One Day, One Job » toys

The LEGO Group

Willy Franzen — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:04:25 +0000

Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to play with your toys! I may be an adult, but toys still make up a significant part of the gifts I get. I’m hoping that never changes. While LEGOs weren’t on my Christmas list, I’m sure that plenty of kids and adults were thrilled to get them yesterday. That’s why we’re going to take a look at The LEGO Group, a Billund, Denmark based family-owned company (with a number of U.S. locations) that has built a billion dollar business on little colored plastic blocks. Much to the dismay of some LEGO enthusiasts, the growth has come through increasingly more complex sets and lots of cross-branding, but the magic of a bucket full of random LEGO pieces and endless opportunities still exists.

It’s a Block Party

LEGOs are the perfect combination of fun and education. There are a lot of educational toys out there that kind of suck, and there are a lot of fun toys out there that can’t teach you anything. LEGOs bridge that gap and open up your imagination and spatial reasoning skills. We even used them in my 8th grade science class to learn about how things like gears work. What I think is most interesting about The LEGO Group is that they’ve been able to build a brand strong enough to allow them to keep centering their business around little pieces of plastic. Not many other toy companies can do that. I thought of The LEGO Group because a reader e-mailed me a few months ago to tell me that she landed a job with them. The LEGO Group Jobs site isn’t all that easy to use–there are a ton of job postings and no easy way to browse them. Your best bet is to use their Search by Location and Search by Category functions. I’ve still got some toys to play with, so I’m not going to list their entry level jobs for you today, but I’m sure you can find them on your own!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What did you get for Christmas?

Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:22:51 +0000

I’ve already opened my presents, and once again Santa was good for me (though I still got some coal in my stocking). Merry Christmas! Unfortunately, there are a lot of kids who Santa passes over even though they’re on the “Nice List.” That’s where the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation comes in. They’re based in Triangle, VA, and they “collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.” I never realized that Toys for Tots program was run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, but they’ve been doing it since 1947 with the goal of assisting youngsters “in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.” They’re another organization without a jobs page, but I have seen that some of the local programs have had job and internship opportunities in the past. Enjoy your Christmas, and use it to think about opportunities like Toys for Tots that help brighten the holidays for other people.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Merry Christmas!

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?

Launchpad Toys

Willy Franzen — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:34:51 +0000

Make my birthday awesome. Help me help more people find awesome jobs. If you have a blog, website, Facebook account, or Twitter account, post a link to One Day, One Job today. If you really want to make my day special, call or e-mail your college’s Career Services office, tell them about what we do, and ask them to add a link to us from their website.

My girlfriend has been telling people that she finally figured out how to find birthday gifts for me. She claims that she goes to Amazon.com and uses the Preteen Boys Gift Guide (Ages 8-12), but I’m pretty sure that she’s fibbing. I’m way more interested in the toys for 12-15 year olds, which includes all kinds of remote control helicopters. I’m totally a kid at heart, which is why I wanted to write about Launchpad Toys on my birthday. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that builds “digital toys and tools that empower kids to create, learn, and share their ideas through play.” These “toys” are actually software–only on the iPad for now–and they are apparently the modern day versions of things like LEGOs, Erectors Sets, Shrinky Dinks, and Play-Doh (all things that I would still play with if I had them in my house).

A Launchpad for Your Career

It’s fitting that I’m writing about Launchpad Toys today not only because it’s my birthday, but also because of Steve Jobs’ passing yesterday. They are a perfect example of how Steve’s vision has enabled all of us to do amazing things. And what’s so cool about Launchpad is that they’re making toys that empower young children to build things. There’s a good chance that the next great technological visionary will have been influenced by something like Launchpad Toys’ Toontastic. You can see what it looks like in action below (e-mail readers will have to click through):

I guess I’m still running with the “making stuff” theme. It’s just so important. I love what Launchpad Toys is doing, and I can’t wait to see where they go with their next product. If you want to be a part of their future, check out their Jobs page. They don’t list specific openings, but they’re mostly looking for Software Developers. However, don’t be afraid to reach out to them if you have other skills that you think might be useful at Launchpad Toys. And be sure to tell them your favorite flavor of ice cream.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played with Toontastic?

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?

Orbotix

Willy Franzen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:53:40 +0000

I love Pi Day. It’s a geeky holiday that comes with an awesome way to celebrate (eating pie). I’ve never been able to find a pie company with solid entry level opportunities, but in past years we’ve looked at Pi Media and The Mathematical Association of America for pi-related jobs. I had forgotten that today was Pi Day, and I was already going to write about Orbotix, and then I realized that they couldn’t be more perfect for the holiday. They’re a Boulder, CO based company that I came across when I was reading Feld Thoughts, and they’ve revolutionized the simplest and best toy ever created–the ball. Their product is called Sphero, and it’s a robotic ball that you can control with your smartphone. I think it could be the next big Christmas blockbuster toy, but even if it’s just relegated to geeks and cat owners, it should sell a ton.

4/3 π r Cubed

There’s no better way to learn how Orbotix has harnessed the power of pi in Sphero than by watching a video of Sphero in action (e-mail readers should click through).

I’m sure some of you aren’t impressed by a video of a ball rolling around, but I am. It’s impressive technology, and it’s only the beginning for Orbotix. They say that they work “with consumer electronics companies and developers to bring phone controlled open devices to market,” so it looks like there will be plenty of other devices in the future–especially if Sphero is successful. Now, Sphero isn’t on the market yet, but they do have a reservation list. They expect to release Sphero in late 2011, and now it looks like they’re working on growing their team as they near launch. Their Jobs page lists some amazing perks along with some really great opportunities. These include Social Media & Marketing Manger, Electrical Engineer (Controls/Firmware), Game Designer, iPhone Game Developer, and Android Game Developer. Orbotix has some exciting times ahead, and they really look like a cool place to work, so give them a closer look if you’re excited about their balls. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the best part, Orbotix employees get to make balls jokes all day.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you buy a Sphero?

Sifteo

Willy Franzen — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:10:47 +0000

Today marks the official start of CES or the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It’s a big deal for tech and gadget junkies, as companies big and small, new and old make major announcements at the show. In past years we’ve seen game changing products like the Compact Disc, HDTV, the Nintendo Entertainment System, the DVR, Blu-Ray Discs, and lots more introduced at CES. One of the early announcements that caught my attention came yesterday from Sifteo, a San Francisco, CA based gaming company (I originally heard about them from Brad Feld’s Blog—he’s a Venture Capitalist invested in Sifteo). They’ve finally opened up an “Early Access” program (it’s already sold out) for their “alternative game system.” We’ve seen iPhones, iPads, and other touch-based mobile devices open up gaming to the masses, while we’ve also see products like the Wii, Xbox Kinect, and Playstation Move change the way that we interact with console-based games. Sifteo has taken a little from both sides and created a completely new way to game that you’ll have to see to fully comprehend.

New Kids on the Block

Instead of focusing on developing software for other platforms or building a single gaming console, Sifteo has developed a gaming system that consists of multiple cubes—”1.5 inch computers with full-color displays that sense their motion, sense each other, and wirelessly connect to your computer.” You need to see it, so watch the video below to see Sifteo cubes in action (e-mail readers click through).

It’s super cool hardware technology, and it’s only going to get better as more software developers start to develop for the platform. Beyond looking really fun, Sifteo cubes will also be amazing educational tools. Who knows if Sifteo cubes will ever catch on, but right now they’re at a point where they’re about to ship their first products and the opportunities seem endless. If you’d like to be a part of Sifteo’s most exciting stage, check out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for an Office Assistant, Software Developers, and Game Designers, but I’m sure they’d love to hear from you if you think there’s something else you can add to the company.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you think that Sifteo will be a hit?

The Elf on the Shelf

Willy Franzen — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:08:46 +0000

Merry Christmas Eve! I have a company for you today that I’ve been saving for months—since we ran through the Inc. 500 looking for great career opportunities. When I saw their name, I knew they’d be perfect for Christmas Eve, and it helps that they’ve seen 1,335% three-year revenue growth to $7 million in 2009 while also growing to 17 employees. The company is called The Elf on the Shelf, and they’re based in Kennesaw, GA. They’re in the business of pretty much everything elf, but it all started with a book. Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell (mother and daughter) wrote a book called The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition with Blue Eyed North Pole Pixie-Elf, which was based on a family story that was part of their annual holiday tradition. An entire product line grew from the story, and now The Elf on the Shelf is bringing in millions of dollars every year.

It All Starts with a Story

It’s amazing how far a simple story can go. That’s why a big portion of your job search energy should go into refining your story and making it compelling enough that people want to find out what happens next (hopefully by hiring you). It may seem that The Elf on the Shelf has a limited market, but most people would have never guessed that they’d grow this big. Along with the books, the company also produces elf toys, elf-sized clothing, and a variety of other holiday themed gifts and products. Now, they don’t have a Jobs page, but you can reach out to them through their Contact page. If your story is good enough, maybe a letter to Santa at santasworkshop@elfontheshelf.com will make your Christmas wish come true.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you read The Elf on the Shelf?

Spin Master

Willy Franzen — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:40:59 +0000

I may be 26 years old, but I still love getting toys for Christmas. I don’t mean expensive gadgets—I mean real toys. In past years I received gifts like a Marshmallow Shooter and a Fisher-Price T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo (only entertaining for about five minutes), and this year I got the most awesome remote control helicopter ever. It’s not an Air Hogs helicopter, but I’ve always been impressed with that particular brand. They do some pretty cool stuff when it comes to flying toys, so I thought that my Christmas List could help your job search. Spin Master is the Toronto, CA based company (with locations in the US) that owns the Air Hogs brand in addition to other toy brands like Aquadoodle, Bugville, Flick Trix, Liv, Moon Dough, Zoobles, and plenty of others. They make all kinds of stuff that you and I are too old to play with, but I guess you’d have an excuse if you worked for them.

Put a New Spin on Things

Spin Master started with three college friends and $10,000. Their first product was The Earth Buddy, and then came Devil Sticks, Grow Things, and Chatter Rings. None of them were huge hits, but then Spin Master hit on the “Sky Shark” in 1998. It was a toy airplane propelled by compressed air, and it was the precursor to the entire Air Hogs brand. Now Spin Master is a leader in toy innovation, and they’re also doing a lot on the licensing front (cobranding with major media properties). Their website has a ton of information on it, but I can’t link to specific pages because it’s all in Flash (though I can link to their job postings). The site includes an in-depth Careers page, that shows a ton of opportunities—many of which are entry level. These include Web Designer/Flash Developer (Los Angeles), Preliminary Cost Engineer (Toronto), http://www.spinmaster.com/app/website/careers/?id=183 (Toronto), Customer Care Representative (Toronto),IT Helpdesk Analyst – Mac (Toronto), Community Manager (Los Angeles), Customer Support Representative – Sales and Service (Toronto), and Retail Merchandiser (Montreal). Have fun!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

SpinMaster.com

Do you own any Spin Master toys?

Adventure Publishing Group

Willy Franzen — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:40:53 +0000

Yesterday I was walking around in a variety/novelty/toy shop. It’s the typical vacation town toy store with all kinds of goofy stuff. As soon as I went through the door I regressed back to about 8 years old. I was picking up everything and playing with it—cap guns, balsa wood airplanes, and the avenging narwhal play set (check it out, it’s awesome). Obviously I’m extremely immature. If you’re like me, but you’d like to do something more mature with your childlike tendencies, then you might want to check out Adventure Publishing. They’re a New York based company that specializes in trade publications—specifically magazines related to the toy and licensing industries. Yes, they make magazines about toys.

They’re Not Playing

Adventure Publishing Group’s titles include Toy Book, Licensing Book, Specialty Toys & Gifts, Toy Report, Total Licensing Report, and The Toy Insider. Obviously toys and licensing are two very different industries; however, they’re both extremely interesting and must have some similarities that have led Adventure Publishing Group to cover both of them. Unfortunately, Adventure Publishing Group doesn’t offer much information about their business online, but if you browse through the links below, you’ll be able to get a feel for each of their publications. This also means that they don’t have a jobs page, but I was able to find a posting on Media Bistro (registration required) for an Assistant/Associate Editor. The position looks well suited for a new grad, and if you’re interested in it, you should probably use Adventure Publishing Group’s Contact page to reach out to the appropriate person.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Adventure Publishing Group?

JAKKS Pacific

Willy Franzen — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:56:51 +0000

Merry Christmas! I just had a wonderful morning with plenty of presents under the tree, and I hope that you did too. Despite being 25 years old, I am still a kid at heart. I’ve spent most of the morning playing with a remote control helicopter, while my dad is about to put batteries in the EyeClops Night Vision Infared Stealth Goggles that I just bought him. Yes, I got my dad a kid’s toy. I’m hoping he’ll use it for fishing, but I’m sure he’ll find plenty of other uses for night vision goggles too. After purchasing my dad’s gift, I wanted to see which company was behind it. It turns out that Malibu, CA JAKKS Pacific is behind ton of awesome stuff. You’ve got Club Penguin, the EyeClops Mini Projector, Jakks Creepy Crawlers Bugmaker, Discovery Kids toys, Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery, and all kinds of other cool things that you’d like to find under the Christmas tree.

All You Want for Christmas… Is a Job

I love the holidays as a time for job searching, even if most hiring shuts down between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. There are so many great ideas out there. If you like something enough to ask Santa Claus for it, there’s a good chance that there’s a company with jobs behind what you’re asking for. JAKKS Pacific is a perfect example. They were founded in 1995, and since then they’ve been pumping out cool stuff for kids (and immature adults like me and my dad). They don’t have much right now in the way of entry level jobs, but you should still check out their Careers page to see what is available. They’ve grown from a handful of employees to over 500 in the past 15 years, so there’s a decent chance that if you reach out to them they’ll make your Christmas wish come true.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you get any toys for Christmas?

Mattel

Willy Franzen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:10:29 +0000

Take a second and think of your favorite toy growing up. Was it a Barbie? Matchbox Car? American Girl Doll? View-Master? Magic 8 Ball? Rock’em Sock’em Robots? Hot Wheels? Polly Pocket? Even if it wasn’t one of those, there’s a good chance that it was made by Mattel. I’m sure that you’ve heard of the El Segundo, CA headquartered toy company before, but I bet you never realized just how many toys they actually make. Not only do they have some of the biggest toy names in the world, but they’re also behind all of Fisher-Price’s toys. If you always wanted to be like Tom Hanks in Big and work for a toy company, Mattel is your chance to live every child’s dream.

All Work and No Play Makes You a Dull Job Seeker

Usually, the problem with companies that seem really cool (especially in the fashion industry from what I hear) is that they know they’re hot stuff. That means that they treat their employees like commodities because they know that there’s always someone who wants to work for their brand. This isn’t the case with Mattel according to the FORTUNE list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Despite the fact that they did go through some layoffs last year, Mattel appears to be hiring now for quite a few positions. There is a Campus Recruiting section on the Mattel Careers site; however, it doesn’t say anything about entry level jobs.

To get the scoop on what kind of opportunities Mattel has, you’re going to have to dive into their Applicant Tracking System instead. Their are 54 jobs posted right now, and a few look suitable for new grads. They include Mechanical Engineer(New York, NY), Associate Art Director – American Girl (Middleton, WI), Key Account Coordinator – Fisher-Price (East Aurora, NY), Key Account Representative (Brondby, Denmark), and Child Testing Researcher (El Segundo, CA). Mattel’s locations El Segundo, CA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; East Aurora, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Middleton, WI; Minneapolis, MN; and New York, NY, so keep that in mind if you don’t see something posted that fits what you’re looking for. You can apply for all of the jobs directly from Mattel’s Applicant Tracking System (which isn’t all that bad compared to others that I’ve dealt with).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What was your favorite Mattel toy?

Melissa & Doug

Willy Franzen — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:30:24 +0000

Now that we’ve finished out end of ’08 recap (See: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 1 of non-profits, Part 2 of non-profits, Part 3 of non-profits, and Part 4 of non-profits), we’re ready to to start off the new year by bringing you profiles of all new companies with exciting entry level jobs. We’re also very close to opening enrollment for our job search training course, but you’ll hear a lot more about that soon enough. Today we’re going to focus on Melissa & Doug, a toy company based in Wilton, CT. From what I can tell by looking at their product offerings, Melissa & Doug’s toys are targeted towards very young children, so they don’t have much stuff for big kids like WowWee does. That’s ok though – if they made toys that you actually wanted to play with, you’d never get anything done at work.

Melissa & Doug & You

Judging from Melissa & Doug’s website, they’ve created an extremely fun place to work. The whole company started in Doug’s garage when he asked Melissa to start a business with him because he was too nervous to ask her to marry him. That was 20 years ago, and since then they’ve seen double digit growth every year. There’s no word on their website about whether they ever got married, but judging by the success of their business partnership, they clearly work well together. If you’d like to work at a place where formal attire is only required on Halloween, then you should check out Melissa & Doug’s Careers page. Their job listings are unclear about how much work experience is required for each, but they have positions in Inside Sales, Recruiting, Administrative Assistance, Office Services, and Order Processing that might interest new grads. They don’t go into a lot of detail about the jobs, but you can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to Jobs@MelissaAndDoug.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever played with toys made by Melissa & Doug.

Lund and Company Invention

Willy Franzen — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:25:22 +0000

The other day, we came across an article about a toy design studio that has come up with technology to create variable-speed bullets. They’re called Lund and Company Invention, but they eerily remind us of Zevo Toys from the movie TOYS with Robin Williams and LL Cool J. Ok, they haven’t been taken over by a military general who is using child labor to fight wars through video games, but Lund and Company did create a toy rocket that is so technologically advanced that it has the Army drooling. We have no idea what kind of jobs Lund and Company offers, nor do we know if they ever hire recent graduates, but it’s Friday, and we like giving you research projects on Fridays.

Bang, Bang, You’re Dead!

Many a child has made that exclamation, whether playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians, although that was back when a finger to point at someone was the only toy that you needed. Lund and Company has taken children way past that with a toy rocket that is “powered by burning hydrogen obtained by electrolysing water.” Despite the fact that this technology is now being weaponized (to make guns less, not more, lethal, we should add), Lund and Company Invention is a toy company at heart. Their portfolio is full of fun things like Color Etch-A-Sketch, Luminator Sports Equipment, and Baby Alive Sip-n-Slurp. If you always dreamed of a job like Josh (Tom Hanks) had in BIG, then Lund and Company Invention would be the place to work.

Are the Jobs Top Secret Too?

Lund and Company has a section of their website that is top secret and requires a login and password to enter. Information about jobs with seems to be almost as well guarded. Their Contact page does say that they invite prospective new hires to contact them, but that’s it. We tried to do some more research on Lund and Company, but we couldn’t come up with much. One site says that they have 5 employees, while another says that they have between 250 and 1,000 employees. We did a LinkedIn search for the company name, and only found the company’s owner, Bruce Lund, listed (use that information wisely). By the way, Bruce went to Duke, and here’s an article on him from their Alumni Magazine. We’re not sure what to make of it all, but we do know that they’ve been growing for almost 25 years and they just expanded into a bigger office (photos of the move here).

Researching Lund and Company can be somewhat confusing, so you might just want to bite the bullet and contact them. You can send a general inquiry first, or you could just send them a resume with an amazing cover letter on why you want to join a company with the world’s funnest client list (don’t really use the word funnest). Lund and Company is located in the Chicago, IL area, and they’re at least open to getting cold called. We have no idea what kind of jobs they might offer, but you can probably make some guesses. We’re sorry that we don’t have specific details on jobs, but Lund and Company is way too cool of a company not to tell you about.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

LundAndCompany.com
Contact Lund and Company Invention (Essentially Their Jobs Page)
About Lund and Company
Lund and Company’s History
The Lund and Company Process

What toy from Lund and Company’s portfolio do you like the most?

Radio Flyer

Willy Franzen — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:42:45 +0000

Red wagon. Is any more explanation necessary? You’re probably already picturing Dennis the Menace pulling his Radio Flyer wagon behind his little red bike. Or maybe you’re thinking about your village’s 4th of July parade where all the kids decorate their bikes and pull wagons behind them with their younger siblings in them (ok maybe that’s just my memory). Nearly everyone has a childhood memory associated with Radio Flyer (hopefully it’s not because you have a scar from a spill you took out of a Radio Flyer wagon). What’s your Radio Flyer memory? If for some reason wagon rides and Radio Flyer weren’t part of your childhood, you can get up to speed with this video.

Get on the Wagon

When we read a tweet by Kate Fettig Hill, a PR counselor in the mom/baby/toys/food area, we were surprised to learn that Radio Flyer is hiring (hey Kate, looks like Twitter is working, huh?). She was noting her disappointment that Radio Flyer was left off Chicago Mag’s list of 20+ Local Companies That Are Hiring (which apparently isn’t available online). Well that’s ok, because Radio Flyer has been identified as having One of Chicago’s Coolest Offices. We weren’t expecting much from Radio Flyer’s Careers site, because other companies with similar brand profiles (100 years old, family owned, storied product) that we’ve checked out usually skimp on the Careers section of their sites. This is not the case with Radio Flyer, they’ve put a lot of effort into their online recruiting presence. It might do them well to create a separate section for internships, but the position that they have listed appears to be a new one, so we’ll give them a break.

Radio Flyer isn’t currently hiring at the entry-level, but we want to tell you about their jobs anyway. Their site does a great job of describing the different departments that they have – Marketing, Product Development , Sales / Customer Service, Administration, and Operations. They do have openings in Customer Service and Product Development, but they want at least 3 years of experience or more for these positions. It’s possible that you might qualify for one of these positions, but we’d recommend that you try cold calling instead. They do claim to be a great place to launch your career, so they should at least consider hiring a new college grad for an entry-level position. There are internships at Radio Flyer too, and we know that’s a good sign that a company is entry-level friendly. Maybe you’ll land a job, and get to work on a new version of the World’s Largest Wagon. Radio Flyer’s Careers Site says, “When making a hiring decision, we ask ourselves: Is this person outstanding? Will I learn from this person? Do I admire this person? Will this person live our ‘Little Red Rule?’” If you’re outstanding, admirable, and can teach the folks who make little red wagons a thing or two, send a cover letter and resume to jobs@radioflyer.com. They just might find a place to put you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

We want to hear about your Radio Flyer memories in the comments.

LeapFrog

Willy Franzen — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:00:27 +0000

When we started One Day, One Job, we were only counting on writing about 365 entry-level jobs this year. Ah, what’s one more? Still, it’s a little disappointing that every 4th year the man manages to squeeze an extra day of productivity out of us. You never hear about a “leap day effect” on businesses, but one would presume that leap years are a little more productive than other years – assuming that we all don’t slack off a little more over the course of an entire Leap Year to make up for it. We wish Leap Day was a worldwide day off that would allow everyone to find time to do those things that you never get around to doing. Instead, it’s just another day, unless, of course, you’re a college senior with no Friday classes. Staying with the theme of Leap Day, we’re going to take a look at LeapFrog and their entry-level jobs.

At first glance LeapFrog looks like a toy manufacturer; however, they consider themselves “a leading designer, developer and marketer of innovative, technology-based educational products and related proprietary content.” You might be most familiar (especially if you are around children often) with their Leapster and LeapPad products. The former is a educational tool disguised as a handheld gaming system, while the latter is an interactive reading and writing system that is built into a book. We’ve never had the pleasure of using any of LeapFrog’s products, but judging by the fact that Leapster has sold over 4 million units (as of May 2007 according to Wikipedia), kids must enjoy them.

LeapFrog is a publicly traded company, which makes them a lot easier to research. A great job search tip is to use a company’s Investor Relations page to dig for dirt. We’ve said it before, and we’ll keep on repeating it: a company’s health is extremely important in your decision about whether or not to work for them. If a company’s situation scares you, it may not be worth applying for a job with them; however, companies that are going through hard times – LeapFrog falls into this category – sometimes offer unique experiences (as in: learning how not to run a company, getting an enormous amount of responsibility early on because your boss quit, or being part of the change that ends up saving the company) for a new college grad. We can’t be sure that this will be the case with LeapFrog, but it’s a lot easier to take the risk of working for a company that is struggling before you have a family and a mortgage. Still, don’t let your youthful exuberance keep you from doing your due diligence and doing some serious research.

As for jobs, LeapFrog has two openings that don’t list required experience, which we take to mean entry-level. They’re hiring a Curriculum Specialist and a Payroll Manager. Both of these positions are in their Emeryville, CA office. LeapFrog also has an RSS feed of new job openings, which we love, so stay tuned to that if neither of these positions are for you.

With LeapFrog’s struggles, we can’t vouch for whether these jobs will be a good fit for a new college graduate, but we wanted to run with the Leap Day theme. If you’re looking to work in the educational products industry, LeapFrog might be a great place to start. Just make sure you do your homework.

Note: On April 25th we revisited entry-level jobs at LeapFrog.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

You guessed it! We also wrote about LeapFrog’s internships at One Day, One Internship.

WowWee

Willy Franzen — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 13:00:31 +0000

Merry Christmas! And what’s Christmas all about? Toys! Ok, not really (we know, we know – commercialization of Christmas is evil), but there are few things better when you’re a kid than waking up in the morning and finding many of the toys that you’ve longed for all year sitting under a tree.

So today we’re going to tell you about WowWee, a toy company. Now they don’t make lame toys like dolls. They make awesome toys like animatronic Elvises, remote controlled dragon flies, and Robopandas. If you get a WowWee toy from Santa, you stop opening the rest of your presents and go play with it immediately. They’re that cool.

WowWee’s site is all flash, so we can’t link to individual pages. They do have a Careers Page, but it says there are no current openings. If you want to really take charge, send them a resume anyways at careers@wowwee.com.

We apologize for another short post, but we’ve got presents to open. We’ll be back to our usual length tomorrow. Until then, take a look at WowWee’s toys and think about a job in Santa’s Workshop (that’s what all toy companies really are).

Note: On April 23rd we revisited entry-level jobs at WowWee.