One Day, One Job » retail

RaceTrac

Willy Franzen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:58:16 +0000

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

Start Your Engine

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

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

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

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever stopped at a RaceTrac?

Crayola

Willy Franzen — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:37:40 +0000

I took a Career Development course in college. It was 2 credits pass-fail and met twice a week for half the semester. I figured that it was a good way to fill out my schedule, but it ended up being “the hardest class I took in college.” I wish I could say it was because it was so intellectually demanding, but it was actually because the work was so tedious and mind-numbing. To pass the class we had to submit a four-inch thick portfolio of all of our homework and reading notes (yes, reading notes in college). The class was entirely process-oriented and taught me nothing relevant to actually getting a job. The lowest point was when the class met in a special room and the professor asked us to close our eyes and envision our future lives as she played some weird new age music. She then handed out blank pieces of paper and small packs of Crayola crayons. She asked us to draw the future we envisioned. I AM NOT KIDDING (and the drawings went in our portfolio). What a waste of good crayons. Crayola is based in Easton, PA, and they were founded in 1885 as Binney & Smith, an industrial pigment supplier. They quickly got into pencils, chalk, and crayons, which built them into one of the most recognizable brands in America.

Picture Your Future at Crayola

Crayola has 99% brand recognition in the U.S., and the scent of their crayons is said to be the 18th most recognizable scent behind coffee and peanut butter. It’s unfortunate that I now tie that smell to such an infuriating educational experience, especially considering that Crayola is all “about helping parents and educators raise creative and inspired children, who we believe will one day lead the world.” Crayola has obviously expanded well beyond selling just crayons, pencils, markers, and chalk, but the business remains about giving kids the ability to express their creativity in any way they want. Even with the continued focus on simplicity, Crayola was able to reach $700 million in sales in 2010. That’s impressive. If you want to be part of the Crayola story, check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a few positions that you may want to consider including The Crayola Store – Retail Associate, The Crayola Experience – Associate, International Business Analyst, and Supply Chain Planner. Check them out and see if any of the positions might be in the picture you drew of your future.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite Crayola memory?

Kembrel

Willy Franzen — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:57:32 +0000

Kembrel is members-only, but you can get in using this link. They’ll even give you a VIP Card for free (worth $20) and $5 in store credit to get you started.

There’s a battle going on between traditional retailers and e-commerce companies. The former offers the opportunity to get your hands on the merchandise, but the latter usually offers better prices, better selection, and more convenience. This leads to a lot of people using retailers to check stuff out and then buying online. I want to see companies start merging those two business models, and that’s exactly what Kembrel is doing. They’re a Philadelphia, PA based “online club” that allows “students to access their favorite fashion, food, and fun for a fraction of the retail price.” The online flash sale strategy is being combined with retail stores (they recently opened their first in Philly) to build the brand and offer members the opportunity to actually interact with products.

Join the Club

I find it really interesting that Kembrel is so intently focused on the college market. Fashion, food, and fun are a lot easier to sell to people who are post-college and have an income. Still, college kids are fashion conscious and need a place to buy clothes, and I think a hybridized online/retail model is the best way to sell to them. If you’d like to be a part of growing this model, then you need to check out Kembrel’s Jobs page. They kind of have a trying too hard to appeal to college kids way of copywriting, but maybe that will appeal to you college kids. Here’s what their Jobs page says:

Working for Kembrel is basically like working for a golden sunset that occasionally rains candy and happy hour beers in the form of a pastel-colored rainbow and there’s a wind in the air that sounds softly like hip hop mixes and there are gentle ponies with glittering braids that leap across the waving fields of tall grass delivering trendy clothes and vanilla mint ice cream to all the cheerful workers typing giddily at their desks.

Right now they’re hiring a Women’s Apparel Buyer, student photographers, and a bunch of interns. Take a look at the positions and see if any make sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Will you shop at Kembrel?

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?

Victorinox Swiss Army

Willy Franzen — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:15:40 +0000

In case you haven’t noticed, I love using holidays themes to pick companies. Sometimes I get a little silly with companies or organizations that would never actually have jobs, but it’s really all about getting you to have a little fun and start thinking more creatively. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays to use for idea generation because you can take it in so many directions. In past years I’ve looked at Jennie-O, Plimoth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg, Pilgrim’s Pride, Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Food Bank for New York City. I’ve exhausted a lot of options, so I started racking my brain–I even looked up Thanksgiving bingo cards for ideas. Then I realized that Thanksgiving is nothing without a good carving knife. No matter how well you cook that turkey, if you can’t piece it out properly, you’ve failed. And who makes a top rated (by America’s Test Kitchen) kitchen knives? Victorinox Swiss Army does–and super affordable ones at that. You probably think of the Monroe, CT based company for the little red pocket knives that have a whole bunch of tools, but they make all kinds of cutlery in addition to watches, travel gear, and clothing.

Essential Equipment for Job Search Adventures

Victorinox Swiss Army is a super recognizable brand even though it’s one that you probably don’t think of all that often. The company got its start in 1884 in Ibach-Schwyz, Switzerland as a cutlery workshop, and since then “handcraftsmanship, quality and functionality has been the top priority for Victorinox Swiss Army.” Unfortunately, Victorinox Swiss Army doesn’t provide too much more information about themselves, so I guess looking at their products is the best way to get to know them better. If you like what you see, then you should consider Jobs at Victorinox Swiss Army. Right now they have a number of openings including Consumer Support Rep (Monroe, CT), Order Management Rep (Monroe, CT), and a few retail positions in New York.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have a Swiss Army knife?

Whole Foods Market

Willy Franzen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:53:38 +0000

Even though I’m not a huge fan of turkey, I love Thanksgiving. It’s an all around great holiday for spending time with family and friends, and it gives me the opportunity to do some serious cooking. Some of my favorites are yams with marshmallows on top, brussels sprouts with bacon and onions, and apple pie. I’ve also been known to make a maple syrup slathered, bacon covered turkey, but I usually get overruled by people who inexplicably love bland, overcooked, dry white breast meat. I’m actually dying to try America Test Kitchen’s recipe, which includes brining and putting ice packs on the breasts so they cook slower than the rest of the bird. Anyway, I’ll likely be doing some shopping at Whole Foods Market this afternoon. I used to shop at normally priced supermarkets, but there’s one thing that keeps me coming back to bougie grocery stores like Whole Foods: bacon. You can’t get good quality bacon at a regular supermarket. And once you’re buying fancy bacon, you might as well get organic brussel sprouts and grass-fed beef and those awesome salted, chocolate-covered caramels that they sell.

Make Yourself Whole

Whole Foods Market isn’t just about being a higher end grocery store. They’re “the world’s leader in natural and organic foods,” and they “maintain the strictest quality standards in the industry, and have an unshakeable commitment to sustainable agriculture.” Some people are happy paying more at Whole Foods because they get to choose from five different kinds of bacon; others because they know the pigs the bacon came from were humanely and sustainably raised. Whole Foods Market got its start in Austin, TX in 1980, and because of their unique value proposition they’ve been able to grow to more than 310 stores. A key part of that massive growth has been how they treat their people. They’ve worked extremely hard to build a “decentralized, self-directed team culture and create a respectful workplace where people are treated fairly and are highly motivated to succeed.” That’s why you might notice that Whole Foods employees are more helpful and more pleasant than the average supermarket employee.

A typical college grad probably isn’t even considering a grocery store as an employment option, but Whole Foods has created an environment that attracts great talent. They’ve been named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by Fortune for the past 14 years, and they offer exceptional benefits. They generally do a great job with their Careers site, though they don’t make it easy to find Corporate positions. Before you dig into their job postings, I recommend that you read up on Whole Foods Market’s Career Paths and Hiring Process. You have to navigate Whole Foods’ job listings by geography, so if you want to find corporate positions you have to look at Texas. The company’s culture is big on hiring from within, so getting started in one of their stores is definitely a smart choice.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What are you cooking for Thanksgiving?

Zingerman’s

Willy Franzen — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:20:00 +0000

I spent the weekend in Ann Arbor, MI visiting some friends, and today I’ll be doing office hours at The Career Center at University of Michigan from 3 – 5 PM (if you’re a UMich student, you should definitely stop by and say hi). I’ve already been to Zingerman’s twice, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my girlfriend forces me to go one more time (not that I’m complaining). In case you’ve never been, Zingerman’s is an Ann Arbor institution. Their flagship store is a deli, but they also have the following businesses: a bakery, a workforce training consulting firm, a caterer, a mail order company, a creamery, a sit-down restaurant, a coffee company, and a confectioner. The whole business generated nearly $40 million in revenue in 2009, and the deli alone generated more than $10 million in revenue. The really remarkable thing is that they’ve stayed local throughout. It’s not about taking the concept and growing it into a chain.

Zing!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ordered a sandwich (always modified to exclude the disgusting substance known as mayonnaise) and had no confidence that the person taking my order actually listened to what I said. At Zingerman’s that’s not an issue. Their staff is phenomenally well trained and extremely attentive. It’s not what I’ve come to expect when I deal with businesses in the service industry. It all has to do with Zingerman’s approach to people. They hire selectively, they train well, and they offer amazing benefits. Most of their jobs aren’t of the type that we’d typically cover, but “the Zingerman’s experience” changes everything. So take a look at Zingerman’s Jobs page, and see if any of the positions appeal to you. There’s a ton to be learned at Zingerman’s, and I’m sure that they do a lot of promoting from within.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever had a sandwich from Zingerman’s?

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?

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Willy Franzen — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:25:48 +0000

We often forget that this country has been built (and is continuing to be built) by immigrants. For hundreds of years people have risked everything that they had to try for a better life in America. While just getting here is a journey, the first few years of “making a new life, working for a better future, starting a family with limited means” can be daunting. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York, NY tells the story of life in America for nearly 7,000 immigrants from over 20 countries who lived in the building between the years of 1863 and 1935. It’s a part of American history that doesn’t get a lot of attention (how many of us have visited colonial era museums?), yet it’s an extremely important part of our national identity.

97 Orchard Street

What’s most interesting about the Lower East Side Tenement Museum (which is part of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience) is that it gives us deep insight into how much living standards have changed over the past century. By sheer luck 97 Orchard Street was left as it was for more than 50 years, and when museum founders Ruth Abram and Anita Jacobson stumbled upon it, they knew it was the perfect place for building “a museum that honored America’s immigrants.” If you want to be part of sharing the history of the immigrants who built this country, then take a look at Jobs at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. They have a number of interesting opportunities including Museum Shop Associate, Visitor Services Associate, Collections Manager & Registrar, Costumed Interpreter/Educator, and Executive Assistant. Give them all a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Lower East Side Tenement Museum?

Redbox

Willy Franzen — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:40:58 +0000

Want to land a job and save the world at the same time? This week’s sponsor is Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit organization with some amazing entry level career opportunities.

There aren’t many companies that have as many loyal fans as Netflix. I swear that everybody loves them (check out jobs at Netflix). At least they did until yesterday when Netflix announced a change to their plans. They touted it as a good thing with their “lowest prices ever for unlimited DVDs,” but it really was a price increase for streaming subscribers. I guess yesterday was a good day for Redbox, which is based in Oakbrook Terrace, IL (with a major presence in Bellevue, WA). They operate more than 27,000 DVD and Blu-ray rental kiosks, or redboxes. Believe it or not, rentals aren’t dead, and Redbox has found a sweetspot between Blockbuster and Netflix. There’s definitely something I miss about the old school video rental shops–especially the pre-Blockbuster independent ones. But it’s mind blowing that Redbox is able to fit an entire video rental store in 12 square feet.

Think Inside the Redbox

Redbox has rented out more than 1 billion movies. Back in 2007 the kiosks were averaging nearly 50 rentals a day and almost $40,000 in annual revenue each. That’s pretty amazing considering Redbox kiosksi are typically just filling in empty space in high traffic buildings. Obviously a 12 square foot kiosk can’t offer much variety in terms of movies, but by stocking mostly new releases Redbox is able to stay relevant and serve a significant portion of the demand for in-home movie viewing. Now, we all know that streaming is the future, but there’s still a huge portion of the population that relies on hard media like DVDs and Blu-rays. It’ll be interesting to see how Redbox adapts moving forward, but for now I think they can still find opportunities for growth. If you like what Redbox is doing, you’ll want to take a look at their Jobs page. Unfortunately, it’s just a list of jobs, and there are a lot of them to browse through. Most are Field positions all across the country, but there are a few that seem better suited for recent grads. These include Service Representative – New Ventures (Hayward, CA), Sales & Use Tax Accountant (Oakbrook Terrace, IL), Machine Support Coordinator (Oakbrook Terrace, IL), Web Analyst/ eCommerce Analyst (Oakbrook Terrace, IL), Software Engineer (Oakbrook Terrace, IL), Service Representative – New Ventures (Fairfax, VA), Quality Engineer I (Kent, WA), and Business Analyst (Oakbrook Terrace, IL). There are a lot more mid-level options, so if you have some prior experience, be sure to check those out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Redbox?

Trunk Club

Willy Franzen — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:34:10 +0000

I think I went almost 3 years after graduating from college without buying any new clothes. I had a decent enough wardrobe, I didn’t need work clothes because I started my own company, and I wanted to save as much money as I could so that I could keep my company going. Then I featured Gilt Groupe and Bonobos , which both had some exciting opportunities for new grads. After looking at their job opportunities, I discovered their referral programs which allowed me to score a bunch of clothing for free. I’ve certainly become more fashion conscious as I’ve spent my referral credits, but I still have trouble deciding what looks good on me. I know there are plenty of other guys who have this problem whether they’re looking for something to wear to an interview or a night out on the town. Trunk Club is a Chicago, IL based company (their office is two blocks from mine) that aims to solve this problem by making style decisions for their customers. You tell them a little about yourself (or come in for a fitting session), and they’ll send you a “trunk” full of clothes that they’ve picked out for you. It works like a hotel mini-bar, you keep what you want and send back what you don’t (with free shipping both ways). You obviously only get charged for what you keep.

Join the Club

Trunk Club is led by Brian Spaly, who was also a Co-Founder at Bonobos (but has since moved on). He’s obviously committed to helping men take the pain out of shopping, and so far it looks like he’s been a part of two big successes. Trunk Club seems to be growing well, and has been getting a ton of press attention. Though their business works the same way as a retail store–they stock a variety of brands and sell them at a markup, they’ve adapted the model to build a unique sales channel. Why send someone a catalog or an e-mail blast when you can actually send them hand-selected clothes to try on? It really is a retail experience in your home. If you like what Trunk Club is doing, then you should check out their Jobs page. They have a number of opportunities that could be suitable for new grads including Style Expert/Sales Representative, Product Associate, Fulfillment Associate, Front-end Web Developer, and Application Developer. Just make sure you wear something cool to your interview.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you try Trunk Club?

Warby Parker

Willy Franzen — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:16:56 +0000

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When I was growing up, getting glasses was a death sentence–a one way ticket to nerd-dom. Every kid dreaded the day that the school nurse conducted eye tests. Luckily, my eyes didn’t go bad until my Junior year of high school, so I pretty much went straight to contact lenses. Now it seems that people want eyeglasses, even if they have perfect eyesight. Instead of trying to downplay the fact that they’re wearing glasses, people are buying stylish frames that make a statement. The problem is that glasses are expensive and kind of a pain in the butt to buy. Warby Parker is a New York, NY based company that is trying to change that. As they put it, “by circumventing traditional channels and engaging with our customers directly through our website, Warby Parker is able to provide higher-quality, better looking prescription eyewear for under $100.”

It’s the Way You Frame Things

What’s really cool about Warby Parker is that they’ve taken a page of out the TOMS Shoes playbook. For every pair of glasses that Warby Parker sells, they deliver another pair for someone in need. (I think that this is actually a subversive ploy to spread hipsterdom.) It’s really a simple business. Make great glasses, and keep them cheap by selling them directly online. If you’re dying for more info, you can read up on How Warby Parker Does It along with info on their Design, Materials and Assembly. The only kink in the model is that most people want to try a few pairs of glasses on before they buy them. Warby Parker has this figured out with their Home Try-On Program–you get 5 pairs in the mail and you send back the ones you don’t like (with free shipping both ways). If you like what you see through Warby Parker’s lenses, then you’ll want to consider a job with them. They don’t have a Careers page, but they have a few positions posted on Startuply including Retail Associate and Operations Associate (they also reached out to us to tell us about their exciting growth and plans to hire new grads). Both look like great opportunities for new or recent grads, so give them a good look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear glasses?

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?

Opening Ceremony

Willy Franzen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:35:41 +0000

MATCH Public Charter School has been sponsoring One Day, One Job for the past week. They offer amazing entry level opportunities for new grads in Boston, MA, and you should check them out now.

Fast Company’s list of The 2011 Most Innovative Companies has a great mix of familiar and unfamiliar names. One of the companies on the list that I’m only recently familiar with is Opening Ceremony. They call themselves “a multifaceted retail environment comprised of shops, showroom, and private label collection that establishes a new, international creative forum in downtown Manhattan.” I first heard about Opening Ceremony because they’ve been collaborating on a line with Pendleton (a brand that I love). As I’d put it, Opening Ceremony is a New York, NY based fashion retailer/designer/curator. They’re all about bringing together things that are different—new and old, exotic and local. It’s based on the premise behind the original Olympics in 1896—”creatively merging sports, business, and global participation.” But it’s fashion instead of sports.

Join the Ceremony

To really get a feel for Opening Ceremony, you need to walk into one of their stores in New York City, Los Angeles, or Tokyo. If you can’t do that, their website is the next best alternative. Opening Ceremony’s goal is to recreate “a shopping excursion based on four different perspectives–established designer (designers that best exemplify the country), emerging designer, one of a kind vintage pieces and select items from the open-air markets.” They work with some of the biggest names in fashion, and they’re constantly adding new stuff; in fact, they focus on “the unique commercial and cultural character of a [different] visiting city” ever year. It’s a really unique take on fashion, and it’s one that I can’t effectively sum up. If you love what Opening Ceremony is doing, then you need to check out their Jobs page. They don’t post specific positions, but they invite you to “mail your cover letter, resume and 3 references to jobs@openingceremony.us.” They also ask you to mention what type of position you’re interested, and they provide the following suggestions: “Retail – LA/Tokyo/NYC/Ace, Showroom, Buying, Design, Graphic Design, Ecommerce, Online Marketing, Blog, Production, etc.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own anything from Opening Ceremony?

Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:14:34 +0000

Want to make a difference in your first job after graduation? MATCH Charter Public School is a great place to do so.

It’d be pretty cool to have your home turned into a museum. Not only would it mean that you lived in a pretty sweet place, but it would also mean that you made enough of a mark on history for people to actually want to learn about your life. There’s no better example of someone worth learning about than Thomas Jefferson. Not only did he write the Declaration of Independence, but he was also the third president and founder of the University of Virginia. It’s no surprise that he ended up on both the two dollar bill and the nickel. Anyway, many might expect Jefferson’s Monticello to be run by the government, but it’s actually managed by a non-profit organization called the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, VA. They’ve been maintaining Monticello and 2,500 of its 5,000 acres for nearly 90 years with a dual mission of education and preservation, which is why they have continued to keep it open to the public.

Are You a Jeffersonian at Heart?

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation considers Monticello to be Jefferson’s “autobiographical statement,” which is why they’ve invested so much time and effort into preserving it. The estate includes “a house, an ornamental landscape, a farm, a plantation, a small mountain, and a large and diverse community, and it encapsulates “the interests, talents, ideals, ambitions, and realities of its creative and complex owner.” Monticello.org has tons of information on both Monticello and Thomas Jefferson, so it’s a great place to get started doing some research. In fact, if you don’t get lost in the excitement of reading up on Thomas Jefferson’s place in history, then a job at Monticello probably isn’t for you. And if you do get lost, hopefully you’ll eventually find your way to their job listings which show that they’re hiring for a number of positions including Garden Guide, Museum Shop Receiver, Reservations Associate, Retail Sales Associate – Garden Shop, and Systems Analyst. Most of the positions are part-time or temporary, but they’re still worth checking out. You might also want to consider their volunteer opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited Monticello?

Build-A-Bear Workshop

Willy Franzen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:44:06 +0000

Today the Fortune 100 Best Companies To Work For list came out. I’m not a huge fan of these lists, because they seem to be mostly driven by PR prowess. Still, they can be great tools to learn about new companies, which is why I’ve been running through the list to see which companies might appeal most to college students and grads. One that stood out right away was Build-A-Bear Workshop, which came in at #48 on the list. I’ve never built a bear, but I’ve walked by enough of their packed-with-kids stores to understand the brilliance of their business—they turn buying a stuffed animal into an activity. The company is headquartered in St. Louis, MO with stores across the country and a distribution center in Columbus, OH. Now, Build-A-Bear Workshop is really big on bear puns, so if you can’t deal with that, you better stop reading now.

Where Bearish Is a Good Thing

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Build-A-Bear Workshop, they’re a company that aims “to bring the Teddy Bear to life.” They do this by giving you the raw materials to build a stuffed animal that suits your personality. To start, you can choose from “30 varieties of stuffed animals including teddy bears, bunnies, dogs, kitties and more.” Then you can choose what sounds your animal makes, how “stuffed” you want him or her to be, what clothes your animal wears, and what his or her name will be. I’m not exactly sure how many different combinations there are, but they’re essentially infinite—just like the bear puns. Jobs are “op-bear-tunities,” employees “reach fur the stars,” and when employees work together they “collaBEARate.” If you dig the business and the puns, then head over to Build-A-Bear Workshop’s Careers page—you’ll see sections for jobs in Retail, Distribution, and at the World Bearquarters. While the first two offer great options, we’re going to focus on the latter.

Unfortunately, Build-A-Bear Workshop uses a dropdown menu to display their job postings, so it’s kind of a pain to browse through them all. There’s also no way to link directly to the job postings, and the site is actually a bit light in terms of posted jobs right now, but they typically offer opportunities in the following areas: Accounting/Finance, Administrative, Call Center, Creative/Graphic Design, Facilities Management, Human Resources, International, Information Technology, Legal, Logistics, Merchandise Planning/Allocation, Marketing, Product Development, Public Relations, Purchasing, Store Operations, Strategic Planning, and Web / Interactive. Still, there area few postings that seem suitable for new or recent grads including First Impressions Bear/HR Assistant (Receptionist) – Human Resources, International Product Planning Bear – International, and Usability Anabearlyst (Analyst) – Web / Interactive. Build-A-Bear Workshop also allows you to apply for unlisted positions, so you have no excuse not to bear down and send in an application.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own a Build-A-Bear?

Hunter Boot

Willy Franzen — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:42:43 +0000

About a month ago my girlfriend bought a pair of boots. A few weeks later when we were in Connecticut for Thanksgiving, we stopped into a shoe store so that she could buy special socks to go with these boots. The idea of needing special socks for a pair of boots is kind of odd to me, but who doesn’t love a good pair of socks? Then I saw it. A stack of boxes that went to the ceiling. This store was ready for the holiday shopping season, and their main preparation was stocking Hunter boots. Lots of them. Uggs were hot for a while, but now people want boots that can actually get wet, and they’re flocking to Hunter Boot. The company is headquartered in Scotland, but they have offices in London and New York too. They’ve made their name on their Wellington boots—Wellies for short, and though they’ve been around for more than 150 years, they’re seeing quite a surge in popularity right now.

Willy Say Wear Your Wellies

I love it when old brands become trendy. It shows that hard work and dedication to producing quality products can pay off. Then again, Hunter Boot has “The Royal Warrants of Appointment as suppliers of waterproof footwear to HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh,” so it’s not only the masses that are getting behind Hunter. As the company grows and becomes more International and less Scotland-focused, you can expect that they’ll continue to grow their team stateside. Hunter Boot does have a Careers page for the U.S.; however, it doesn’t provide job listings or even contact information. A quick look at Hunter Boot’s company profile on LinkedIn shows that there are certainly some entry level opportunities. You just have to be proactive about seeking them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any Hunter boots?

Fatwallet

Willy Franzen — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:04:22 +0000

It’s 8 AM on Black Friday, and I haven’t bought anything yet. I guess that I’m more interested in Cyber Monday when I can find great deals online. On previous Black Fridays we’ve taken a look at jobs with companies like Amazon.com (should have saved it for Cyber Monday), Ernst & Young (because today is when companies are finally “in the black”), and Visa (since you’ll probably be swiping yours like crazy today). I wish I had been able to feature Slickdeals on a previous Black Friday, but they had some cool opportunities in August of 2009, so I jumped the gun. Today, our focus is going to be on Rockton, IL based Fatwallet, which is a very similar site to Slickdeals—both focus on saving you money when you shop. Fatwallet puts a pretty big emphasis on Black Friday Deals, but what makes the site great is that they help shoppers find amazing deals every day.

How Fat Is Your Wallet?

One of the coolest things about Fatwallet is the story behind the company. It all started with a $100 investment by a guy who saw a need. Now they have 52 employees and a really serious business. Below is a video on how Fatwallet came to be (e-mail readers should click through):

Fatwallet makes most of its money through affiliate marketing. That means that when people find deals (which are sourced by the community) on Fatwallet and buy from online retailers, Fatwallet gets a commission on the sale. Fatwallet could have stopped there, but instead they decided to make their deals just a little sweeter. They instituted a program called Cash Back that gives their users money back if they make a purchase at certain retailers. Fatwallet has built a truly incredible business out of nothing, and they’ve done it by constantly watching out for the consumer. If you like Fatwallet’s story, then you’ll want to check out their Jobs page. Though they don’t have any open positions posted right now, they have a General Submission form that will allow you to tell them exactly where you think that you’d fit in. Give it a shot, and then go find some deals.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Fatwallet?

Macy’s

Willy Franzen — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:37:20 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! In past years we’ve taken a look at jobs at Pilgrim’s Pride, Jennie-O, and Plimoth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg. This year we’ve been influenced by the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, so we’re going to take a look at entry level jobs at Macy’s. They’re headquartered in both New York City and Cincinnati, and they are “one of the nation’s premier retailers, with fiscal 2009 sales of $23.5 billion.” The company operates more than 810 stores across 45 states. Over the past decade or so they’ve absorbed a number of other retailers, but the Macy’s brand has reigned supreme—and I bet the popularity of today’s parade has had at least a little something to do with it.

A Parade of Job Opportunities

Obviously with a company as large as Macy’s, there are a lot of different places and ways that you can find information about them. I’m going to leave most of that up to you since I have a football game to get to, but once you start thinking about a job, you’ll want to skip over MacysJobs.com and go straight to MacysCollege.com for the company’s entry level opportunities. They offer Executive Development Programs in Store Management, Merchant, Product Development, Finance/Accounting, Human Resources, Logistics Management, Information Technology, Credit Operations, and Food Management. It looks like most of their on campus recruiting events are over; however, you can still apply for a multitude of positions all across the country by following the instructions here. So take a look at Macy’s, and then go stuff your face.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you shop at Macy’s?

Crumbs

Willy Franzen — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:00:58 +0000

Depending on where you live, the cupcake thing has passed, reached its peak, or just started. Yeah, you’ve had cupcakes a million times—once for each kid’s birthday that you celebrated in elementary school. (Did you know that they don’t allow that at a lot of schools now? No cupcakes. Wow.) Basically, kids are no longer getting cupcakes, but adults are making up for it in a big way. Just take a look at Crumbs, a chain of bake shops headquartered in New York City. They have more than two dozen locations with quite a few more on the way. Oh yeah, and they’re an Inc. 500 company with a 704% three-year growth rate and $23.5 million in annual revenue. Some bake shop, huh? Apparently, they are “inspired by old-time candy shops and are warm and inviting with wood cases, marble counters and wall to wall treats.” It’s working!

It’s OK to Interview with Crumbs on Your Shirt

What more can I say about cupcakes? They’re delicious. I’ve been to the Grand Central location, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some people say that we’re in the middle of a “cupcake bubble,” and maybe that’s true. I’m not sure that cities even as big as New York can sustain as many cupcake shops as they have right now, but you have to like the chances of a company that is doing as financially well as Crumbs is. With all the growth should come jobs; however, Crumbs doesn’t seem to have a Jobs page. If you use our job search function, you’ll see that you get a number of results for Crumbs jobs. The postings come with titles like “Sweet Freaks Rejoice” and “Sugar Sweet Job Opportunities.” These are all retail positions, but it seems that Crumbs’ corporate function must be growing too. Why not try reaching out to them about their jobs? The only downside is that you might gain a few pounds if you get hired.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Crumbs.com
Jobs at Crumbs (from our job search engine)
Contact Crumbs
About Crumbs
Crumbs Locations

Have you tried Crumbs?

Retail Solutions

Willy Franzen — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:52:21 +0000

Although I’m not big on shopping, I love shopping online. It makes everything easier—as long as the online store has free shipping and a generous return policy. E-commerce is also great for businesses because it reduces costs and makes data collection far easier. With that said, the retail experience can’t be replaced, and it isn’t going anywhere for a long time. That means that retail stores need to be able to collect data as effectively as online stores if they want to stay competitive. This can be a tough problem to conquer, but Retail Solutions, which is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, has an… er… solution. They “develop and deliver a comprehensive suite of award-winning software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions that turn downstream data, such as point-of-sale (POS), supply chain, merchandiser feedback and category data, into actionable visibility into the store and onto the shelf.” They work with both retailers and consumer packaged good companies to track sales and provide data, which enables both sides to operate more efficiently.

What’s Your Solution?

Retail Solutions is yet another Inc. 500 company that is lower down the list, but has significantly higher annual revenue than many of its peers. They grew at an 820.6% rate over the past three years to $13.6 million in revenue last year, which means that they are a market leader. You could also ascertain that by looking at their customer list, which includes names like Hershey’s, Crayola, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and quite a few more on the manufacturer side and Food Lion, Hannanford, and Walgreens on the retailer side. A lot of what Retail Solutions will seem a little complex if you don’t already know how retail management works, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have entry level positions. If you check out their Jobs page, you’ll see opportunities like Inside Sales Representative (Bentonville, AR), Customer Support Analyst (Cranston, RI), Analytic Consultant (Cranston, RI), and Data Operations Specialist (Cranston, RI). Oddly enough they don’t have anything posted at their headquarters right now. And don’t forget to read about Life at Retail Solutions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you still do a lot of retail shopping?

StoreBoard Media

Willy Franzen — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:57:50 +0000

Today is my 26th birthday! If you love One Day, One Job, today is a great day to say thank you. Make my birthday awesome by sending me something from my Amazon Wishlist or writing me a note at willy@onedayonejob.com telling me how One Day, One Job is helping your job search.

Last year we looked at jobs at Charm City Cakes for my birthday, but today we’re going continue with a theme that we focused on yesterday—advertising. More specifically, we’re going to continue looking at advertising that reaches you in places where you might not expect it. Yesterday we talked about billboards and taxi cabs, but today’s company, StoreBoard Media, likes to you reach you via an even less traditional medium. They’re a New York City based company that has exclusive rights to place advertising on security pedestals in many retail stores across the United States. What’s a security pedestal? It’s that thing that beeps when you’re shoplifting—or the clerk forgot to take the tag off of your merchandise. Apparently, it’s a pretty decent place to put advertising. Why else would StoreBoard Media be seeing 1229% three-year growth to $5.2 million in annual revenue?

What’s on Your StoreBoard?

What’s most amazing to me about StoreBoard Media is the reach of their advertising network. They deliver over a billion impressions, or ad views, in an average four-week cycle. And they get a CPM (cost per thousand impressions) of $2.11. Those are great numbers, and I’m sure they keep growing as more and more retailers realize that they can profit from placing advertising on their security pedestals. StoreBoard Media is a perfect example of how a simple idea executed properly can become extremely successful. Now, StoreBoard Media is a small company and doesn’t have a jobs page, but they are still worth reaching out to. You can find the e-mail address of every employee on their Contact page, so reach out to some people on their leadership team and start a conversation about why you’re interested in this kind of advertising. It could lead in some pretty cool directions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever noticed advertising on security pedestals?

Quidsi

Willy Franzen — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:21:23 +0000

Usually when a company has a weird name and no website of their own, you start to think that they may be some kind of entry level scam. Not having a home page for you company is a big warning sign; however, I’m not too worried about Quidsi. They’re a Jersey City, NJ company that made it to the Inc. 500 with 1535% three-year growth to $182.5 million in annual revenue. That’s two orders of magnitude great than most of the other Inc. 500 companies we’ve looked at. As far as I can tell, it’s all coming from two businesses—Diapers.com and Soap.com. Both are retail sites that allow you to buy household goods easily online. Although I’m sure there are a lot of other reasons for their success, you have to think that Quidsi has truly reaped the benefits of owning some top notch domain names.

Change Diapers and Wash Your Hands

Diapers and soap obviously aren’t the most exciting things, but a lot of people need them. A lot. If you want to order either online, you’re likely to type the word in to Google and see what comes up. Diapers.com and Soap.com rank extremely well in Google, so they get a ton of sales. Soap.com was actually launched only a few months ago, and it already looks like it’s doing well. The lesson you can learn from Quidsi is that businesses can do extremely well by carving out a small niche and owning it. Amazon.com may sell everything, but Quidsi can compete by being laser focused on a few product categories. If you’re interested by Quidsi’s approach, you can check out their Jobs page on Diapers.com (Soap.com has the same jobs listed). They have quite a few opportunities posted, and the following seem suitable for new or recent grads (not all are entry level, but they’re still worth looking at): Contracts Administrator – Merchandising, Soap.com Copywriter, Marketing Copywriter, Customer Care Representative, E-Commere Product Manager, Diapers.com E-mail Marketing Manager, E-Commerce Graphic Designer, Merchandising Assistant, SEM Manager, SQL Programmer, Social Media Community Manager, Interaction Designer, and UX Designer. They have lots of cool opportunities, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How often do you buy diapers and soap?

American Eagle Outfitters

Willy Franzen — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:00:55 +0000

When I think of outfitters, I think of an adventure. I think of a business that is going to prepare me to fishing, hunting, canoeing, horseback riding, camping, or something along those lines. Apparently my definition is accurate, but the broader definition of an outfitter, at least according to Wikipedia, is “a shop or person that sells men’s clothes.” I guess that makes Bonobos and Gilt Groupe my two favorite “outfitters.” It also means that Pittsburgh, PA based American Eagle Outfitters was accurately named, at least until they started selling women’s and children’s clothing in addition to their men’s line. Maybe that’s why use see them using AE much more often than AEO. I’m sure you recognize the clothes, and you probably have seen one of American Eagle Outfitters 950+ stores in the last shopping mall that you visited. Their brand is all over the place, so it’s hard to miss.

Fly Like an Eagle

American Eagle Outfitters’ target market is “15 to 25 year old girls and guys” who are looking for “high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable price.” It’s a pretty tight niche, but it’s one that they serve well. In addition to the main American Eagle Outfitters brand, there are also Aerie, which means bird’s nest and offers intimates for 13-25 year old females, and 77kids, which is a reference to AE’s oft-displayed year of founding and is targeted to kids aged 0-14. I guess this means that most of you are close to growing out of the American Eagle Outfitters lines, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be completely done with them. There’s always the chance for a job.

AEO’s Careers site is called LiveYourLifeLoveYourJob.com, and it provides a ton of information on what it’s like to work at American Eagle Outfitters. It’s a really well done site, but it’s done in Flash so I can’t link you to specific pages. If you take a look at the College Recruiting part of the site, you can check out American Eagle Outfitter’s Training Programs which are offered in four areas: Corporate Training, Assistant Buyer Training, Planning & Allocation Tracking, and College Trek (Retail Management). Not all of these programs are listed on AEO’s Job Search page right now, but you can be sure that they will soon as we dive into campus recruiting season. If none of those programs appeal to you, you can always check out other Corporate opportunities or even consider something at the retail level. For instance, right now they’re trying to fill the following positions: Executive Staff Assistant (NYC), Fit Model (NYC), Help Desk Analyst, Production Assistant – Denim (NYC), Paralegal – Real Estate, Associate Merchandise Planner – 77kids.com, Production Assistant – Undies (NYC), and Production Assistant – Men’s Graphics (NYC). Take a look, and see what fits.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear American Eagle clothes?

CafePress

Willy Franzen — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:58:31 +0000

There is one, and only one, One Day, One Job t-shirt. It came free with the business cards that I ordered from VistaPrint (see VistaPrint’s entry level jobs). I usually wear it to the gym or to play volleyball, and, unfortunately, nobody who recognized the logo has ever stopped me to tell me how awesome my site is. That’s why there won’t be any more One Day, One Job t-shirts (unless more than 100 of you e-mail me and tell me that you want one). But if I was going to give you the option to buy all kinds of One Day, One Job gear, I’d probably use CafePress. They’re a San Mateo, CA based company that allows you to customize nearly any piece of merchandise—t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, underwear, pillows, and even Flip cameras. Webmasters have been using CafePress forever to sell custom merchandise, and from what I can tell CafePress’ quality continues to get better.

Impress at CafePress

Want the CafePress story? Just watch the video below, it will give you the whole rundown of how they got started and what they’re all about.

CafePress has “a community of 6.5 million users, and over 11 million unique visits each month,” which makes them the “world’s largest collection of user-designed products.” Every day 2,000 new shops open up on CafePress and 45,000 new products are added to the catalog of more than 250 million unique products. If those numbers get you excited, then you may want to check out jobs at CafePress. Right now they have openings suitable for new grads like E-mail Marketing Coordinator, Retail Calendar Coordinator, and Sales Representative. You can apply online, and let me know if you would actually buy a t-shirt… or underwear with the ODOJ logo on it.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any CafePress merchandise?

TerraCycle

Willy Franzen — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:41:49 +0000

I have my big annual fishing trip coming up next week, which means that I’m starting to go through my mental gear checklist. One thing that I’ve been looking for is some sort of pack to carry all of my stuff when I’m on the river. I used to use a vest, but it’s no longer doing the job. In my search for a perfect pack, I came across a company called Recycled Waders that makes gear out of old waders (waterproof boots that go up to your chest to keep you dry while standing in the water). I’m pretty sure they’re too small to have any job opportunities right now, but luckily I found a company (from a reader e-mail) that takes a similar approach, but with a much larger audience. They’re called TerraCycle (based in Trenton, NJ), and they turn trash into stuff. You can get an insulated cooler made out of Skittles bags. Or a kite made out of Oreo wrappers. Or a tote bag made of Capri Sun pouches. It’s all about making “affordable, eco-friendly products from a wide range of different non-recyclable waste materials.”

The New Alchemy

TerraCycle got its start when Tom Szaky to pursue his passion for worm poop. Yes, that’s right. TerraCycle was founded as an organic fertilizer company that used worms to process compostable material. They’ve kept their green focus but have moved towards less crappy product offerings. Here’s a video rundown of what TerraCycle does and how it all works.

One of the things that I really like about TerraCycle is how they collect the garbage that they turn into products. They put together Brigades to collect specific types of trash. People on the brigades (you can join one) can turn in the garbage they collect to non-profits or schools, and TerraCycle makes a donation in return for the collected garbage. It’s brilliant. If you like what TerraCycle is doing, then you should give their Jobs page a look. The jobs they have posted right now require a little more experience than most new grads would have, but the Licensing Account Executive, Retail Relationship Manager, and Business Development Manager positions are still worth a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any TerraCycle products?

AEG

Willy Franzen — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:54:32 +0000

I swear that half of all college grads want to work in sports and entertainment. Unfortunately most of the job postings you’ll find in those industries are actually scam jobs. Getting a position at a legitimate sports and entertainment company is not easy, but with AEG you have a shot. They call themselves “one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world,” and although that sounds broad, it’s a good description. AEG operates in a number of business areas including Facilities, Sports (Teams and Events), Music (Events), and Merchandising. They own/control arenas like the STAPLES Center, Conseco Fieldhouse, and the Prudential Center, while also owning professional sports teams like the LA Kings and Los Angeles Galaxy (can you tell that AEG is based in Los Angeles?). They’ve also “promoted tours by artists including Britney Spears, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Christina Aguilera & Justin Timberlake, The Dixie Chicks, Yanni, Paul McCartney, Usher, Kanye West, Prince, Rod Stewart, Bon Jovi, Nickelback, and PopTarts Presents American Idol.” And that’s not even half of it. AEG is a major player in sports and entertainment, and a great place to start a career.

Join AEG’s Team

Describing AEG’s business in a few paragraphs isn’t easy, so I guess that the best way to put it is that if it has to do with sports or entertainment, they’re probably involved in some way. That means that AEG offers job opportunities in a wide variety of areas. They actually have a halfway decent job search function on their site, so you can narrow things down by AEG Company, Area of Interest, Location, or Facility. They have nearly 100 jobs posted (a lot of them are internships though), and they’re in locations all across the country. I’m not going to list entry level opportunities for you, so you’ll have to do the searching yourself, but you should note that AEG’s job offerings are typically in areas like Accounting & Finance, Administrative & Clerical, Box Office, Creative Services, Event Services, Facilities Operations, Guest Services, Merchandising & Retail, Player Operations, Real Estate, and Sales & Marketing. You can apply for any of the positions that you find through their online application process.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about AEG?

ALDI

Willy Franzen — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:58:50 +0000

Sweet 16! And if I’m going to find a way to get to the game, I’m going to need to start shopping at ALDI, because flights to Syracuse aren’t cheap. Luckily, the groceries at ALDI are. I’ve never stepped foot in an ALDI store, but I’ve heard plenty about them from friends and articles. They are unlike all other grocery stores. They almost never stock name brands—they have their own private labels. They don’t have shelves—they use pallets. They charge for reusable bags, and taking a shopping cart requires a 25 cent deposit. ALDI also doesn’t take credit cards, and they stock far fewer items than your typical supermarket. ALDI may not offer a luxurious shopping experience like Wegmans does, but they make up for it by offering insane value. If you’re pinching pennies, you have no excuse not to shop at ALDI. Even with their limited selection of products, they’ve found that most of their customers “can do as much as 90% of their weekly shopping at ALDI.”

Find Value at ALDI

ALDI isn’t only different in the customer experience that they offer, they also run their business in a unique way. They’re a German company, and they have a huge presence in Europe. Their U.S. headquarters is in Batavia, IL, but that’s not where most of their entry level jobs are. That’s because another interesting thing about ALDI is the fact that they hire their District Managers straight out of college, and they pay them exceedingly well ($70k per year well). They offer these opportunities across a large portion of the country, and they’re growing at a rate of 100 stores per year. You can find all of the details on ALDI’s Careers site, and you should be sure to check out their employee profiles and the details of their training program (they wouldn’t throw a new grad into a management role without a ton of training). Another cool thing is that after 2 years as a District Manager, ALDI offers the opportunity to work abroad for another 2 years through their International Expatriate Program. It’s pretty obvious that ALDI’s cheap philosophy does not apply to how they treat talent. If you’re interested in working for them, you can find out all of the information on how to apply here.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you shop at ALDI?