One Day, One Job » accounting

Forrester Research

Willy Franzen — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:54:47 +0000

I’m sure that you’ve heard plenty of people bemoan the fact that it’s nearly impossible to get users to pay for online content. Most people wouldn’t pay a single dollar to read a wonderful article from The New York Times. Maybe this will change eventually, but for now the “freeconomy” is giving many content producers fits. Some people who aren’t having a problem are the folks at Cambridge, MA based Forrester Research. They’re “an independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology,” and they consistently get people to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for their content. Most of the reason for this is the fact that they’re often selling to corporate clients who are a lot less price sensitive than individual users, but it’s still impressive. Buying research done by Forrester is a lot cheaper than doing the research yourself, so it’s a smart investment. That’s why Forrester Research was able to generate nearly a quarter billion dollars in revenue in 2008.

Research Pays

You’re probably wondering what kind of research Forrester does and why it’s so lucrative. It’s really all over the place (as long as it relates to business and/or technology). For $499 you can buy a report on The All-Wireless Campus: A Westmont College Case Study or a Western European Online Retail Forecast, 2009 To 2014. And at the $1,749 price point you can read up on The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2009, Canada. If you’re only willing to spend $250 you may want to attend a teleconference on How To Use Twitter For Customer Service or Global Banking Platform Deals 2009. If you want to get a taste for yourself, and you’re not ready to pull out the credit card, then you should probably take a look at Forrester’s free research.

If you find some of the reports fascinating and not boring, then you should probably consider a Career at Forrester Research. They’ve won a lot of awards, and they seem to be using social media as a big part of their recruiting. Their current openings (in Cambridge unless otherwise noted) include: Web Developer, Sales Development Specialist – Selling to Technology Vendor Professionals (London, UK), Research Associate (also in London and New York), Events Coordinator, Database Marketing Associate, Client Relations Specialist (San Francisco, CA), Citations Specialist, Briefings Specialist – Client Services, and Billing Specialist. There are a lot of options for new and recent grads, and they’re a great alternative to hanging around in academia. Forrester’s research locations include Dallas, TX; Foster City, CA; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Amsterdam, NL; London, UK; Frankfurt, Germany; and Paris, France; while they have even more sales centers, so be on the look out for more positions in those locations. And if you want an inside look at what a Research Analyst does, here’s a great blog post on the topic.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you ever read a Forrester report for pleasure reading?

Dealer.com

Willy Franzen — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:03:16 +0000

I know that it sounds like a place to buy illicit substances, but Dealer.com is a legal operation as far as I know. They may operate in the underworld of search engine optimization, but so do I, and I’m not a sleaze bag or spammer. Dealer.com is a Burlington, VT based company that “has become the global leader in online marketing solutions for the automotive industry.” They provide a platform for car dealers to generate leads online. I’d imagine that Dealer.com is a direct competitor with Cobalt, a company that we featured back in January. It’s no surprise that automotive online marketing is a growing industry. Most car dealerships don’t have the resources to do online marketing themselves—cheesy tv commercials don’t translate to the web. So how do they reach the masses of people who are using search engines to aid in car buying decisions? They either build an internal online marketing division, hire a local agency that doesn’t know anything about the industry, or go to Dealer.com. Which decision do you think will sell the most cars?

See What You’re Dealt

The thing that really stands out about Dealer.com is their culture. They’re aiming to be the “most sought after automotive web solutions provider in the world,” and it’s very clear that they think that treating their people well will help them get there. Their “brand-new Green Certified Corporate headquarters has a 35,000 square foot fitness facility and in-house organic cafe,” and they offer half-off ski passes at local mountains. It’s the epitome of a cool place to work, which is why they probably keep racking up awards. This attitude is also reflected in the way that Dealer.com does recruiting. I randomly came across the company’s website last night, and it turns out that they’re having a big recruiting event today at the Sheraton in Burlington. I realize that you probably won’t be able to make it, but you can watch the event live at 6 PM EST today on their Careers page. It’s a recruiting tactic that I haven’t seen before, and I really like it. You can tell that they’re serious about talent. There are plenty of job openings at Dealer.com, so if you can’t login to the event, check out the following positions: Billing Specialist, Marketing Graphic Designer, Jr. Graphic Designer, Web Developer, SEO Analyst, SEM Analyst, Product Training Evangelist, and Javascript Developer. You can apply online for any of these positions, so get to it. I’m sure the event today is going to make it very competitive for a lot of these positions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you seen any companies run live events for recruiting like Dealer.com?

The Aspen Institute

Willy Franzen — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:23:22 +0000

I don’t usually do this, but this is important. I find many of the non-profit jobs that I feature on One Day, One Job on Idealist.org. It’s the best resource for non-profit jobs on the web, and it’s a non-profit itself. The organization is in trouble right now, and they need money. If they’ve helped your job search in any way, go to their home page and make a donation—I just did. Even $5 will help.

If Aspen is known for anything, it’s known for skiing and affluence. In 1945 Walter Paepcke, a Chicago businessman, was so inspired by the town’s natural beauty that he wanted it to be known for something else—”as an ideal gathering place for thinkers, leaders, artists, and musicians from all over the world to step away from their daily routines and reflect on the underlying values of society and culture.” He started by organizing events in Aspen like “a celebration of the 200th birthday of German poet and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,” and then he founded The Aspen Institute. It started as a “forum based on the writings of great thinkers of the past and present,” but now it’s evolved into something more. It is now a non-profit organization that fosters “values-based leadership” and provides “a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.” It’s certainly an ideas-focused organization, and it is now headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in Aspen, CO and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Happy Goethe-Day

Although it may sound as though The Aspen Institute is light on action, that’s not really the case. Their focus is on taking action to bring people together to discuss big ideas. The organization has four main modes of operation: they put on seminars; they provide young leader fellowships; they run non-paritsan policy programs; and they put on public conferences and events. What it really all comes down to, though, is promoting dialogue and the sharing of ideas. If that sounds like something that you could get behind, then you might want to consider a job at the Aspen Institute. Right now they’re looking for a Financial Analyst and a Front Desk Coordinator in their Washington, DC office. You may also want to look at their Leadership Programs for fellowship opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about the Aspen Institute?

Undertone Networks

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

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

Undertones of Your Career

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

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

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Undertone Networks?

International Center of Photography

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:10:55 +0000

I think that I take pretty decent photographs. I even won a fishing photography contest once—ok my friend submitted the picture that I took with his camera and took the prize for himself. My expertise may end with a point and shoot camera, but I’m ok with that. If I ever want to advance my skills, I’ll be sure to check out the International Center of Photography. They are a New York City based non-profit that runs “a world-class museum and school dedicated to exploring the possibilities of the photographic medium through dynamic exhibitions and educational programs.” They were founded in 1974 by photographer Cornell Capa, and since then they’ve been moving forward the art (and science) of photography.

Picture a Job at ICP

The International Center of Photography has a wide range of offerings. They run a museum, offer continuing education courses, provide great online resources, and even offer a Master’s program. Beyond that, they seem to be eminently conscious of how they can help other causes whether it’s bringing attention “humanitarian documentary work” or organizing “award-winning youth education initiatives.” If you love photography, but want to do more than just take pictures, then the ICP is a perfect place for you. You should check out their Jobs page, where you’ll find a few positions posted. These include Billing Clerk/Administrative Assistant, Exhibition Technician, and Photo Lab Assistant. You can apply for any of these positions by sending a cover letter, résumé, and salary requirements to jobs@icp.org. Maybe including some of your photography along might help (might not).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the ICP’s museum?

Uline

Willy Franzen — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:49:51 +0000

I love boring businesses. It may not seem like it considering the fact that I’m often featuring startups that are on the cutting edge of technology, but I really do appreciate when a company is able to take an extremely simple idea and make it profitable. Uline is a perfect example. They are a Waukegan, IL based company that considers itself “the leading distributor of shipping, industrial, and packing materials to businesses throughout North America.” It all started in 1980 when Liz and Dick Uihlein identified a need for a local shipping supplies distributer. They started the business in their basement with the H-101 carton sizer, and now they have a product line that fills a 452 page catalog. That’s a lot of growth, and I expect it to continue as e-commerce and the shipping that results from it keep expanding (I have about a dozen boxes in my apartment from various holiday season shipments). And if for some reason the shipping business does slow down, Uline can always reorganize as a producer of forts for children—I always loved playing in cardboard boxes.

Box It Up

Now, if you give Uline a closer look, there are some striking similarities between their business and our favorite fictional employer, Dunder Mifflin. They’re both customer service oriented companies that provide businesses with essential supplies; however, I’m going to make a wild guess that the similarities between Uline and Dunder Mifflin end there. Companies with dysfunctional leadership don’t have sustained growth, and Uline is growing so much that they broke ground on a new Pleasant Prairie, WI corporate headquarters last Fall. With that growth comes jobs, or American jobs as Uline likes to call them. If you take a look at Uline’s Jobs page, you’ll see that they have opportunities in Ontario, CA (that’s California, not Canada—I know it’s confusing); Toronto, Canada; Duluth, GA; Waukegan, IL; Tijuana, Mexico; Eagan, MN; Allentown, PA; Coppell, TX; and Seattle, WA. Positions that might be suitable for new or recent grads include Account Rep (Ontario, CA), Administrative Assistant (Toronto, CA), Customer Service Representative (Toronto, CA), Account Rep (Toronto, CA), Accounts Receivable Clerk (Toronto, CA), Account Rep (South Florida / Duluth, GA), Computer Operator / Help Line Technician (Waukegan, IL), .NET Web Developer (Waukegan, IL), Internet Marketing Associate (Waukegan, IL), Desktop Technician (Gurnee, IL), Account Rep (Eagan, MN), Account Rep (Iowa / Eagan, MN), Account Rep (NYC / Breinigsville, PA), Account Rep (Pittsburgh, PA / Breinigsville, PA), and Account Rep (Dallas – Ft. Worth, TX / Coppell, TX). You can apply online for any of these positions, just don’t try delivering yourself in a box to their corporate headquarters. That would be weird.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Uline?

Food Bank for New York City

Willy Franzen — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:54:56 +0000

I guess it makes sense that people are more giving during the holidays. When you’re filling up on delicious food and getting lots of gifts, you can’t help but want to spread around the good fortune. Unfortunately for many food banks that spirit of giving isn’t distributed evenly throughout the year, while hunger is. Food banks and soup kitchens need food and volunteers year round, and sometimes they even have employment opportunities. One of those organizations that does is Food Bank for New York City. Their mission is to “end hunger by organizing food, information and support for community survival and dignity” throughout New York City’s five borough. While you’re still in that Thanksgiving mindset, you should take a look at Food Bank for New York City and see if you can help them out year round.

Take These Jobs to the Food Bank

Food Bank for New York City does a number of things to help the 1.3 million New Yorkers who rely on emergency food including “direct services, food sourcing and distribution, nutrition and health education, financial empowerment, disaster relief and policy and research.” They’re running a huge program, as they distribute food “to a network of approximately 1,000 food assistance programs citywide.” That takes a lot of manpower, so it’s big surprise that they’re hiring. They do have their own Jobs page, but I actually found it easier to browse their job listings on Idealist. Currently posted opportunities include Warehouse Supervisor, Research Associate, Accounting Associate, Evaluation Program Associate, and Special Projects Assistant. You can apply for any of these positions by sending a resume, cover letter and salary requirements to hr@foodbanknyc.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you in the giving mood?

Visa

Willy Franzen — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:40:07 +0000

It’s Black Friday! And that means that it times to talk about spending money. In previous years we’ve taken a look at jobs at Amazon.com and Ernst & Young (for companies that are “in the black”). We also look at jobs with SlickDeals, one of the best websites for finding Black Friday deals, a few months ago. Today we’re gong to look at Visa, since it’s hard to do any amount of serious shopping without some sort of debit or credit card. Many people think of Visa, which is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, as a credit card company, but that’s not exactly right. Credit cards are backed by a bank or similar financial institution that actually lends you the money to make your purchases. Visa is “a global payments technology company.” That means that they provide the network for your transactions, but they aren’t actually the lending institution backing your credit card.

Swipe Your Way to A New Job

One thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that payment processors like Visa get a cut of every transaction they enable. It typically comes out to a small percentage of the purchase price—so whether you pay for your lunch or buy a huge tv, the merchant isn’t getting the full amount of the charge. Merchants would make more money per purchase if they only accepted cash, but they’d likely lose a lot of customers that way. Obviously, it’s in Visa’s interest to get as many purchases going across their network as they possibly can. That’s why they’re constantly trying to develop new technologies, products, and services to make it easier to make a purchase using your Visa.

If you’re intrigued by payment processing or just think that Visa is a great brand that you’d like to work for, you should check out both their Careers page and their Campus Recruiting page. There’s a lot of information about jobs at Visa, along with a sections specifically on opportunities for undergraduates. Typically they offer positions in Systems (IT), Operations, and Finance along with a New Graduate Development Program that provides a rotation through the areas of Product, Marketing, Sales, and Strategy. The campus recruiting season for Visa has pretty much passed for undergraduates at this point in the year, but you can use their job search function to find specific opportunities to apply for.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have a Visa?

The New 42nd Street

Willy Franzen — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:11:55 +0000

One of the coolest things about big cities is that they have unique neighborhoods and districts. Small towns are lucky to have one theatre, but New York City has an entire theatre district, which is called 42nd Street. It’s kind of a misnomer, because the whole street isn’t filled with theatrers, but around the area where it intersects with Broadway at Times Square they get pretty dense. Unfortunately, in the 1980s a large swath of 42nd Street became neglected and blighted. With so much great theatrical history there, New York City and New York State got together to found a non-profit organization to revitalize the area. This organization is now known as The New 42nd Street. The organization “oversees the redevelopment of seven historic theaters on 42nd” and operates these three projects: New 42nd Street Studios, The Duke on 42nd Street, and The New Victory Theater.

A Walk Down 42nd Street

It wasn’t all that long ago that Times Square was filled with sex shops, but it truly has become a revitalized area. There has been a lot more behind that story than The New 42nd Street, but you have to give them credit for being part of a movement that has been extremely successful. Their mission was outlined in 1991, and they are a fine example of a non-profit that has made significant progress in achieving what it set out to do:

The mission of The New 42nd Street is clear: it must reinvent life for the seven wonderful theaters under its jurisdiction, and in so doing, recreate them as places of popular art and entertainment for the 21st century and beyond. The theaters must serve as a magnet, providing affordable entertainment for New York City residents and visitors of all ages, races and classes, and they should resound with life both day and night. In order to reanimate the theaters and the street they occupy, imagination and tenacity must be brought to bear.

Because of The New 42nd Street there is now a “nucleus of a new entertainment district for the 21st century.” That doesn’t mean that the organization’s work is done. They still have plenty to achieve—even if the goals have evolved over the years. With those changing goals come the opportunity for jobs with The New 42nd Street. They post those on Idealist, where they currently have a listing for a Finance Associate. They would like someone with some bookkeeping experience, but the requirements aren’t too stiff. You can apply by sending a cover letter with salary requirement and resume to Controller at finance.hr@new42.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

When did you last visit 42nd Street?

Berry Plastics

Willy Franzen — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:39:49 +0000

A couple of days ago the blogosphere exploded (pun intended) with news about bomb proof wallpaper. The story originally came from Popular Science with a video of a wrecking ball trying to knock down a brick wall that has been reinforced with the X-Flex Blast Protection System (the video is included below). I always love news stories like this one, because it puts the spotlight on a company that you never would have otherwise. In this case it’s Berry Plastics, an Evansville, IN based plastics company. Their products range from agricultural films to plastic bottles and from drink cups to trash bags. There’s a good chance that you have dozens of items in your house/dorm/apartment that were manufactured by Berry Plastics—you just don’t know it because most people don’t care who manufactured their shampoo bottles.

Bomb Proof Your Job Search

I’m pretty sure consumers will be much more brand conscious when it comes to buying bomb proof wallpaper. Obviously the military is talking about using the X-Flex Blast Protection System, and I can also imagine the product’s being used in areas where hurricanes or tornadoes are prevalent. You’ll see why in the video below (subscribers should click through to view):

For me the obvious question whenever I find an interesting company like Berry Plastics is are they hiring? Considering that Berry Plastics has more than 13,000 employees (most of them in a manufacturing setting), I’d have to imagine that they’re always hiring at some level. Unfortunately Berry Plastics has the worst Applicant Tracking System that I’ve ever seen. It uses a Java applet, and it’s absolutely unusable. It doesn’t really make sense, since they have a pretty informative Careers page. Since I can’t get the read on specific positions, we’ll have to go by the fact that Berry Plastics says that they typically offer positions in the following areas: Accounting, Administration, Automation, Customer Service, Engineering, Graphic Arts, Human Resources, Information Technology, Production (Molding, Printing, Machine Operator, Material Handling), Maintenance, Management, Marketing, Materials Management, Purchasing, Quality Assurance, Sales, and Tool Room.

There’s no word on college recruiting, but you’d have to imagine that an Engineering focused company of 13,000 does at least some entry level hiring. You should also note that one of the benefits listed on their Careers page is “Fun.” I guess your best bet is to apply through their online application form, or if you’re really going to go for you could print your résumé on Berry Plastics’ bomb proof wallpaper and send it to them. They’d have to hire you because they wouldn’t be able to destroy your résumé.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you going to use bomb proof wallpaper?

Classified Ventures

Willy Franzen — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:33:00 +0000

I remember being in middle school and deciding that I wanted a drum set. I already had a snare drum, but I knew that a full set would be much cooler. My mom bought me a copy of the Bargain News, a local paper full of classified ads, and helped me pore over the listings in search of a drum set. That’s certainly a relic of the past, but classified ads are far from dead. They’ve just moved online. You’re probably most familiar with Craigslist, and maybe you’ve considered using Facebook Marketplace or something like that. What you probably didn’t realize is that there is still a huge business behind classified ads. Take Chicago based Classified Ventures for instance. They’re another Inc. 5000 company, and they’ve increased their revenue from $146.7 million to $297.5 million over the past three years. They’ve done this with four distinct businesses: Apartments.com, Cars.com, HomeGain.com, and HomeFinder.com. You’ve probably noticed at least one of those sites before, which is exactly what they’re looking for.

Get Classified

Whether you’re looking for a car, an apartment, or a home, Classified Ventures is going to do its best to grab your attention and show you some ads. Since classified ads are the kind of ads that people actually seek out, Classified Ventures’ main focus is on driving traffic. As long as they can keep linking up more buyers and sellers, their business is going to grow. They’re already a pretty good sized company with “offices in Chicago, IL, Emeryville, CA, Santa Monica, CA and Austin, TX, and over 1,100 employees in 37 states,” but they’re not stopping there—their Jobs page shows 33 current openings. You might want to consider the following positions: Product Specialist – Cars.com (Chicago, IL), Ad Trafficker – Cars.com (Chicago, IL), Dealer Experience Advocate – Cars.com (Chicago, IL), Software Engineer – ApartmentHomeLiving (Austin, TX), Software Quality Assurance Analyst – HomeFinder.com (Chicago, IL), Inside Sales Manager SBU – Cars.com (Chicago, IL), Freelance Web Designer – Cars.com (Santa Monica, CA), Account Receivables Analyst – Corporate Services (Chicago, IL), Account Manager – Apartments.com (Chicago, IL), and Technical Web Producer – Apartments.com (Chicago, IL). You can apply online directly from the job descriptions, so see which of these jobs suits you best—no need to scan the classifieds.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used classified ads in your job search?

Ladder Up

Willy Franzen — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:10:44 +0000

Often people don’t realize what services are available to them. I see this all the time with college students and Career Services offices—the students complain about a lack of help even though they’ve never stepped foot in the office. Another example is students who are having trouble paying for college yet have never applied for the thousands of dollars of scholarships that are available to them. This same thing happens all the time in the world of government programs—people endure hardship because they don’t know that there are programs intended just for them. We often hear that there’s a need for more programs to help the poor, yet programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit are significantly underutilized. Ladder Up is a Chicago based non-profit organization that has “returned $183 million to 100,000 hardworking families” by providing “free, real world financial solutions that maximize earnings and savings.” Whether it’s helping their clients claim a tax credit that they didn’t know about or walking a future college student through the financial aid process, Ladder Up helps people make the most of what’s available to them.

Climb the Ladder Up

Part of the problem with the government is that nothing is ever simple. Whether you’re apply for a government job, filing your taxes, or applying for some sort of government program, it’s always complicated. This means that people who need the most help from the government often don’t even know it’s available. Ladder Up changes this by working directly with their clients to help them “get off the ground and stay there.” When the working poor of Chicago run into problems claiming tax credits or refunds, they can go to Ladder Up for financial consulting advice. It’s a brilliant idea for a non-profit, and it’s apparently extremely effective—according to Ladder Up’s website they return $29 to the community for every $1 that is donated to them. That’s a huge ROI! Now, Ladder Up doesn’t have any jobs posted on Idealist right now; however, there are a couple of internships posted. A little deeper research on LinkedIn told me that Ladder Up does have entry level type positions, even if they may not be hiring right now. If you’re interested in a job with them, your best bet is to reach out to them through their Contact page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Ladder Up?

ExactTarget

Willy Franzen — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:53:54 +0000

I think that e-mail is still the king of social media. We have all of these fancy social networking accounts, but they all send their notifications to our inboxes. If you want someone’s attention, e-mail is the way to go (assuming your message doesn’t look like spam). Heck, you’re probably reading this in your e-mail. That’s why e-mail marketing continues to be a rapidly growing industry. We’ve already taken a look at jobs with Constant Contact, Aweber, and e-Dialog, and now we’re going to look at an industrial strength e-mail marketing company, ExactTarget. They’re based in Indianapolis, and since 2000 they’ve been focused on “providing the most powerful on-demand software for email communications and finding the best and brightest marketers on the planet to revolutionize the way people think about email.”

Target Your Job Search Exactly

ExactTarget offers a wide array of e-mail Products, Services, and Solutions that are used by clients like CarMax, Expedia, The Home Depot, and other huge brands. If you’d like to join ExactTarget at the forefront of e-mail marketing, then you should check out their entry level Catapult Rotational Program. Here’s an introductory video on the program (e-mail readers click through to watch):

If you like what you just saw, then there are two tracks that you can take. The ExactTarget Business Track will allow you to gain experience across departments like Marketing, Accounting, Solutions Consulting (SolCon), Account Management, Deliverability Services, Strategic Services, Training, SMB/Renewals, Partnerships, Human Resources, and Sales, while the ExactTarget Technical Track will have you working in Solutions Consulting (SolCon), Customer Support, Integration, Product, Quality Assurance, Deliverability Services, Training, Implementation, Design and Deployment. You may be able to meet up with ExactTarget recruiters on your campus, but if they’re not recruiting at your school you can get the run down on how to apply for the program here. ExactTarget has done a fantastic job with their entry level recruiting program, and I bet that reflects how much they value young talent.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of the Catapult Rotational Program?

NAVTEQ

Willy Franzen — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:35:14 +0000

Before my fishing trip to Canada last week, I ordered a couple of books from Amazon for some pleasure reading. One of those books was Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). I bought it on the recommendation of Ben Casnocha, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the first 200 or so pages (I’ll finish it soon). The book has taught me more about driving than I’ll ever want to know, and it also put me on to NAVTEQ. They are headquartered a half mile away from me here in Chicago (with lots of international offices too) and “a world leader in premium-quality digital map data and content.” One of those premium map features is traffic tracking, which is why they were mentioned in the book. By informing drivers with up to date traffic maps in their vehicles, they not only make driving easier for their users, but they’re also mitigating traffic jams in real time by diverting drivers.

Take a Shortcut to a Job with NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the trusted supplier of map data for vehicle navigation systems, mobile devices, web sites, fleet management systems, government systems, and more. That means that you’ve almost certainly used NAVTEQ’s maps to navigate somewhere at some point. They’re a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia, but they’re pretty big all by themselves—they have more than 4,000 employees across the world. They also appear to do a significant amount of College Recruiting as their College Recruiting page indicates. They have a calendar for all of their on campus recruiting events and they encourage students who can’t attend those events (from any school) to send a résumé to careers-corp9@navteq.com. Their entry level opportunities seem to be focused in two areas: Research & Development and Accounting; however, they’re a huge company that does a lot more than those two things. Their job search function isn’t very good, so I’d recommend sticking with e-mail or an on campus event if you want to work for NAVTEQ. Be sure to check out their links on Why You Should Work at NAVTEQ, NAVTEQ’s Culture, and Employee Testimonials too.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you read Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)?

Erwin-Penland

Willy Franzen — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:15:03 +0000

We’ve featured quite a few integrated integrated marketing agencies in the past, but I’m not sure that we’ve ever actually talked about what integrated marketing is. According to Wikipedia (original reference has a dead link), integrated marketing communications is “a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.” That sounds desirable, but how do you accomplish that? You either do it all yourself, or you hire an agency that does it all. It’s really hard to to accomplish integrated marketing when you have one agency doing PR, another doing TV ads, and another doing interactive. Greenville, SC based Erwin-Penland is an agency that does it all—interactive, public relations, direct mail, event planning, advertising, strategic planning, and media—and they don’t farm any of it out to freelancers or other agencies.

Take a Trip to Erwin-Penland

The cool thing is that Erwin-Penland takes an integrated approach to branding themselves and their jobs. They have a gorgeous website, and they make it very easy to understand what they’re all about. Unfortunately, I can’t embed the video from Erwin-Penland’s About page because that’s the perfect way to show you what they’re all about, so I’m going to encourage you to go watch it now. It makes the company look like a really fun place to work. So does the fact that Erwin-Penland divides their workforce into client teams, not departments. That should make for a very different work experience than most other agencies offer.

If that sounds like something that you’d enjoy, then you need to check out Jobs at Erwin-Penland. Right now there are quite a few opportunities posted, and there’s also a Twitter account for EPJobs (in fact they just announced 7 new hires this week—what recession?). The job openings that seem most suitable for new grads are Junior Account Executive and Junior Copywriter; however, you may also want to check out Traffic Manager, Graphic Designer, Planner, Billing Coordinator, and Technical Support Analyst. Additionally, Erwin-Penland encourages new grads to apply for their paid internships. There’s a résumé submission form on each job description page, so find the right job for you and apply today.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Erwin-Penland?

CB Richard Ellis

Willy Franzen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:55:21 +0000

Considering the fact that I drove by a house in Michigan that was on sale for $12,500 just a few days ago, it’s pretty obvious that the real estate market still has some rebounding to do. There has been a lot of hurt in the industry over the past couple years, but maybe things are looking up. A friend who works at CB Richard Ellis let me know about a position that they’re trying to fill, and after I checked their Careers page I saw that they’re hiring for more than 200 positions. Considering the fact that they just went through a round of layoffs at the end of last year, I’d say all those job postings is probably a good sign for where the company (and maybe the economy?) is going. If you have heard of CB Richard Ellis before, you should know that they’re headquartered in Los Angeles and they’re “the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2008 revenue).” Clearly $12,500 houses aren’t a problem for them.

Be with CBRE

CB Richard Ellis is a huge company. Not only are they world’s revenue leader in commercial real estate, but they also happen to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 employees and 300 offices. That makes finding an entry level job with them a little bit intimidating. It’s hard to know where to start, especially when they don’t have anything tailored to recent grads on their site. They do have a Career Paths section on their site, but it only allows you to self-select as Experience Professional or MBA. Neither of those pages offers much information that would be helpful to a recent grad. This means that we’re going to have to dive into the dreaded job search function to find entry level jobs at CBRE.

Unfortunately, CBRE’s job search function doesn’t let us link to specific jobs, and there are 200+ jobs to wade through. CBRE does have jobs all across the country, so getting ultra-specific with your query still should turn up a few results that might interest you. CBRE’s job areas include Administrative/Operations, Business Development, Client Services, Commercial Real Estate, Executive Management, Facilities Management, Finance/Accounting, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing/PR/Communications, Project Management, Property Management, Purchasing/Procurement, Research Management, Risk Management, Sales/Brokerage, Technology, and Transaction Management, so there really is something for nearly everyone. There’s also the position that my friend told me about: Marketing Coordinator (.doc file) in Woodbury, NY. You can apply for this specific position by sending your cover letter and résumé to joscelyn.wippern@cbre.com. For other positions you can apply online through CBRE’s Applicant Tracking System, or you can apply through e-mail to cbreresume@cbre.com. If you still have questions about the CBRE hiring process you can check out their Careers FAQ.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about CBRE?

Triage Consulting Group

Willy Franzen — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:16:16 +0000

Jason Seiden and I often refer to the work that we’re doing with Found Your Career and other courses that we’re developing as career triage. It’s a practical, informal, and just-in-time approach that gives you what you need when you need it. I’m sure that Triage Consulting Group (which is based in both San Francisco and Atlanta) chose their name for a similar reason, although it might also have something to do with the fact that they’re “financial consultants to the healthcare industry.” The company was started to serve the needs of hospitals, and they do this through 10 services that drive 98% of their revenue: Payment Review, Workers’ Compensation Review, Contract Analyses and Negotiations, Litigation Support, Clinical Denials, Medicare Review, Revenue Cycle Consulting, Silent PPO Review, Capitation Risk Pool Audits, and Government Compliance Audits, including Medicaid and TRICARE.

Get Yourself in Triage

Ok, that stuff doesn’t sound all that much fun to me, but if you have a mind for numbers and an interest in the healthcare industry, it would be absolutely fascinating work—especially given all the talk about healthcare reform right now. Triage Consulting Group is a relatively small company with somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 employees; however, they’ve been named one of the “Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America” by the SHRM and the Great Place to Work Institute for the last five years. Triage’s Careers site definitely reflects this, as it’s loaded with in-depth information about what it’s like to work for the company. It’s definitely one of the most in-depth Careers sites that I’ve seen. They seem to do most of their recruiting on campus for their entry level Associate position, but they do have a page that allows you to apply online. Unfortunately, it says, “At this time, we are no longer accepting applications. Please check back with us in the summer.”

Well, it’s summer now. Time to pounce. While other candidates are getting discouraged by this notice and waiting around until they’re told to apply, you should jump on this opportunity and see if you can network your way into a job with Triage Consulting Group. That’s the kind of stuff we teach in our “career triage” course, Found Your Career. We’ll leave it up to you how to make the first contact, but I’ll recommend that you start with their company LinkedIn Profile or their team page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Triage Consulting Group?

Concur

Willy Franzen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:15:31 +0000

Since you’re looking for your first job, it’s probably a safe assumption that you are not familiar with “expensing” things. Hopefully you will be one day (soon). Many companies (especially consulting firms) allow their employees to pay for travel, lodging, and food, and then submit receipts to the company to get reimbursed. It can be pretty sweet if you’re getting $30 a night to spend on dinner, while racking up credit card points and frequent flier miles at no expense to you, but the downside is that submitting expense reports to get reimbursed is time consuming and quite annoying. Concur, a Redmond, WA based company that I learned about in Sramana Mitra’s Entrepreneur Journeys, solves this problem through their “on-demand Employee Spend Management business services.” Put simply, they have a suite of solutions that enables companies to automate the expensing process.

Do You Concur?

Expense management is a complicated process that you’re probably not going to understand fully any time soon, but all you need to understand about Concur is that they make the process much simpler. Or as Concur puts it, their “unified approach to managing employee spend delivers a 360 degree view into all employee expenses, helping companies globally enforce policies and monitor vendor compliance, while delivering unprecedented control and valuable insight.”

The cool thing about how Concur started is that they fixed a problem that was bothering them. Concur’s current CEO, Steve Singh, was complaining to his business partner about how he had to file $150,000 in receipts a week before a project closed to make sure that he’d get reimbursed. From this complaint came Concur—a solution. The company has grown significantly since it was founded in 1993, and they seem to still be growing as they’re hiring now. They do have a College Recruiting Page, but it seems a bit out of date. Your best bet to get the scoop on jobs at Concur is to check out their main Careers page and then take a look at their specific job openings. The most suitable options for new grads are Records Maintenance Clerk (Redmond, WA), Market Development Representative (Prague, Czech Republic), Account Manager (Eden Prairie, MN), Collections Specialist (Sydney, Australia), Collections Specialist (Eden Prairie, MN), and Accountant – Internal Auditor (Redmond, WA). You can apply online directly from those job descriptions, so get at it!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever dealt with an onerous expensing process?

kgb

Willy Franzen — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:47:46 +0000

Have you always wanted to be a secret agent? Well here’s a mission, if you choose to accept it: try to land a job with New York City based kgb. No, I’m not talking about Russia’s version of the CIA. I’m talking about “the world’s largest independent provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services.” Formerly known as INFONXX, kgb is in the business of making information easily available. If you’ve seen their commercials, then you’re probably most familiar with their “Ask Us Anything” service. I personally think it’s for lazy people, but that’s because I’m a huge advocate for developing your own research skills. If getting the answer to your question is worth 50 cents, then that’s cool, but I’m gonna Google it myself. The good news is that kgb’s business goes well beyond charging lazy people who need their stupid questions answered.

Join the kgb

Now, if you want to get a job with kgb, you’re going to have to do some serious sleuthing (or maybe you could just spend 50 cents to ask via text what kind of jobs they have available). It’s not that they’re all secretive, being the kgb and all, they’re just kind of disorganized with their recruitment message. On the main kgb.com site, the only prominent link is for their work at home opportunities (they title it “become an agent”). These jobs basically entail answering questions for a cut of the 50 cents, so that’s probably not what you’re looking to do with that college degree that you just got. Hidden in this section is a link to kgb_USA’s Careers page. Here you’ll find some more interesting opportunities. They’re sorted by location, so you’ll have to check each location to see all the jobs. They have Customer Service Representative positions in San Antonio, TX; Lubbock, TX; and Hawaii. Additionally, they have jobs in Database Administration and Accounts Receivable in Bethlehem, PA. That’s not it, though. There are also jobs with kgb web in New York City posted on Startuply. These include positions like Developer of Data, Master Ruby Developer, and Usability Expert. As you can see, jobs with kgb are kind of all over the place. How you apply will depend on which positions you’re applying for, so show off your research skills if you want to land a job with kgb.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever used kgb?

American Lung Association

Willy Franzen — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Yesterday I got some bad news. A good friend and one of the best people in the fly fishing community was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago. It’s not a pretty picture, but if anyone can beat it, it’s him. Since he’s been on my mind since yesterday, I thought it would only be appropriate to take a look at the American Lung Association today. They’re a nationwide non-profit organization that aims to “save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.” Whether it’s a lifelong smoker who is facing a life and death situation or a kid who is growing up with asthma (like me), the American Lung Association is there to help – mostly “through research, education and advocacy.”

Breathe Easy with These Jobs

Another reason that I decided to feature the American Lung Association is that a reader e-mailed me to rave about her internship with the organization. That’s always a good sign! The American Lung Association has locations all across the country – there are local chapters and regional offices as well. I’m not sure if you can approach them individually about jobs, but I do know that the American Lung Association’s Jobs page includes jobs in a variety of locations. Right now the entry level pickings are kind of slim. There are positions in Accounting and Software Development/IT, but they’re probably a little too advanced for a new grad. There are also a couple of volunteer positions (one in Customer Service Coordination and one in Administrative Coordination) that you might want to consider. I don’t normally recommend that, but after hearing about a Found Your Career student who volunteered his way into a contract job, I think it might be worth trying. How you apply depends on which position you’re going for, so head over to the American Lung Association’s to get all of the details. And remember, it’s pretty easy to track down contact info for people at the organization, so you may want to go that route to find information about more entry level opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about the American Lung Association?

The Knot

Willy Franzen — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:49:01 +0000

As a new or upcoming college grad who is looking for a job, you’re entering a new lifestage. Unfortunately, it’s not a lifestage that The Knot can help you with. They’re a “lifestage media company,” but they focus on major life events related to growing your family – engagements, weddings, and births of first children. These things may seem far off to you, but within a couple years of graduating (if not sooner) you’ll have friends who are getting married and having kids. Eventually you’ll probably do the same, and when you do, there’s a good chance that you’ll come across one or many of The Knot’s media properties. They have a flagship website at TheKnot.com in addition to books, magazines, and tv programs (see all of their brands). People can get pretty crazed when they’re about to enter a new lifestage, which is why The Knot has been so successful in providing media that makes it all a little easier. Too bad they don’t have anything for the job search, but at least we do.

Enter a New Lifestage with The Knot

Whatever lifestage you’re entering, The Knot has something for you. We’re going to focus on the getting a job lifestage. The Knot is based out of New York City with a number of other work locations. They’ve done a really nice job with their Jobs page, and they’ve managed to keep it simple and straightforward. You can browse jobs, read employee testimonials, and check out the benefits without getting confused (or at least you should be able to). They have quite a few jobs listed that appear to be suitable for new grads (the company must be growing pretty well), and they include Accounting Specialist (Omaha, NE), Front End Web Developer (New York, NY), MS SQL Developer (New York, NY), and Software Engineer – Sitecore CMS (New York, NY). There are a number of less techie jobs available, but they require a bit more experience than most new grads have. You can apply for any job at The Knot or even an unlisted position by sending a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to jobs@theknot.com. Be sure to indicate the title of the job in the subject line or put “general candidacy” to be considered for future positions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you familiar with any of The Knot’s brands?

Job Path

Willy Franzen — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 11:56:56 +0000

You may be looking for a job, but I’ll wager that you probably haven’t considered how inherently human it is to work. It’s not something that I thought about when I was job searching, and it’s not something that I think about much when I’m helping other people with their job searches; however, we as humans were made to work. Thousands of years ago it was hunting and gathering, but as we’ve realized the power of comparative advantage, we’ve chosen to specialize in the things that we’re best at. Contributing to society is part of what makes us as humans go, and that’s why Job Path exists. They’re a New York City based non-profit organization that “supports people with developmental disabilities in their efforts to make choices about their lives.” They “encourage people to explore what they want out of life” and then “provide the opportunities and support for them to succeed at whatever they want — whether it’s paid or volunteer work, living in their own homes, or participating in community life.” At a theoretical level it’s not all that different from what we’re doing here or at Found Your Career. It’s all about helping people become fulfilled.

What’s Your Job Path?

Job Path was founded on a number of core beliefs:

everyone has gifts and capabilities and can make a real contribution
everyone can be part of community life
everyone deserves respect
everyone should have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams
everyone has a voice that should be heard
everyone has the right to make decisions about his or her own life

They have a variety of programs that help their developmentally disabled clients including Employment Services, Community Supports, Supported Living, Service Coordination, Special Projects, and Life Coaching. They’ve been around since 1978, and they’ve put more than 2,000 people in jobs. That’s quite an accomplishment! If Job Path sounds like an organization that you’d like to get involved with, you’re in luck – their Idealist page shows a number of job openings. Open positions include Training Consultant, Coordinator of Employment Services, Mentor (part-time), and Compliance/Payroll Administrator (part-time). They’re not all explicitly entry level, but they’re certainly geared towards relatively new grads. The application information varies by position, so be sure to check out the individual job descriptions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Job Path?

Epic Systems

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:17:17 +0000

My Dad is an architect, and he often likes to send me suggestions on which companies I should feature next. Sometimes he finds some pretty cool stuff, and a month or so ago he sent me a link to the Winter 2009 online issue of HQ Magazine, which features an article called “Top 20 Places to Work.” Usually such lists focus on a range of reasons for a place’s being great to work at, but HQ is an architectural publication, so this list is all about office space (not the movie). The section of the article on Epic Systems says: “Epic’s campus fits into idyllic pastures and farmland, providing serene, relaxing views from within. Outside are hiking trails, playing fields, a treehouse. Meeting rooms have working fireplaces to further the sense of calmness.” It sounds amazing. Epic systems is a Wisconsin based, privately held, employee owned healthcare software provider.

Epicly Helpful

Epic Systems only has 170 clients, but “they are some of the most respected organizations in healthcare.” Epic’s software apparently makes the patient experience a lot better, but until it makes waiting rooms obsolete, I’m not quite sold. Basically, what Epic’s software does is that it records every touch that a patient has with a healthcare provider. The information is kept securely, but in a way that allows patients to access it when they need it. Epic Systems provides a product that keeps doctors, nurses, and patients fully informed about what’s going on. We all know that the healthcare industry is a mess, but it’s also growing rapidly. Epic Systems seems to be taking advantage of this environment by making a product that makes healthcare better for all parties involved.

Here’s a sample situation from Epic’s website:

Imagine this: you’re from Dallas, but you’re on vacation in Seattle. Shortly after trying some of the free samples at the fish market, you come down with something nasty and end up in the Emergency Room. You can’t remember the names of the medications you’re taking at home, but you mention to the doctor that you’re normally seen at Black Springs Clinic in the Dallas area. The doctor in the ER is able to access your chart from the clinic without the need to place a call or retrieve a fax. Your ER doctor sees not only the specific medications and doses you were last prescribed at home, but also that you’re allergic to Iodine, preventing a potentially severe reaction during your care.

You get back on your feet after a few hours in the ER and are given a couple medications and a recommendation to see your doctor at home once you’re back from vacation. While still in Seattle, you pull out your laptop and are able to send a secure message to your physician in Dallas, letting him know briefly what happened. You also sign up for a follow-up appointment for when you return. When you arrive, your doctor has access to your clinic chart, as well as the information documented during your visit to the ER in Seattle.

Sounds pretty great.

Do Something Epic

Epic may have only made the list of Top Places to Work because of their building, but they look like they belong on any general list of the best places to work. Their Careers site is loaded with information – especially the Life and Work section. We could go on and on about how cool it looks to work at Epic, but you’re better off checking it out on your own (start by taking a tour of their campus). Epic allows you to browse their jobs by both Career Type and Educational Background; however, I prefer to look at their listing of all available positions. The jobs are insanely easy to scan for entry level positions, so there’s no need for me to list them here, and you can apply online. Although they are a software company, they have job openings in areas that include Accounting, Biotechnology, Botany, Consulting, HR, IT, Project Management, Writing, and, of course, Software Development.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Epic’s Campus.

Omniture

Willy Franzen — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:53:47 +0000

Maybe it’ll sound sad to you, but web analytics are a big part of my life. When your job is running websites, it’s often the best feed back that you can get. I have to admit that it makes me feel better about myself when I get more visitors, more subscribers, and more comments. And I really like it when people sign up to learn more about a job search training course that I’m releasing in the next few days. I’d imagine that employees at large corporations aren’t nearly as emotionally tied to web analytics as I am, but maybe they are – they often hold titles like Web Analytics Manager. While I’m happy with the information that Google Analytics provides me, many companies have much greater needs when it comes to tracking users on their websites. That’s why the big boys like Apple, Adobe, NBC, Chevrolet, Gap, Neiman Marcus, The New York Times, PayPal and Target use Omniture, a Utah based web analytics company. If those names trust Omniture for analytics, then you can be pretty sure that Omniture is the best out there.

Analyze This

If you don’t know a lot about web analytics, then maybe you should. Not only is it going to be essential for many jobs in the future, but it’s also good to know how much websites actually know about you (it’s kind of scary). A company that uses web analytics properly can significantly improve their bottom-line by constantly adjusting to the continuous flow of feedback that they’re getting. Companies can now adjust their marketing and advertising campaigns within the course of a day and know what’s working and what isn’t. In the days before the Internet, adjustments were often made over the course of months or even years. I find web analytics absolutely fascinating, and if you do too, then a career with Omniture might be something worth considering. Job (unless otherwise noted, jobs are located in Orem, UT) at Omniture that appear to be suitable for new college grads include: Search Engine Optimization Consultant, Administrative Assistant, Web Analytics Consultant (Dulles, VA), Business Consultant/Analyst, Software Engineer, Financial Analyst (San Francisco, CA), Accountant, Network Operations Center Technician/Linux Administrator, Optimization Specialist – Client Services, Professional Services Engineer, and Technical Support Consultant. Some of these jobs are listed at multiple levels, so even though the description may look more tailored to a Senior level person, there may be a corresponding Junior position. You can apply for all of these jobs directly from the job descriptions, and you may also want to check out Omniture’s Open Positions to see all of their jobs including International positions. Omniture has a great website (big surprise there), so it shouldn’t be hard for you to find all of the information that you need to make an informed decision about working for them.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you fascinated by web analytics?

Helen Keller International

Willy Franzen — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:40 +0000

I’m sure that all of you learned the story of Helen Keller in elementary school, but just to refresh you she was a woman who overcame growing up both blind and deaf in the late 1800s to graduate from Radcliffe College magna cum laude. These days that would still be impressive, but it’s amazing that she did that when she did it. (She had a tutor spell textbooks letter by letter into her hand.) After graduating from college, Helen Keller made it her life’s work to help blind and deaf-blind people. She founded Helen Keller International in 1915, and it has been “devoted to fighting and treating preventable blindness and malnutrition” ever since.

Against All Odds

You don’t realize how important seeing and hearing are until they’re compromised. I went a year with a bad contact lens prescription, and when I finally stopped procrastinating about going to the eye doctor and got a new prescription, I realized how much I was missing out on in every day life. There are people all across the world who have much more serious vision or hearing needs than needing a prescription adjustment, and they don’t have the services that most of us here in the US have. That’s why New York City based Helen Keller International has “programs in 22 countries in Africa and Asia as well as in the United States.” They build “local capacity by establishing sustainable programs, and provide scientific and technical assistance and data to governments and international, regional, national and local organizations around the world.” If this sounds like something that you’d like to be a part of, then you’re in luck. Helen Keller International has a number of job openings listed on their Jobs page. There are opportunities all across the world, but the only ones that appear suitable for new college grads are in the US. These include Junior Accountant in New York City and Project Coordinator for ChildSight (Idealist posting) in New Haven, CT. HKI is also open to hearing from applicants who don’t see a position that suits them, so feel free to send your resume and cover letter to hkihr@hki.org for one of the listed jobs or an unlisted position.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How much did you learn about Hellen Keller in school?

The National Academies

Willy Franzen — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:16:29 +0000

Today on One Day, One Internship we’re taking a look at internships with the Space Studies Board. That brought our attention to The National Academies, which is a non-profit organization that consists of the United States National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the Institute of Medicine (IOM), and the United States National Research Council (NRC). Although it may sound like they’re government agencies, they’re not. They do, however, get most of their funding from federal and state agencies. Despite that fact, they remain independent when advising the nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Don’t Worry, It’s Not More School

Although The National Academies is an extremely academic environment, they’re not technically in the business of education. They are key advisers to our federal government on a wide range of scientific topics, so if you have a background in science, you might want to check out jobs at The National Academies. They currently have 28 openings, and a decent number look like they might be suitable for new college grads. All of the jobs that we’re looking at are based out of Washington, DC; however, The National Academies occasionally has opportunities at exotic locations. Jobs that you might want to check out include Web Programmer at the Division on Earth & Life Studies, Research Associate (here and here also) at the Institute of Medicine, and Program Assistant at the Transportation Research Board or the Division of Earth & Life Studies, Media Associate, and Accounting/Financial Assistant. To apply for any of these jobs, you can do so online directly from the job description.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about The National Academies?

Audible

Willy Franzen — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:52:10 +0000

Sorry for the delayed post today. For some reason the Internet connection in our office wouldn’t connect to our server, which meant that we couldn’t publish today’s post this morning. I trudged across town through the snow in 12 degree weather to make sure that you got your jobs today.

I love reading. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to find time these days to sit down with a good book. If I could read and drive at the same time without risking my life and the lives of others, I would. Since that’s not a viable option, I’m lucky that Audible is around. They are a New Jersey based subsidiary of Amazon.com, and they consider themselves the “leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment, on the Internet.” Whether I want to “read” Seth Godin’s The Dip, James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds, or David McCullough’s 1776, all I have to do is make a quick purchase on iTunes, sync my iPod, and hook it up to my car stereo. It’s a much better use of a long drive than listening to the radio. Audible makes it a heck of a lot easier to absorb new information, and they also have some pretty cool jobs available that you might be interested in.

Can You Hear Me?

Audible is a great resource for job seekers. Not only are they currently hiring, but they also give you a great way to educate yourself while you have the extra free time that many call unemployment. Audible’s business is pretty simple – they produce spoken word audio content, so let’s jump right into their jobs. Audible’s Jobs page shows about a dozen openings, and a decent number of them appear to be geared towards new college grads. These openings include Software Development Engineer – User Experience, Database Software Development Engineer, Software Development Engineer – Web Platform, and Staff Accountant. All of the jobs appear to be located in Newark, NJ, and you can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to recruiter@audible.com. Audible doesn’t offer much more information about working for them than the job descriptions on their site, but you have to think that it’d be a pretty cool place to work. Maybe you’ll get all the free audiobooks that you want…

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have any favorite audiobooks by Audible?

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Willy Franzen — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:42:58 +0000

If there’s ever a time to be a Bank Examiner, it is right now. What probably would have been considered a boring job just a couple of years ago is now action packed. What is a Bank Examiner? It’s the entry level position at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. What’s the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency? It’s a bureau of the the U.S. Department of the Treasury that was chartered in 1863 to ensure a safe and sound national banking system for all Americans. How do they do that? They have a nationwide staff that “conducts on-site reviews of national banks and provides sustained supervision of bank operations. The agency issues rules, legal interpretations, and corporate decisions concerning banking, bank investments, bank community development activities, and other aspects of bank operations.” I think that it’s pretty obvious that the OCC has become a lot busier in the past couple of years. That’s why now is a great time to check out their entry level hiring program.

Are You Down with OCC?

There’s a lot to learn about OCC before you apply for a job, so you should probably spend a couple of hours on OCC.Treas.gov, if you’re serious about applying. If you’re not quite so serious yet, but you’re intrigued about what an entry level Bank Examiner does, then you should watch the OCC’s Careers Video. It’s a nice introduction to what the OCC does and what it’s like to work for them. After watching that, you should check out their Bank Examiner Careers page. This goes into great detail about the specific position that they typically hire new grads for. The jobs require a degree in “accounting, banking, business administration, commercial or banking law, economics, finance, marketing, or closely-related field from an accredited U.S. institution” or extremely relevant prior work experience. The OCC is based out of Washington, DC; however, they have locations all across the country and often require travel (30-80%) because Bank Examiners are often working in Community Banks. The pay is great, with a starting salary of $47,000, and the benefits are top-notch. It’s no big surprise that the OCC was ranked the 4th Best Place to Work in the Federal Government. The OCC already did some recruiting back in September, but they being recruiting again in February. Keep your eye on the Bank Examiner Careers page to see when they open up applications.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you think that we have a safe and sound national banking system right now?

Starwood

Willy Franzen — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:42:12 +0000

Having a girlfriend who is a consultant, I’m often subjected to hours of consultant-speak. It’s not really English, as it consists mostly of acronyms. One thing consultants seem to talk about a lot, even though they don’t have an acronym for it, is the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card. It’s apparently by far the best credit card for the consulting lifestyle (especially when you work for a firm that almost exclusively puts you up in Starwood hotels). Since I’ve been hearing the Starwood name a lot, and I’ve had a few people recommend their Jobs to me, I thought it was time to take a look at what kind of entry level jobs are available with one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies. In case you’re not familiar with the Starwood brand, they’re the company behind Sheraton, Four Points, aloft, W Hotels, Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Element, Westin, and St. Regis. All of them are nice places to stay, and a few of them are about as trendy as you can get when it comes to hotels – check out aloft.

Be a Star at Starwood

Starwood gets hospitality. They also get entry level recruiting. They make it dead simple for college students and new grads to figure out how to land a job with them. They have a College Recruiting page that outlines the 4 ways of getting a job with Starwood. You can go through Campus Recruiting or apply online, and you can apply for their Management Training Program or opt for Direct Placement. The Management Training Program seems to be geared towards students who are graduating from hospitality programs, but that’s not explicitly stated as far as I can tell. The program lasts 6-18 months and concludes with placement as an Assistant Manager or Manager in the hotel where the trainee trained. Applications for the Management Training Program haven’t been opened yet, but they say that you will be able to apply online in early 2009. If you go to one of the schools on this list, you’re better off talking to your Career Services office about when Starwood will be on campus than waiting for the online application to be posted.

If the Management Training Program isn’t for you, there’s another option. You can check out Starwood’s Career Paths and apply for Direct Placement. You have to go through a general job search function where you can narrow down from the 1,650 jobs posted by location, hotel, or job title. This is the one area where Starwood’s Careers site stumbles a bit. The job search function isn’t very good. Unless you enter specific criteria, you’re going to be inundated with results that are going to be hard to scan. Still, if you want a job in a posh hotel in an exotic location, that’s the best way to find one.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you stayed at any Starwood Hotels?

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Willy Franzen — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:48:43 +0000

We’ll be announcing the winner of the HP Magic Giveaway later today on the blog, so be sure to come back to see who won. Now that the contest is over, I’m digging out from under the the 1,000+ e-mails that I’ve received relating to this contest. I’ve come across a number of requests for me to feature certain companies, so I’m going to oblige our fans and start by focusing on PricewaterhouseCoopers and their entry level jobs today. In case you’re not familiar with PwC, you should know that they “provide industry-focused assurance, tax, and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for clients and their stakeholders.” In other words they work with the biggest companies (seriously) in the world to keep things running smoothly on the back end. In fact, PricewaterhouseCoopers is the third largest privately owned organization in the US, so it makes sense that other large companies trust them. PwC is one of the Big Four (auditors), which means that they’re doing a lot better than the Big Three (auto manufacturers). That doesn’t mean that they’re not feeling the recession, but they still seem to have a very active recruiting presence. For more info on how they’re doing as a company, check out their Global Annual Review for 2008.

PwC Knows How to Tell a Story

One of the cool things about PwC is how important their people are to their bottom line. They have more than 155,000 employees, but it’s not the numbers that makes their people so important. PwC is in the business of offering services, and that means that almost all of their revenue comes directly from labor – not from selling products. This means that instead of investing significant resources into product development, PricewaterhouseCoopers puts it into recruiting. This becomes quite obvious when you take a look at PwC.tv – PwC’s Campus Recruiting Site. PwC doesn’t have the most fascinating story, but they sure know how to tell it.

PwC.tv is unlike any recruiting site that I’ve seen before. It relies almost entirely on video to present PwC’s recruiting message. It might be too much (especially the music when you land on the site), but you have to love the effort. PwC.tv is broken up into 4 channels – Stories, features, and profiles; Surveillance cam: A look inside; Learning annex: Covering current business issues; and Corporate Responsibility. It flows well, but I’d love to see them offer a much more basic introduction. Most students who end up working for PwC are probably already familiar with them (it’s the nature of recruiting in the industry), but I still think that an intro video would be a nice segue into these high information videos.

Much of the information that would be appropriate for an intro can be found in PwC 411, which is a glorified About page for Campus Recruiting. It lays out everything that you could ever want to know about working at PwC, and it’s exactly what we think every Corporate Careers site should have. So what about the jobs? You’re not going to get specific job listings like you do on most sites, because that’s now how PwC recruits. Unlike Ernst & Young, who doesn’t allow online applications, PwC does take online applications. PwC’s entry level jobs are in Assurance, Tax, or Advisory, so you pick your area of interest and go through their web based application process. The other option is to go through campus recruiting, which is probably easily accessible because they visit so many campuses. PwC has locations all over the world, so they’ll find the right job and location for you in their selection process.

There’s a ton more info about PwC on their site, but we have limited space, so we’re going to leave the rest of the research up to you. Since PwC is so huge, we’ve only focused on their US based campus recruiting site, but if you want to check out other types of opportunities in other locations, you can start at their main Careers site.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about entry level jobs at PwC?