strong. That’s why Yeti Coolers made the Inc. 5000 with 613% three-year growth to $13 million in revenue.

These Jobs Do Exist

Yeti Coolers’ business seems pretty simple. They build a superior product and market it to a demographic that appreciates the kind of quality that Yeti Coolers offers. It’s obviously been a bit more complicated than that considering how quickly Yeti has been able to grow. I’m sure their engineering and manufacturing is pretty high tech, and I’m sure that going up against entrenched cooler manufacturers is a big challenge for a relative upstart. Still, you have to love that there’s still a ton of room for Yeti to grow in the market. If you want to be a part of that growth, then you should check out Yeti Coolers’s Careers page. While they don’t have any openings posted there, they do have an Application Page where you can apply for positions in Account Management, Accounting/Finance, Administrative, Cusomter Service, Human Resources, IT, Marketing, Operations, Order Processing, R&D / Product Development, Sales, and Warehouse. Hopefully your search for these jobs will be more fruitful than the search for the Abominable Snowman.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own a Yeti Cooler?

Smith Optics

Willy Franzen — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:00:36 +0000

If you’ve been reading for a while, you may have noticed that I go on a lot of fishing trips. The problem is that any time my Dad and I go somewhere, he tries to turn it into an annual trip (it’s not actually a problem at all). As long as there’s Wi-Fi so that I can get some work in while I’m not fishing, then I’m pretty much set. This week I’m writing from the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, where I’m salmon fishing. I spend most of the day on the river, and one of my most essential pieces of equipment is probably something that you wouldn’t suspect. Polarized sunglasses are invaluable for fishing. Not only do they help you see through the glare and under the water, but they also protect your eyes from both the sun and stray hooks. Smith Optics makes some of the absolute best sunglasses for fishing on the market. They’re based in Ketchum, ID, and they have about 300 employees.

See Yourself in a New Job

Smith Optics’ products go way beyond fishing. In fact, the company was started in 1965 when Dr. Bob Smith created ” the first ever fog-free snow goggle utilizing a sealed thermal lens and breathable vent foam.” Today Smith Optics’ product line “spans the range of snow and moto goggles, performance and style eyewear, ballistic Military eyewear, Ophthalmic eyewear, and snow helmets.” It’s a company filled with people who are passionate about the outdoors, and it shows in what they make. It also shows in Smith Optics’ HR policies. They offer great benefits and were named “as one of Outside Magazine’s top eight Best Places to Work.” The Idaho location is obviously a big part of it. I’ve had my eye on Smith Optics for years, and it never seems that they post many jobs. Right now they only have a Distribution Manager job posted, but I urge you to reach out to careers@smithoptics.com and see if anything else is available.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any Smith Optics sunglasses?

New Balance

Willy Franzen — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:39:50 +0000

I’m not big on shoes during the summer. I try to wear flip flops as much as I can, and most of the exercise that I get is from beach volleyball where wearing shoes looks about as dorky as you can get. When I do go to the gym, I typically wear my Vibram Five Fingers (which you may also consider dorky looking). So I have no idea why New Balance popped into my head–I don’t even own a pair of New Balance shoes. In case you don’t know, New Balance is a Boston, MA based company that “began as an arch support company in the early 1900′s, developed into a specialized shoe manufacturer in the 1970′s, and has grown to become a leading global athletic products company.” They also own some other brands that you may be familiar with including Aravon, Brine, Dunham, PF Flyers, and Warrior.

Work Life Balance

I don’t know when New Balance got so big, but their “worldwide sales have increased from $210 million in 1991 to $1.64 billion in 2008.” That sounds like a long period of sustained growth. What’s also cool is that they have 5 New England factories, which makes them the “only athletic shoe manufacturer still making shoes in the US.” It’s only 25% of their shoes, but it’s still impressive. It’s pretty cool to see a business like New Balance that has been around for over a century, yet continues to find new ways to grow in a principled way. If you think the New Balance shoe would fit, then check out their Careers page. While most of the jobs that they have posted are in Retail, there are a few positions that seem like good fits for new grads who want to work at corporate. These include CAD Designer, Product Data Specialist – SRT & Merchandising, Trim Coordinator (New York, NY), and Product Developer – DryDock Footwear.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear New Balances?

OXO

Willy Franzen — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:17:54 +0000

Want to be part of the One Day, One Job/Internship team? Here’s your chance!

I started cooking in my second year at college. The dining halls were fine for Freshman year, but after I moved off campus I decided that I had to learn to feed myself. My mini-Weber grill was my go to, but it eventually got cold enough (Ithaca…) that I had to move into the kitchen. My roommate bought some kitchen set from Wal-Mart, and it was about as low quality as you could get. The tools sufficed, but they were pretty terrible. Now I’m not advocating spending a ton on kitchen tools, but it makes sense to use tools that have a quality design. That’s what OXO is all about. They New York, NY based company is best known for their wide variety of kitchen tools, but they offer a pretty wide range of consumer products from staplers to pruning shears to ice cream scoops.

Get a Grip!

OXO has a simple “philosophy of making products that are easy to use for the widest possible spectrum of users.” It doesn’t hurt that most of their products are pretty cool looking too. The nice thing about OXO is that they deliver high quality products at pretty affordable prices. If you’ve ever walked into a specialty cooking store, you know how ridiculously expensive cooking tools can get. Considering that OXO has seen an average of 27% annual sales growth since 1991, the philosophy appears to be working for them. If you’d like to be working for them, you might be annoyed to find that they don’t have a Jobs page. The only postings I could find from them were through LinkedIn. Right now they’re hiring an Assistant Product Manager, and the position looks like it could be a good fit for a new or recent grad with strong internship experience. OXO is a small company with fewer than 100 employees, so reaching out to them through LinkedIn about other positions may also be worthwhile.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any OXO tools?

Quickparts

Willy Franzen — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:14:53 +0000

I’m headed to Atlanta for a wedding this weekend, so I decided to do a little searching for interesting companies in ATL. Pretty quickly (no pun intended) I came across Quickparts, and they stood out because I’ve never covered a business that does what they do before. The Atlanta, GA headquartered company that is “dedicated to providing [their] customers with an online e-commerce system to procure low-volume and high-volume custom manufactured parts.” What does that mean? You can upload CAD drawings for some sort of part or product to their site, and they will instantly offer a quote based on “the part geometry, the required materials, lead time, and quantity.” If the quote meets your specs, then you give them the go ahead to start manufacturing. Yes, this company actually make stuff!

Be Quick

It’s kind of mind blowing how easy it is to have a product made these days. Quickparts makes it even easier. They’ve worked with huge names like Boeing, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, General Electric, NASA, Nike, and plenty of others, so you know that they must do great work. I wish I knew more about Rapid Prototyping and Injection Molding, so that I could explain them better, but I only have experience in building web products. If you really want to dig into the ins and outs of Quickparts’ business, you should check out their Learning Center. If you like what you see, you’ll want to look at jobs at Quickparts. Right now they have a few positions that you may want to check out including Receptionist, Territory Accountant, Graphic Designer, Project Manager, Business Analyst, and Inside Sales Manager. All of the positions have some experience requirements, but they’re generally pretty light.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Quickparts?

Chegg

Willy Franzen — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:31:16 +0000

During my Freshman year at Cornell, I took Econ 101. Since I was planning on being a good student, I bought the textbook and went to class diligently. Then I realized that the professor only gave multiple choice exams which were based on the slides from the class lecture. Those slides were posted online after every class, which made attending class and taking the textbook out of its plastic wrap completely unnecessary. I still went to class because I liked the professor and it helped me learn, but I’m pretty sure that I still have the $100+ textbook with CD-ROM sitting on a shelf at my parents’ house in its plastic wrap because the campus store wasn’t buying that book back. What a waste. If I were going to college now, there’s no way I’d buy textbooks. I’d rent them. That’s exactly what Chegg offers. They’re a Santa Clara, CA based company that is saving students a ton of money. When you buy books and then sell them back, you might as well be renting them, so why not actually rent them? According to Chegg, the average college student spends $1,000 a year on textbooks–using Chegg will save them half of that.

Rent Yourself to Chegg

Chegg is a really interesting business to me. They’ve raised a ton of capital because it’s extremely expensive to build the kind of business that they’ve built. They not only have to invest in buying all the books, but they also have had to build a distribution system that can get students books at a cheap enough price. My only question is what will Chegg do when college textbooks move to Kindles, iPads, and other similar devices? They do have a new E-Textbook service, so maybe that’s the answer. If you like what Chegg is doing for college students, check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a number of opportunities including Customer Program Specialist (Portland, OR), Product Designer (Santa Clara, CA), Front End Engineer (Santa Clara, CA), Software Engineer – Cramster (Pasadena, CA), Marketing Business Analyst (Santa Clara, CA), and Accounts Payable/Payroll Specialist (Santa Clara, CA). Not only can you land a job with them, but you can exact revenge on those campus bookstores that robbed you blind.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you rented textbooks from Chegg?

Simms Fishing Products

Willy Franzen — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:01:41 +0000

I’m up in Grayling, MI for the next week or so for my annual fly fishing trip with my Dad. Since I live in downtown Chicago where nature is a rare occurrence, I’ve been anxiously awaiting this trip by visiting all of my favorite fishing websites (sounds pathetic, doesn’t it). On one of the sites I came across a post about a photo contest being put on by Simms Fishing Products. There weren’t many entries, and the prize is “an incredible 6-day, 7-night guided fishing expedition” in Alaska, which is my dream trip, so I obviously entered. Now, I know it does nothing for your job search, but if you vote for my entry (and vote every day until June 20th), I’ll not only keep sending you awesome job opportunities while I’m on this trip, but I’ll even do it from Alaska. After entering the contest, I remembered that Simms is a company that I’ve wanted to feature for a long time. They’re located in Bozeman, MT, and they make truly excellent products for fishermen. They’re best know for their waders (breathable, waterproof pants that keep you dry when you walk in the river) and their boots, but they’ve been extending into more and more categories.

Wade in the Water

I’m pretty familiar with the whole fly fishing industry because I interned at Orvis, one of Simms’ biggest competitors, for two summer (check out jobs at Orvis). I still have a lot of Orvis gear because I stocked up while I had the 50% off employee discount, but I’m slowly starting to get some Simms stuff. My wading boots are now Simms with StreamTread soles from Vibram (check out jobs at Vibram), and I have been nothing but impressed by their quality. Simms also partners with W.L. Gore & Associates and uses their GORE-TEX breathable fabric to make waders, jackets, and more. If you love fishing and the outdoor lifestyle, then working for Simms in Bozeman, MT would probably be a dream come true. Right now they’re looking for a Product Developer – Technical Gear, but don’t be afraid to reach out to them for another position if you’re not a good candidate for that one–that’s how I landed my internship at Orvis. And don’t forget to vote for my photo!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any Simms products?

Minimal Inc.

Willy Franzen — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:58:41 +0000

There are two ways to go about your job search. You can push or you can be pulled. You can seek out companies that you want to be a part of, or you can wait passively for companies to blast their job openings out to the world. The former will lead to far more rejection, but it can be well worth it. This is why I occasionally like to cover companies that don’t appear to have any opportunities posted for new or recent grads. If they’re doing something fascinating, they’re worth looking at regardless of what they have posted. One of the coolest things that I’ve seen lately is the iPod Nano watch made by LunaTik. It’s simple, elegant, and totally awesome. Basically it’s a watch band that you can slip a 6th generation iPod Nano into–totally putting calculator watches, game watches, and every other kind of watch to shame. Not only can you tell the time and use it as a stopwatch (with a multitouch interface), but you can listen to music and track your runs with Nike+. If I didn’t hate wearing watches, I’d totally buy an iPod Nano just so that I could get one of these watches. Now, LunaTik is the brand that these watches come from, but it seems that the whole product line came out of a Chicago, IL based product design shop called Minimal Inc.. Both are founded by a guy named Scott Wilson, so they seem to be very closely related if not formally connected.

Watch Out for Minimal Inc.

The whole TikTok + LunaTik thing started when Scott Wilson saw the newest release of iPod Nanos. As the former Global Creative Director for Nike Watches he was inspired by what Apple had done, so he riffed on the design and came up with a really cool way to make the product even more functional (and achieve what watchmakers have been trying to achieve for a long time). He went to a site called Kickstarter to raise some money for the project so that he could build it out and start selling it. His goal was to raise $15,000 in 30 days, but he ended up raising nearly $1 million (making it the most successful project in Kickstarter’s history). His idea was validated, and he went to work producing watches and expanding the product line. Here’s a good video on the whole story (e-mail readers may need to click through):

Minimal Inc. is about more than just these watches, but this project is a perfect example of the kind of work that they do. They’ve designed all kinds of cool products with the same care and style that you see in TikTok + LunaTik. I have to think that the popularity of the watches may have somewhat altered the direction of the business. Like I said before, it’s unclear how intertwined Minimal Inc. and LunaTik are, but they both seem like they’d be cool to work for. Minimal does have a Jobs page (which I can’t link to because it’s a Flash site) that lists a Senior Designer position while also encouraging “talented product designers, image designers, engineers, and project managers” to “send a resume and samples to: info@mnml-jobs.com.” My guess is that things are changing quickly at Minimal, and now might be the right time to reach out to them about working for them. They also have offices in Portland and Milan, so there could be options there too.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you buy one of these watches?

Catchafire

Willy Franzen — Tue, 24 May 2011 16:13:18 +0000

Volunteering is a great thing to do during your job search. It’s an opportunity to do good while building valuable skills and putting yourself to work doing something (which is always better than nothing when you’re job searching). Obviously volunteering isn’t only for people who have time on their hands, yet many non-profit organizations treat it like it is. Why would you have a top notch software developer running around picking up trash when he or she could be fixing a few bugs on the organization’s website? Why have a brilliant investment banker building a house when he or she could be managing the organization’s endowment? If the volunteers want time away from work and would prefer to do something different, that’s totally cool. But what if they want to offer pro bono services? Where do they find organizations who can make the best use of their time? Catchafire is a New York, NY based B-Corp (a for-profit company with a social mission–we actually featured jobs with B Corporation) that aims to fix this problem. They want to “make it easy for every professional to use their skills for good, and to make it easy for every nonprofit and social enterprise to access and effectively use pro bono as a way to build capacity within their organization.”

Catchajob

So far non-profits have received $2,217,500 worth of volunteered services through Catchafire. It would take hundreds of thousands of hours of typical volunteering to deliver that kind of value, but because Catchafire posts specific volunteer projects with well defined needs, they’re able to capture way more value with way less time. It’s a really cool model, and it’s cool that it’s actually a business and not just a non-profit. Catchafire charges organizations a membership fee on a sliding scale based on size and budget. It seems to be working, as there are quite a few success stories. You can learn more about how Catchafire came to be by reading their story, and you can learn more about how they work by checking out their About page and FAQs. If you like what you see and the B-Corp style, then you should check out jobs at Catchafire. Right now they’re looking for a Product & Marketing Summer Associate, a Software Engineer, and a Social Good Organization Consultant. These look like great jobs, so look them over and consider applying.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How often do you volunteer?

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?

Central Intelligence Agency

Willy Franzen — Mon, 02 May 2011 15:52:33 +0000

I was a senior in high school on September 11, 2001. We were told what had happened during our morning announcements period, and a few of who had free periods after went to the beach across the street from our school’s campus. We knew that on a clear day you could usually see the Twin Towers from there, but all we could see was a plume of smoke. We listened on the radio and heard reports of the towers falling and rumors of other attacks in the works. I was deeply affected by what happened that day, and since then I have been waiting for our country to bring Osama bin Laden to justice. Yesterday, a group of NAVY SEALs did just that under the command of the Central Intelligence Agency, which is based in Washington, DC but operates all over the world. I am extremely grateful to all of those who were involved–especially for those who risked their lives to make us safer. It’s a reminder of how important it is for our government agencies to have top talent working for them. WIthout great people working at the CIA and in our armed forces, bin Laden would still be at large.

Share Your Intelligence

The Central Intelligence Agency “was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman.” We often think of it as some super secret spy agency, and in some ways that what it is; however, there’s a lot more to the CIA. As the CIA’s About page mentions, the CIA is under the direction of the Director of Central Intelligence, and he or she is tasked with:

Collecting intelligence through human sources and by other appropriate means, except that he shall have no police, subpoena, or law enforcement powers or internal security functions;
Correlating and evaluating intelligence related to the national security and providing appropriate dissemination of such intelligence;
Providing overall direction for and coordination of the collection of national intelligence outside the United States through human sources by elements of the Intelligence Community authorized to undertake such collection and, in coordination with other departments, agencies, or elements of the United States Government which are authorized to undertake such collection, ensuring that the most effective use is made of resources and that appropriate account is taken of the risks to the United States and those involved in such collection; and
Performing such other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the President or the Director of National Intelligence may direct.

The operation that occurred yesterday is an example of the CIA at its best (well maybe at their true best we never even hear about it). Obviously, we can’t know most of the details of the operation, but it appears that the processes that the CIA developed over the past 10 years finally led to this accomplishment of one of the major goals of the War on Terror. If you’re inspired by this success, then maybe you should consider a Career with the CIA. They are a major entry level employer, and the Agency offers a very wide range of employment opportunities. Jobs are offered in the following areas:

Accounting, Budget & Finance
Analysis
Clandestine Service
Contracts & Acquisitions
Cyber Security
Engineering
Facilities Services
Geography & Cartography
Graphics, Multimedia, Publications & Photography
Information Management
Information Technology
Investigations
Legal Services
Library Services
Logistics Services
Medical Services
Science, Technology & Weapons
Security
Support Services
Trades and Labor

The CIA is one of the few government agencies that makes it extremely easy to browse through their job opportunities, and you can do that here. Today is a good day to be an American and a good day to think about career opportunities that will allow you to serve your country.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What secrets do you know about the CIA?

Better Place

Willy Franzen — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:08:32 +0000

Sponsored Job: Marathon Building Services is a Gaithersburg, MD based company that offers construction cleaning services. They’re currently looking for new and recent grads to join as Sales Representatives to help them grow their business. If you’re interested, send a résumé to Meredith Berlin at hr@movementtechnologies.com.

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone but an oil executive who isn’t excited at the prospect of electric cars. Yet, the only ones that I’ve seen on the road are from Tesla Motors, and those are few and far between. The problem is two-fold. First, the technology is just getting to the point where it’s actually reasonable to have an electric car as your everyday automobile. Second, the infrastructure for charging electric cars away from home is nearly non-existent. Better Place is a Palo Alto, CA based company that is working to change this. They “build and operate the infrastructure and systems to optimize energy access and use” for electric vehicles, so that they can achieve their mission of “accelerating the transition to sustainable transportation.” They have a long road ahead of them, but they’ve already made a big impact.

Better Jobs

When we think about fueling our cars, we automatically think of gas stations. Many assume that charging an electric vehicle will be similar, but that’s not necessarily true. Better Place is working on all of the potential options for battery charging. These include home charging stations, battery exchange, and charging networks. Because electricity can be transported so easily, the need for a gas station like system will probably fade. (The only question is where we’ll stop for bathroom breaks and Doritos.) Better Place is working on all fronts to make electric vehicles “affordable to buy, easy to use, and amazing to own.” Beyond charging solutions they’re also developing driver services and network software that will deliver increasing benefits as more people go electric. Better Place is even working with international standardization bodies to ensure that market fragmentation doesn’t slow the adoption of electric vehicles. If you want to be part of the transition to sustainable transportation, then it’s time to take a look at Better Place’s jobs. At first look it seems that their positions are either internships or require too much experience, but the Knowledge Management Associate Internship actually looks more like an entry level job. The descriptions for the year-long Market Development and Product Strategy positions also look pretty serious, so maybe you could take one of them and turn it into a full-time job.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Better Place?

Cabela’s

Willy Franzen — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:57:28 +0000

Being a fly fisherman, I sometimes get frustrated with living in Chicago. Not only are there few opportunities to go fishing without a decent drive, but the winters are way too long (it’s supposed to be spring now, and it’s not). To get through the winter I’ll often visit fishing stores, look at websites, and read through catalogs. It’s not much, but it’s all I have. And Cabela’s provides all three options. The company is based in Sidney, NE, and they’re the “largest mail-order, retail and Internet outdoor outfitter in the world.” It all started in 1961 with a tiny classified ad that Dick Cabela placed in a newspaper because he wanted to sell some fishing flies that he purchased while visiting Chicago for a furniture show (since Nebraska is even less of a fly fishing destination than Chicago is). Despite a lackluster response to the original ad, Dick Cabela kept trying. The company grew organically, and now Cabela’s is dominating three major retail channels. The truly amazing part of the story is that Cabela’s has been able to maintain their commitment to customer service throughout all of the growth. I’m not a big customer (I try to support local shops), but I have quite a few friends who are extremely loyal Cabela’s customers because of the quality of products and service.

Outfitting Your Job Search

If you love the outdoors, you probably already know all about Cabela’s. Their stores are massive shrines to everything that is great about being an outdoorsman. They have fish tanks, taxidermy, indoor mountains, archery ranges, and, obviously, lots and lots of products that you can buy. According to Wikipedia, their store in Kansas City had 4 million customer visits in a single year, while the store in Hamburg, PA covers a quarter million square feet. Obviously, the ultimate Cabela’s experience requires visiting one of their stores, but their catalogs and website are pretty good proxies if you’re stuck at home. And if you are stuck at home, you might as well take a look at Cabela’s Careers site too. You can check out their testimonials and culture quiz, or you can just head straight for their job listings. We’re going to pass over all of the retail positions (there are a ton of them), and only look at corporate jobs that might be suitable for new or recent grads. These include (all positions in Sidney, NE unless otherwise noted):

Cabela’s has one of the worst applicant tracking systems that I’ve ever seen. It’s “Powered by Kenexa,” and it’s completely unusable. I slogged through it so you don’t have to, so the positions above should give you a good idea of what kind of entry level opportunities exist at Cabela’s. There are more entry level postings than just these, but I can only bang my head against a wall for so long.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you shop at Cabela’s?

Wolverine World Wide

Willy Franzen — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:04:01 +0000

Today’s a big day–not only is it St. Patrick’s Day (in past years we’ve taken a look at General Mills, Luck Stone, and Shamrock Boats) but it’s also the start of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. And what ties those two things together (besides being excuses for drinking during the day)? Shoes! It’s a little-known fact that all leprechauns are shoemakers, and we know that all basketball players are obsessed with shoes. That’s why we’re going to take a look at Wolverine World Wide, a multi-brand shoe company based in Rockford, MI. Their brands include Bates, Cat Footwear, Chaco, Cushe, Harley-Davidson Footwear, Hush Puppies, HyTest, Merrell, Patagonia Footwear, Sebago, Track ‘n Trail, and Wolverine, almost all of which are targeted towards rugged, outdoorsy customer bases. Most of the brands don’t offer great footwear for playing basketball, but they have plenty of shoes for leprechauns that wants to cause mischief and trek to and from the end of the rainbow.

Wolverines and Leprechauns

Wolverine World Wide was founded in 1883, and since then they’ve been making high quality leather products. At first it was pigskin work gloves, then horsehide shoes. Now their products have high-tech materials like those that come from Vibram. Wolverine World Wide has come a long way over the past 125 years, and I’m not just talking about their footwear. As they’ve added brands, they’ve been able to expand their reach to the point that they now have sold products in 190 countries. That’s no surprise considering the respect that Wolverine World Wide’s brands command in the world of footwear (Sebago is my favorite). If you love shoes, but more from a functional standpoint than a fashion standpoint, then check out careers at Wolverine World Wide. They don’t have a ton of positions that seem suitable for recent grads (they do offer a bunch of internships), but the following positions are worth taking a look at: Designer, Corporate Accounting Analyst, Global Web Content Producer, and Customer Service Representative. There are also a bunch of retail positions posted.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own shoes from any of Wolverine World Wide’s brands?

American Greetings

Willy Franzen — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:36:40 +0000

I can’t remember the last time that I bought a greeting card, but I can remember the last time that I was part of the purchasing process. A good friend of mine was getting married, and he needed a card for his soon to be wife. Because of the dearth of cards for brides from their grooms, I made it my job to suggest alternatives. Trying to convince a stressed out groom to give his new wife a condolences card probably isn’t the nicest thing to do, but it’s certainly entertaining. Yes, greeting cards can be funny, but there’s more to them than that. That’s why American Greetings calls themselves the “leading manufacturer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships.” The Cleveland, OH based company is the largest publicly-traded greeting card company in the world, and their brands include American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings, and Papyrus along with a number of other paper products and online brands.

A Job for Every Occasion

Greeting cards may seem like a niche business, but American Greetings is a very large company with near $1.7 billion in annual revenue and 18,000 employees according to Wikipedia. The company was started in 1906 by a Polish immigrant named Jacob Sapirstein, and it’s been able to stick around through constant innovation. They’ve developed toy brands like Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears and digital properties like Webshots and Blue Mountain. If it can somehow be worked into “social expressions products,” then they’re on it. American Greetings seems to keep on growing, and that means lots of hiring. Their Careers page takes a little bit of navigating, but half a dozen clicks later you’ll find their job listings. There are a ton of jobs posted, but you should look out for the following opportunities: Artist Coordinator (Chicago, IL), Assistant Product Development Manager – Papyrus/Recycled Greetings (Fairfield, CA), Assistant Art Director (Cleveland, OH), Brand Analyst – Papyrus, Graphic Designer (Cleveland, OH), Graphic Line Designer – Derivative Planning (Cleveland, OH), Graphic Coordinator (Cleveland, OH), Marketing Product Assistant (Cleveland, OH), Merchandiser (Nationwide), Order Filler (Cleveland, OH), Programmer Analyst (Bardstown, KY), Receptionist – Papyrus/Recycled Greetings (Chicago, IL), Sourcing Coordinator (Cleveland, OH), and Supply Chain Leadership Rotation Program Associate (Cleveland, OH). That Leadership Rotation Program is the most intriguing, and makes me wonder if they have any other similar programs in different areas.

American Greetings’ Careers page also mentions the following business departments: Accounting, Business Intelligence, Creative, Communications, Engineering, Entertainment, Finance, Human Resources, Interactive, Information Technology, International Operations, Legal, Management, Manufacturing and Distribution, Marketing, Retail Merchandising, Sales, Supply Chain Management, Transportation/Logistics, and Writer/Editor. So if you are interested in any of those areas but don’t see a job that fits you, you might want to keep checking in (or apply for an unlisted position).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s the last greeting card that you sent?

Quizlet

Willy Franzen — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:51:29 +0000

Now, I haven’t heard of any job seekers who use flashcards for interviews, but I’m sure there are some out there. I haven’t touched a flashcard since I stopped taking French, and that was a long time ago. I don’t miss them at all. It’s probably because my French teachers forced me to write hundreds of flashcards for homework. If I could have found a way to use a computer to automate the process, I would have. But those teachers wanted to see a handwritten flashcard. Today’s students probably don’t feel my pain. That’s because you can make all of your flashcards online, share them with friends, and use them on your smartphone thanks to Quizlet. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that aims to “creatively harness technology to provide powerful, free learning capabilities to hundreds of millions of people.”

Pop Quiz!

Now, I’m not a big fan of memorization, but it certainly has its place in education–especially in languages. How big is the memorization market? Quizlet had 13 million users in 2010 along with 4,619,867 flashcard sets, 141,859,631 terms/definitions, and 395,923,820 answers logged. If the generation that grows up with Quizlet doesn’t do markedly better on standardized tests, I’m going to be very disappointed in them. The cool thing about Quizlet is that they go way beyond the flashcard. Once you have a set ready, you can “use several study modes including multiple choice tests and study games. You can add images and listen to audio, and even study on the go with one of dozens of Quizlet-compatible mobile apps.” It’s pretty clear that Quizlet has built a great product, but what about the business behind the product? They make money two ways: advertising and premium memberships. It’s a “small company with a big website and a big goal,” but they’re looking to add to their team. The Quizlet Jobs page doesn’t have specific positions posted, but they mention that they’re looking for Backend Engineers, Frontend Engineers, Marketers, Product Marketers, and Business Operations people. You can get in touch with them at jobs@quizlet.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used Quizlet?

Exa

Willy Franzen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:53:50 +0000

Everything that I know about aerodynamics I learned from MythBusters. Ok, that’s not completely true–AP Physics taught me a little bit too, but MythBusters does a remarkable job of explaining how different objects (from bullets to cars) react to the drag forces of air and water. Today I found a company that puts MythBusters to shame, at least when it comes to aerodynamics (but definitely not when it comes to explosions). Their name is Exa, and they’re a Burlington, MA based company that “develops, markets, and supports simulation software for the fluids engineering marketplace along with a full suite of engineering consulting services.” They typically work with companies in the “automotive, aerospace, architectural, environmental, electronic, and heavy equipment industries,” so I’m sure that you can imagine what kind of cool projects they’ve been involved with. Think optimizing the USA 4-man bobsled that won the Olympic Gold Medal or providing simulations for a Discovery Channel TV show called Ultimate Car Build-Off (ok, it’s not MythBusters).

Are You Dynamic Enough?

Since I’m only TV educated, I’m obviously not the best person to judge Exa’s offerings. But their clients are. Since companies like Audi AG, BMW AG, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, Hyundai, Kenworth, MAN, Nissan, Peterbilt, Renault, Scania, Volkswagen AG, Volvo Trucks and many others trust Exa to help them “create competitive designs” and shorten “product design cycles and improving time-to-market,” I have to believe that Exa is a leader in the field. In addition to aerodynamics, Exa also focuses on thermodynamics, aeroacoustics, and how they interact with each other. I’d tell you more, but I’m already in over my head. Obviously, Exa is looking for people with very specific types of knowledge, but they do offer some opportunities that could be appropriate for a new grad (though many require Master’s Degrees or higher and some prior experience). If you look at their Jobs page, you’ll see positions like Application Engineer (Livonia, MI), Field Application Engineer (Livonia, MI), Aerodynamics Application Engineer (Burlington, MA), Geometry Expert (Stuttgart, Germany), Praktikant (Stuttgart, Germany), Application Engineer (Stuttgart, Germany), Aerodynamics Application Engineer (Livonia, MI), Computational Aeroacoustics Engineer (Brisbane, CA), Thermal Engineer (Livonia, MI), Application Engineer(s) – Heavy Vehicle North America (Burlington, MA), Software Engineer – Geometry (Burlington, MA), Computational Aeroacoustics Engineer (Livonia, MI), and Application Engineer (Munich, Germany). All of these job postings have very specific requirements, so it’s hard for me to determine what might be appropriate for recent grads.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How aerodynamic are you?