The great thing about living in downtown Chicago is that I’m constantly bombarded with new ideas for companies to feature here. In suburban Connecticut most of what I saw when I was driving around was trees. Here in Chicago there are few trees in sight, but plenty of businesses, billboards, and buses (with advertising on the side, of course). There are also plenty of taxes. Sales tax is 10.25% and the parking tax is 28%, but likely soon to be 33%. This is on top of already outrageous monthly parking fees, so it’s no wonder that there’s a Zipcar location just a hundred yards down the street from my building. Zipcars are kind of like rental cars, but better. They’re more affordable (I think, but I haven’t done the math), they’re intended for residents instead of travelers, they’re green, and you don’t need to be 25 to take them for a ride. It’s kind of like having a friend with a car except you have to pay that friend whenever you use his car.

Zipjobs

It’s probably no surprise to you that Zipcar is a growing business. They’ve located themselves in urban centers, college campuses, and other places where it’s a hassle (or absurd expense) to own a car. Although the marginal expense of driving a Zipcar is greater than owning a car, most people who live in cities don’t use their cars enough to justify the fixed costs of parking, insurance, and car payments. Zipcar’s business model is ingenious because it feels like a luxury, but it saves people money every month. That’s why we won’t be surprised to see Zipcar thrive even in a declining economy; in fact, they must be pretty confident about their future considering that their Jobs page shows more than 20 job openings.

Most of the jobs aren’t exactly what new college grads are typically looking for (they either require too much experience or are intended for people without college degrees), but there are still a few jobs that we think that you might want to consider. The most interesting job is the Business Development Manager (Universities) position, which looks like a perfect entry level opportunity for a new grad with some selling experience. There are also a number of software development positions with Zipcar. These include Database Administrator / Software Engineer, Software Engineer – Embedded Systems, Software Engineer – Web Applications. These jobs all require some previous software development experience (including internships), but they may still be worth looking at. They’re located in Cambridge, MA along with the Business Development position, and you can apply by e-mailing the addresses included at the bottom of the job descriptions (they vary depending on the positions). Zipcar also has some positions that are “entry level,” but not geared towards new college grads such as Fleet Associate, Campus Fleet Coordinator, Street Team Member / Promotional Rep, and Street Team Marketing Representative. These jobs vary by location, so head over to the Zipcar Jobs page to get more information.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• Zipcar.com
• Jobs at Zipcar
• About Zipcar
• Zipcar’s Mission
• Zipcar’s Green Benefits
• Zipcar’s Team

Have you ever used a Zipcar?

We've identified Zipcar as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• all employers
• automotive
• business development
• cars
• green
• marketing
• Massachusetts
• sales
• software development
• web development

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Jobs Near You

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One response to “Zipcar”

1. Candice says:

   October 28, 2008 at 7:04 am

   Hi Willy,

   I was so surprised when I saw this post because I’ve used Zipcars many times. They are more affordable than rental cars – way more. And I get a discount that shaves half the going rate to start with and I still pay less when I rent a Zipcar. Some of the biggest perks are that you don’t have to pay for gas, you can purchase a damage waiver for $75 per year to protect you against being charged $500 for minor damage to the car, and you can reserve a car within minutes of getting it. The keys stay inside the car at all times. You open it with your Zipcard, which is coded with your personal number, so no one can open your car during the time of your reservation, except you. Renters are responsible for returning the car clean and with at least a 1/4 tank of gas. If you find something in the car that someone else left behind, you just call customer service to let them know, then they have you either put it in the glove compartment or trunk, depending on the size of the item.

   They have the best customer service people in the world. I think the call center is in Michigan, but I’m not sure.

   Reply