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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?

Good Sports

Willy Franzen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:46:14 +0000

Did you know that how wealthy your family is has a lot to do with which sports you play growing up? Sometimes it’s a demographic thing, but a lot of times it just has to do with whether or not your family can afford to pay for the equipment. Take hockey for example. There’s a ton of stuff you need, and it’s all expensive; whereas, basketball can be played with just a ball and a hoop in a park. There are no hard and fast rules about this, but it’s very clear that many kids don’t get the opportunity to try some sports because of the costs involved. Good Sports is a Boston based non-profit that “provides sports equipment to disadvantaged youth in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and Chicago.” They may have pictures of Boston athletes plastered all over their website (yuck!), but they’re doing a really good thing.

Are You a Good Sport?

The idea behind Good Sports is pretty simple—they raise money and take equipment donations from manufacturers and then provide equipment grants to youth athletic programs. Additionally, Goods Sports runs Community Health Programs in conjunction with Community Health Centers to provide “necessary fitness equipment to children being treated in healthy weight, diabetes, or other obesity related medical programs.” They seem to be doing a great job, and the names on their Boards of Directors and Advisors show that they’ve excelled at integrating themselves within the Boston sports community. It’d be a cool place to break into the sports industry, as you’d have tons of networking opportunities. Right now, Good Sports is looking for an Administrative Assistant, which is kind of a do-everything job in a small non-profit like Good Sports. They do want someone with 3 years of experience as an admin, but I think that a new grad would be a great fit for this position. You can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to Davin Lencz at dlencz@goodsports.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite piece of sports equipment?

Scripps Networks

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:39:04 +0000

If you haven’t checked out our post on Personal Finance and the Job Search, do that now. We’ve just added a special one day offer to get our job search training course Found Your Career for free.

Exactly a month ago we featured Charm City Cakes of Food Network fame, even though they’re not hiring. It was my birthday (so today is my 1/12 birthday!), and I wanted to talk about what to do when a company has zero interest in hiring anyone. If that post didn’t work for you, we have another way to get closer to the Ace of Cakes—working for Scripps Networks. They’re the parent company behind tv networks that include HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Fine Living, and GAC. Unlike Charm City Cakes, Scripps Networks is openly hiring, and a number of their positions seem perfect for new college grads. If your tv is often tuned into one of those stations, then you need to see what Scripps Networks has to offer.

Get a Job in Lifestyle Media

Scripps Networks is all about lifestyle media. You probably could have gathered that yourself from their logo, or from the list of their TV networks. They are a part of the much larger E.W. Scripps Company, which operates in all types of media—newspapers, television, licensing, and spelling bees. Additionally, Scripps Networks is investing a lot in expanding into online media, which obviously makes a lot of sense. While I’ve heard a lot about declining ad sales on television, it seems that Scripps Networks must be doing well. They have a ton of jobs posted, and although their job search function is a bit messed up, you can just click search without entering anything and browse through the openings. You’ll find positions like Ad Sales Assistant (3 positions all in New York City), Ad Sales Marketing Coordinator (NYC), Ad Sales Planner (NYC), SEO/SEM Analyst (Los Angeles), International Business Analyst (NYC), Closed Caption Formatter (Knoxville, TN), Office Coordinator (NYC), Online Marketing Specialist (London, UK), Program Planning Assistant (NYC), Public Relations Coordinator (NYC), Quality Assurance Analyst (Knoxville, TN), and Sales Coordinator (NYC). Lots of jobs, so head over to Scripps Networks’ job search page and start browsing—you can apply online.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which is your favorite of Scripps Networks’ channels?

Shedd Aquarium

Willy Franzen — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:13:34 +0000

My parents are in town for the weekend, and I’ve been thinking of fun things to do with them around Chicago. One place that came to mind is Shedd Aquarium. I don’t think that we’ll end up getting a chance to make it there this weekend, but it was certainly a good thought. And once I thought about it, I realized that they’re probably hiring. Shedd Aquarium is much like other aquariums now, but it really stood out when it was opened in the 1930s. The aquarium was founded by John G. Shedd, retired president of Marshall Field & Company, and financed by him with $3 million in gifts. The goal was to bring Chicago up to par with other “cosmopolitan” cities that had aquariums, and by the end of the project Chicago’s aquarium “housed the greatest variety of sea life under one roof.” It also happened to be “the first inland aquarium with a permanent saltwater collection,” which meant that they had to ship millions of gallons of seawater from Florida on trains to provide a proper habitat for the sea life.

Shedd Your Job Search Worries

To this day, I still find it extremely impressive that an aquarium in Chicago can have whales and dolphins. The idea of a Beluga Whale in the heart of the midwest blows my mind. Although now the aquarium is more focused on education than on bringing up Chicago’s status, it’s still a great tourist attraction and a wonderful resource for the city. I’d imagine that Shedd Aquarium is very much like other aquariums in its mission and values, which means that they’ll have similar jobs. Right now they have a number of jobs posted, and a few look like possibilities for new grads. These include Membership Coordinator, Administrative Assistant (President’s Office), Brand Traffic Assistant, and Media Coordinator. You can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to jobs@sheddaquarium.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever been to Shedd Aquarium?

ideeli

Willy Franzen — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:55:14 +0000

I guess it’s a little awkward when you find a company that immediately makes you think of a very similar, more successful company. In this case, when I came across ideeli, I immediately thought of Gilt Groupe (which we covered a while back). Both are New York City based startups that offer online sample sales that give shoppers the opportunity to buy luxury goods—mostly clothing and accessories—at serious discounts. According to Wikipedia a sample sale is “used by retail businesses in order to discard excess merchandise.” That’s exactly what these companies do, but they’ve moved the entire process online (which is way more efficient). Both sites require invites to get in on the deals, so if you want to try ideeli click here and if you want to try Gilt Groupe click here. Although I haven’t made any purchases on either of these sites, my girlfriend Amy loves this way of shopping. There’s the element of surprise, because you never know what you’re going to find, yet you still get to enjoy the ease of shopping online.

Your ideel Job

Although Gilt Groupe really has staked a claim to this market, it’s big enough and growing fast enough that there’s room for a lot of competition. You wouldn’t think that selling luxury goods during a recession—even at heavy discounts—would be good business, but it is. One way that ideeli has tweaked their business model to stand out is that they offer a subscription service that gives shoppers first dibs on all sales. It’s a pretty creative idea, and it gives them a steady revenue stream (with almost no additional cost) that can balance out the ebbs and flows of e-commerce. ideeli received $3.8 million in investment back in December of ‘07 and they seem to be doing pretty well. I guess that’s why they have a number of job openings. Right now they have opportunities for a Rails Developer and a Studio Coordinator, so check out their Jobs page and apply online if you’re interested.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

If you want an ideeli invite, click here.

Rooftop Media

Willy Franzen — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:54:01 +0000

We’ve featured a lot of startups here at One Day, One Job, but never one with as good of a sense of humor as Rooftop Media. They’re a San Francisco based company that is entirely focused on comedy. Yes, they were able to secure $2.5 million in venture capital solely on their sense of humor. Ok, they actually have a well thought out business model too, but I’d like to think that instead of pitching decks (slides) to VCs, they just did a little standup routine and that was that. The main concept behind Rooftop Media is providing a platform for middle tier comedians—professionals whom you’ve probably never heard of. They have a destination comedy video site called RooftopComedy.com, while also working with media and advertisers. For media they “create custom comedy programming for broadcast, web, mobile and print channels hungry for unique, compelling content,” and for advertisers they “create powerful, branded entertainment and integrated marketing programs on behalf of our advertising clients.” They’ve worked with impressive names like Microsoft, Purina Mills, Virgin America, Fast Company, and more.

Climb Up to the Rooftop

Comedic marketing is a brilliant idea that we’re all quite familiar with—Super Bowl commercials are a perfect example. Rooftop Media is taking the idea to a new level by creating a huge library of comedic content while also working with their comedians to make content targeted to specific audiences. For instance right now they’re putting together Rootop’s Rooftop Comedy National Comedy Competition’s Funny Film Contest, which is open to US college students. Yes, it’s a comedy contest, but it’s also a promotion for Microsoft Office Live Workspace—presumably because you can use it to make funny films. That’s a pretty brilliant way to do marketing, considering that funny videos are about the only way to grab a college student’s attention for a prolonged period of time. If you’re intrigued by what Rooftop Media is doing, then you should check out their Jobs page. There are two posted opportunities that seem suitable for new grads—Graphic Designer and Coffee and Donuts Dude/Dudette. The former requires some strong graphic design skills and experience, while the latter is purely a foot in the door position that will hopefully be the start of something more. You can apply for both positions online, so be sure to bring your sense of humor. You might also want to check out their internship opportunities in Marketing and Events Marketing, because they do mention the potential for full-time employment for successful interns.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Rooftop Media?

Green America

Willy Franzen — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:01:41 +0000

When it comes down to it, most of the problems in our world have some sort of economic root. Unfortunately, people rarely see economics as the solution. One non-profit organization that is an exception is Washington, DC based Green America (formerly Co-op America). Their “mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.” I like their approach. They’re not trying to force their ideals on people by regulation or intellectual intimidation. Instead, they’re working towards a building a powerful new economy that not only holds to their ideals, but also works efficiently. They may still be imposing their ideas, but they’re doing it purely with economic power.

Will You Be a Part of Green America?

If you take a look at Green America’s successes, you’ll get a taste for the kind of work that they do. They’ve “directed over $100 million in purchases to socially and environmentally responsible businesses” and “played a leadership role in persuading CitiGroup to remove predatory lending products from the market.” As a membership organization they’re continuously growing their ranks and flexing bigger economic muscles, which is really powerful. A lot of people yelling about ideas may seem important, but when people act with their wallet, they can really change things. If you like the sound of what Green America is doing, you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have only one opportunity posted for an Executive Assistant and Fair Trade Coordinator, but it looks pretty interesting. You can apply by sending a “cover letter, resume and pertinent writing sample (2-3 pages) to: Todd Larsen, Corporate Responsibility Program Director at tlarsen@greenamericatoday.org.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Green America?

Free Press

Willy Franzen — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:18:03 +0000

I doubt many of you would disagree with the assertion that the “mainstream media” has some major issues that need to be worked out. Take the coverage of Michael Jackson’s death. Yes, he was a great entertainer. Yes, the way that he lived his life was totally perplexing. Yes, people are fascinated by him. But did we really need all that coverage? It’s just one example of how our media is failing us, but I’m sure that Free Press would be willing to give you many more examples. They are a non-profit, “national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media through education, organizing and advocacy.” Free Press advocates “independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications,” and they do this through a number of campaigns: Save the Internet, Stop Big Media, No Fake News, Local Radio Now, Stamp Out Postal Rate Hikes, Save Our Spectrum, Community Internet, Public Broadcasting, Pentagon Propaganda, White Spaces, and Rate the Debates. They’re based in both Washington, DC and Florence, MA, and they’ve been working since 2002 to fix what they call a failing media system.

Help Reform the Media

Maybe you enjoyed the Michael Jackson coverage. Maybe you don’t think that there’s anything wrong with the media. If that’s you, then Free Press probably won’t be the right place for you. They have a very specific idea of what they expect from the media, and until the media improves, they’re going to keep working to change the way that media is produced and consumed in our country. If that sounds like something that you want to be a part of, then you need to check out Free Press’ Jobs page. Right now they have 3 jobs posted, and two of them seem like they might be suitable for new grads. They’re looking for an Online Campaign Coordinator and an Office Coordinator—both in Florence, MA. The job postings get really in-depth, so give them a good look to determine whether the jobs will be a good fit for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What are your thoughts on the state of media today?

Deckers Outdoor Corporation

Willy Franzen — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:55:06 +0000

At some point during my Junior year in college (by the way I’m back at Cornell for the weekend), I got the bright idea that I could wear slippers as shoes. These weren’t flimsy slippers, these were sturdy leather ones with shearling lining. They were made by Orvis (where I interned and had an awesome 50% employee discount), and they were great. I loved sitting in class knowing that my feet were more comfortable than everybody else’s. Then I came back from Thanksgiving break. I was admiring the Christmas lights that my roommates had adorned our otherwise aesthetically unpleasing house with, and I slipped. See, my slippers had flat rubber soles. My feet came out from under me as I fell down a muddy slope. My right hand came down hard on the sidewalk, and I had a broken wrist. I gave up wearing slippers for a while, but when my Mom bought me a pair of UGG slippers with proper soles, I reverted. Now UGG slippers are my go to shoes during the winter, and I’m a huge fan of Deckers Outdoor Corporation. They’re the company behind UGG, Simple, Teva (is it Tee-va or Tevv-a?), Tsubo, and Deckers, and they’re headquartered in Goleta, CA with a location in Flagstaff, AZ as well.

Hit the Deckers

I had no idea until today that Outside Magazine has a Best Places to Work list. Now I know about it, and I know that Deckers Outdoor Corporation is on the list (ranked 7th). While Deckers’ Careers page doesn’t say much more than generic stuff like “We are looking for energetic, hard working, success oriented individuals to join our dynamic team” and “All candidates must be team players, have high energy, good organization and excellent communication skills,” it’s pretty obvious that Deckers has a unique employment brand that is well aligned with their product brands. If Deckers sounds like the kind of place that you’d want to work, you should check out their current job openings. Their job descriptions don’t have a ton of detail, so it’s hard to tell which jobs are best suited for new and recent college grads. My guess is that your best bet is to take a look at the following positions: Administrative Assistant – UGG, Collections Analyst, Product Coordinator – UGG, and Programmer at their Goleta, CA headquarters and Search Engine (SEO/SEM) Marketing Coordinator and Web Developer at their Flagstaff, AZ location. You can apply for any of these jobs by sending a cover letter and résumé to hr@deckers.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear UGGs?

National Safety Council

Willy Franzen — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:00:16 +0000

Last year we took a look at jobs with Phantom Fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July, but this year it’s a weekend, and that means non-profit entry level jobs. I decided to play things a little safer, so my first thought was The National Council on Fireworks Safety, but they don’t appear to have any jobs. That led me to the Itasca, IL based National Safety Council, which is also concerned with fireworks safety. Fireworks safety is just one small piece of what the National Safety Council does though, as their mission is to “educate and influence people to prevent accidental injury and death.” And that’s just want we want to do on July 4th.

Bring Safety to Your Job Search

First and foremost, I want you to focus on having a safe holiday weekend, but after you’ve accomplished that, you might as well combine your quest for safety with your job search. The National Safety Council focuses on safety in transportation, at home, and in the workplace, so they’re much broader in scope than other safety organizations. The NSC works through 39 state and regional chapters that “identify safety needs of particular interest to their areas and deliver community-based programs and services, trainings, conferences, workshops and consultations, and serve as a local voice for safety advocacy.” If that sounds like something that you want to be a part of, then you should check out the National Safety Council’s Jobs page. Right now, they don’t have anything available at their Itasca, IL office, but they do have an Instructor Coordinator position that appears to be entry level available in their Syracuse, NY office.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you safety conscious?

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?

Public Architecture

Willy Franzen — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:14:16 +0000

As much as I should have a great appreciation for architecture because my father is an architect, but I must admit that I’m still not quite there yet. However, as a guy who occasionally builds websites, I fully appreciate “the practical problems of human interaction in the built environment.” That’s why I think that San Francisco based Public Architecture is a pretty cool non-profit. Their logo is their mission statement, and if the font is too small for you to read (ummm can we say problems of human interaction?), then here’s what they do: they put “the resources of architecture in the service of the public interest.” How do they do that? Through a method, a model, and motivation.

Jobs for the Public

This three-pronged approach allows Public Architecture to do some pretty cool things. They are able to take the economic constraints of good architecture out of the picture by using the funds they raise to support projects that they deem important. Their method also allows them to give direction to projects that would otherwise lack guidance (and funds). Finally, through their work they set an example that motivate other architects to commit to projects for the public good. One way that they do this is the 1% Project which “challenges architecture and design firms nationwide to pledge a minimum of 1% of their time to pro bono service.” Overall it’s a very cool non-profit, and certainly one that an architecturally minded new grad might want to work for. Although budding architects would probably be better off actually working at an architectural firm, this Operations Associate sounds like a pretty cool opportunity for other recent grads. They do want someone with at least a year of prior work experience, but I’m sure a couple internships should do. If you want to apply, “send your resume, a writing sample, and a cover letter that explains your interest and fit for the position by email to info@publicarchitecture.org with ‘Operations Associate Application’ as the subject of your email.” They’d prefer if you send it all as single PDF.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Public Architecture?

e-Dialog

Willy Franzen — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:29:09 +0000

Try 5 lessons from One Day, One Job’s Job Search Prep Course Found Your Career for free. It will help you get a job faster.

Nobody likes getting spam in their inbox, but a well-crafted, beautifully designed marketing message from one of your favorite brands isn’t always that bad—especially if it includes a special offer (kind of like the one above). We’ve already talked about Aweber and Constant Contact in terms of e-mail marketing, but today we’re going to talk about a company that does it on a much bigger scale. Burlington, MA based e-Dialog “is the proven provider of advanced e-mail marketing and database technologies, products, strategies, and services for permission-based e-mail marketers,” and they can back that up with a client list that includes the NFL, Nintendo, the NHL, OfficeMax, Harvard Business School Publishing, and many more serious brands.

Start an e-Dialog

E-mail marketing isn’t an easy business, but when you get it right, it’s a gold mine. There are companies who can send out a single e-mail to their list and instantly drive millions of dollars in revenue. I’m guessing those are the players that e-Dialog works with. Here are the 5 ways that e-Dialog helps their clients deliver an outstanding ROI:

1. Sophisticated yet easy to use tools for reporting, message deployment, segmentation, and analysis – considered some of the strongest and most comprehensive tools, as noted by Forrester Research
2. Proactive and reliable account management teams
3. Deliverability expertise, strong ISP relations, and a unique response management team that ensures all messages are properly responded to
4. Thought leadership on e-mail and multi-channel marketing strategies
5. Efficient integration of data from multiple sources and the ability to analyze that data and make it actionable

If you want to learn about the world of e-mail marketing, e-Dialog is a great place to do it. Right now they have 24 job openings in the US, and quite a few seem appropriate for new college grads. These include Receptionist, Software Engineer, and Technical Support Specialist. You can apply online, so head over to e-Dialog’s Jobs page to get all of the details.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you heard anything about e-Dialog?

National Park Service

Willy Franzen — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:37:02 +0000

Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays—not only because it signifies the start of summer, but also because I love small town patriotism. My hometown always has a fantastic parade that is often accompanied by a fighter jet fly over. Now, today’s employer may not immediately make you think of Memorial Day like last year’s did (it was Weber-Stephen, the manufacturer of my favorite charcoal grills), but you’ll realize pretty quickly why the National Park Service is a great choice for today. Not only are some of the parks that they manage great places to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend outdoors, but they’re also responsible for quite a few memorials including The Marine Corps War Memorial, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Korean War Veterans Memorial, and The World War II Memorial. Memorial Day is really about our fallen heroes, and the National Park Service is constantly working to honor them by maintaining and managing our memorials.

Celebrate Memorial Day All Year Long

If you love Memorial Day as much as I do, then a job with the National Park Service might be something worth thinking about. Whether you love the outdoors and want to be at Yosemite, love history and want to be at Lincoln’s Boyhood Home, or love our country and want to be at one of the memorials, you’ll have plenty of options. The NPS is constantly working to preserve “unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” So, how do you land a job with them? You can start at the NPS Jobs page (it has some awesome photos from the 70s), but that will dump you into USAJobs.gov—use this link so that you only see jobs posted from the NPS. There are 163 jobs posted right now, and many of them are entry level, so we’re not going to wade through all of them for you, but you should know that the NPS typically hires in the following areas: Administration, Health and Safety, Archeology, History, Architecture, Human Resources, Biological Sciences, Landscape Architecture, Community Planning, Maintenance and Facility Management, Concessions, Natural Resources, Contracting, Park Police, Cultural Resources, Park Ranger (Protection), Engineering, Park Ranger (Interpretation), Financial Management, Park Site Interpretation, Firefighting, Physical Sciences, and Fire Management. That should help you direct your search on the USAJobs.gov site a little better. Applying for government jobs can be tricky, so be sure to pay very close attention to the details before you send in your application.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite National Park/

Graywolf Press

Willy Franzen — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:13:14 +0000

Although the book publishing industry isn’t struggling like the newspaper publishing industry is, I still wonder what the future holds for publishing. Maybe Graywolf Press has it right—they’re a non-profit publishing house based in Saint Paul, MN. (I hear that the New York Times is now non profit too. badum-CHING!.) Now, I can’t find a mission statement for Graywolf Press, but I’m going to guess that it has something to do with advancing the art of the written word. Unlike Island Press, a non-profit publisher and “provider of the best new ideas in environmentalism” whose internships we featured on One Day, One Internship, Graywolf Press doesn’t seem to have a common theme that ties together the books that they publish. The most that I could find was that Graywolf Press focuses on “introducing and promoting the most exciting and creative writers of our times.”

Howl to Get a Job

To get an idea of the kind of stuff that Graywolf Press does publish, you should check out their website and browse through all of their books. Graywolf started by “working out of a space provided by Copper Canyon Press in Port Townsend, Washington” and moved on to a “print shack” in their founders backyard. They’ve expanded quite a bit in the 35 years since they were founded, and that means you won’t be working in a shack if you land a job with them. Right now there’s only one job posted on their Jobs page, but it’s perfect for new grads. They’re looking for an Editorial Assistant to join their 9 person office. If you’re intrigued by this position, “send a cover letter, resume, and a one-page report on a contemporary novel to jobs@graywolfpress.org.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you read any books published by Graywolf Press?

Sunbelt Software

Willy Franzen — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:08:59 +0000

As you may or may not know, I’m an Apple guy; in fact, I’ve been an Apple guy for close to 20 years (I’m 24). I’ve watched the Microsoft vs. Apple rivalry unfold over the years, and even though the rivalry isn’t nearly as bitter as it used to be, I still enjoy taking jabs at Microsoft whenever I get a chance. You can call it a character flaw if you want. Anyway, the reason that I bring this up is that over the years, Microsoft has enabled a cottage industry (and by cottage I mean insanely huge) for people and companies who fix their products. The antivirus industry alone is worth billions of dollars, and that’s just one example. That’s where Clearwater, FL based Sunbelt Software comes in. They’re an antivirus software company that has Microsoft to thank for much of their success. They’ve been around since 1994 and they’re a member of the Inc. 5000. Seriously, they need to send Microsoft some sort of thank you gift.

Take a Trip to the Sunbelt

I know that those of you who aren’t into software are probably getting sick of hearing about all of the software related jobs are available, but that’s what the job market looks like. Software development skills are still in extremely high demand, and many of the people who are landing jobs are landing those jobs because of their software skills. Luckily, Sunbelt Software’s jobs aren’t exclusively software related, but most of their opportunities require strong programming skills. The cool thing about these jobs is that they’re different from many of the other software jobs out there. The job titles say it all: Junior Malware Researcher and Malware Removal Specialist. Those aren’t your typical software jobs. Other seemingly entry level openings include: Business Support, Software Developer, Office Administrator, Consumer Technical Support, and Data Mining Researcher (not a programming job). If working for one of Tampa Bay’s Best Places to Work sounds good to you, then you can apply by sending your resume in Microsoft Word or plain text format to hr@sunbelt-software.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you think that I’m too harsh on Microsoft?

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 Bronx Defenders

Willy Franzen — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:13:41 +0000

Last night I had some friends over for dinner, and we played a question and answers game. My questions for everyone was “if you got arrested, what would it be for.” Think about that for a second. I’m sure most of you never expect to run into trouble with the law, but not all criminals intend to break the law and not all people who are arrested are guilty. Since you’re a college student/new grad with limited financial resources, how would you afford a defense lawyer? Your parents? (If your parents would pay for it, then maybe you should take advantage of that generosity and have them sign you up for our job search prep course.) Or would you end up needing a public defender? That’s not a good thought – “someone you’ve never seen; someone you didn’t choose; someone you have no reason to trust” is responsible for your freedom. That’s why The Bronx Defenders exists. They “have transformed the role of the public defender by changing the nature of the attorney-client relationship, investing in the communities where our clients live, and striving to create justice for the people [they] serve.” It’s still not pleasant to consider a court case, but having better public defense makes it a little less scary.

The Best Offense is a Good Defense

The Bronx Defenders, like many non-profits, is an organization that you hope that you never have to take advantage of, but if you do, it’s nice to know it’s there. They’ve been around since 1997, and they’re now “poised to grow to over 100 criminal and civil attorneys, social workers, parent advocates, investigators, administrative staff, and community programmers.” They’ve worked with more than 100,000 clients, and that doesn’t even touch on all of the additional community outreach that they’ve done. Despite their focus on public defense, there’s a lot more to the organization than helping out people who are in legal trouble. If you’re excited about what The Bronx Defenders is doing, you’ll be excited to know that they’re hiring. Although the position isn’t posted on their Jobs page, they have an Executive/Development Assistant position posted on Idealist. It seems like a perfect job for a new grad, so apply by sending a resume, cover letter (indicating job title) and 1-2 writing samples to Courtney Libon at courtneyl@bronxdefenders.org. (There appears to be a nearly identical position posted on The Bronx Defenders’ Jobs page as an internship, so we’re not quite sure what the deal is here.)

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about The Bronx Defenders?

Institute for Sustainable Communities

Willy Franzen — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:58:29 +0000

Sustainability has become a major buzzword over the past few years. Anyone who wants to appear to be a qualified leader has jumped on the bandwagon and started using the word loosely. For the most part we identify “sustainability” with the environment, but it can really apply to anything. My definition is something like “helping to create a situation in which you can keep doing what you’re doing for a long time.” It’s really about a long-run mindset instead of a short-run mindset. For Institute for Sustainable Communities sustainability is a long run thing. They’re a Montpelier, VT based non-profit that has had sustainability on its mind since it was founded in 1991 by Vermont’s then-governor Madeleine M. Kunin.

Is Your Job Going to Be Sustainable?

ISC works in a wide range of areas – Climate & Environment, Community Building, Civil Society, Education for Sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship, Health, Social Justice, Youth, Advocacy & Leadership, and IQCs. That seems to cover most of the areas that non-profits generally address, so how does an organization with an $11 million budget take a sustainable approach to its work? Instead of focusing on the actual work that needs to be done, Institute for Sustainable Communities seems to focus on the communities themselves. They try to “build capacity and infrastructure from the top-down and the bottom-up leaving a legacy of leadership as well as enduring results.” That sounds like a sustainable approach to creating positive change to me. If you like what you hear, then you should check out ISC’s Jobs page. They have a number of open positions, but only one appears to be geared towards new or recent college grads – Program/Office Assistant. The job is located at their Washington, DC office, and you can apply by e-mailing a cover letter and resume to ccarpenter@iscvt.org with “DC Assistant” in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever heard of Institute for Sustainable Communities?

Gravity Tank

Willy Franzen — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:14:25 +0000

If you Google “gravity tank,” one result tells you that “A simple, inexpensive gravity tank in a swine manure liquid-solid separation process will help producers control hog odors.” Another says that in a rooftop water gravity tank the gravity pressure is .434 times the height of the bottom of the tank from the fixture in feet. The Gravity Tank that we’re looking for is very different. It’s a Chicago based innovation consulting firm that combines research, strategy, and design to push their clients in new directions. Their staff consists of “anthropologists, former architects, filmmakers, engineers, graphic designers, industrail designers, MBAs, quant researchers, professors, brand strategists, and more.” They’re small, with only 35 employees, but they’ve already some very cool work with some very big names.

Get Pulled In by the Gravity Tank

As Gravity Tank puts it: “Companies call us when they want to enter new markets, reinvigorate existing brands or redefine their customer experience. They don’t want business as usual. They want meaningfully different.” If you have the same feeling about your job searching – wanting “meaningfully different” – then you need to check out Gravity Tank. I’m always fascinated by innovation consulting firms, as they look like some of the coolest places to work in the world. I wish that I could scatter links to Gravity Tank’s site throughout this post to show how cool they are, but their site is entirely Flash based, which means no links. Actually, we can link to some of their job descriptions because they’ve posted them in PDF (and they’re some of the best designed job descriptions that I’ve ever seen). Gravity Tank is currently looking for a Motion Designer and a Receptionist / Event Planner. Both positions have some work experience requirements, but they still look they might be of interest to new and recent grads. Additionally, Gravity Tank is always looking to hear from talented people, so you can reach out to them at career@gravitytank.com. They have a “Meet the Team” link on their About page, which will show you all of the positions that they currently have staffed, so you can use that to be a little more informed if you decide to cold call.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Gravity Tank?

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?

All Stars Project

Willy Franzen — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:56:46 +0000

A lot of companies use the term “rock star” to describe the people that they’d like to hire. I don’t understand why “all star” never caught on – it’s more appropriate. Rock stars come with all kinds of problems and aren’t necessarily the most desirable employees, but all stars are the best at what they do. The All Stars Project is a non-profit organization based in New York City that is “dedicated to promoting human development through the use of an innovative performance-based model.” Even though their logo kind of looks like Rock Bands, they’re all about creating all stars. They do this by “sponsoring community and experimental theatre, developing leadership training and pursuing volunteer initiatives that build and strengthen communities.” They offer a wide range of programs that are centered around theatre and the performing arts.

Are You an All Star?

I could keep blabbing about the All Stars Project, or I could let them show you by doing what they do best – performing in a video called “Singing and Dancing Our Way to Development.”

That video should cover most of what you need to know except what job openings they have. All Stars Project doesn’t seem to have a Jobs page on their website, but they do post their jobs on Idealist. Right now there’s only one opening for an Administrative Assistant for the Director of Youth Programs, but it looks like a great way to get involved with All Stars Project. You can apply by sending a cover letter and resume to Pam Hafer at jobs@allstars.org.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you an All Star?

Condé Nast

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:47:33 +0000

I know that despite the fact that I keep ripping on the traditional media – the old guard – I keep featuring their jobs here. I’m not being a hypocrite. I promise. I know that taking entry level jobs with companies that might not be around in 5 years isn’t the best decision, but if anyone can save the old media, it’s you. The new media has been created by the masses and has originated from young people with new ideas, which is just what these media behemoths need to survive. Of course these companies probably don’t realize how much they need you yet, but they do. Well, if you’re going to get a job in old media – like the magazine industry – you might as well go with the best. Condé Nast has a list of brands that is rivaled by few and includes Vogue, W, style.com, Glamour, Allure, Self, Teen Vogue, GQ, Details, men.style.com, Architectural Digest, Brides, Modern, Bride, Elegant Bride, Brides.com, Lucky, Domino, Cookie, Golf Digest, Golf World, Vanity Fair, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, epicurious.com, Condé Nast Traveler, concierge.com, Wired, Wired.com, Condé Nast Portfolio, Portfolio.com, WWD, FN, and The New Yorker. There’s still a lot of uncertainty in the industry, but those are still great names to be associated with.

Keep Reading for Condé Nast Jobs

There’s not a lot more that I can say about Condé Nast. They’re one of the most respected names in the media, but they’re facing struggles just like everybody else in the industry. With that said, they’re still doing some hiring. Their Careers site provides a lot of information on what it’s like to work for them, and their Job Listings show 18 openings. Of those opening a few appear to be suitable for new college grads, although it’s hard to know for sure because Condé Nast’s job postings are so paltry. We can’t link to their job postings because of the Applicant Tracking System that they use, but you should look out for job titles that include Sales Assistant (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit), Promotion Copywriter (New York), Promotion Coordinator (New York), Online Marketing Data Entry Temp (New York), and Executive Assistant (New York). You can apply for all of these jobs online from the job postings that you find using their search function.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What is your favorite Condé Nast publication?

American Heart Association

Willy Franzen — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 13:06:17 +0000

If your sweetheart is out of a job this Valentine’s Day, then give him or her a gift that shows that you really care. Chocolates, flowers, and jewelry only bring temporary satisfaction, but there’s nothing more satisfying (besides a relationship with you, of course) than a job that you love. Enroll your sweetheart in Found Your Career (our online job search training course) today.

So far my Valentine’s Day related posts have been mostly about consumerism (ProFlowers, OpenTable, eHarmony, Tiffany & Co, and Vosges); however, since Valentine’s Day fell on a weekend this year, I had to find a Cupid approved non-profit. Since today is all about hearts, I thought that it’d be fitting to talk about jobs with American Heart Association. In case it’s not obvious, they’re a non-profit organization devoted to cardiovascular health. Their mission is to “build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.” It’s a simple mission, but it’s not an easy one. Since Valentine’s Day is really about the people whom we love, it’s fitting that we’re talking about an organization that is working to make sure that our loved ones are around and healthy for as long as possible.

Follow Your Heart to a New Job

American Heart Association has locations all across the country and a wide variety of job offerings. The job search function on their website is very easy to use, and it shows that they currently have 66 job openings. They are by no means all entry level, but there appear to be plenty of opportunities for new college grads. Administrative and Development seem to be popular areas for them right now, but there are other jobs as well. Make sure that you don’t overlook the positions with “Director” in the title. Usually jobs like those require significant experience, but the sampling that I looked at typically required 2+ years of experience, which might include some of you. There are literally jobs in ever state, so take a look and apply through their online process. If you have any questions about how to apply, check their FAQ.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Who’s your valentine?

Search for Common Ground

Willy Franzen — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:25:42 +0000

At some point in your life, you’ve probably had a conflict – an argument with your parents, siblings, roommates, or others. Humans inherently have conflicting interests, but that doesn’t mean that common ground can’t be found. Search for Common Ground is a non-profit organization that “works to transform the way the world deals with conflict – away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving.” Sometimes it may seem impossible, but most conflicts can be resolved peacefully through with the right methods. Search for Common Ground uses its 5 core principles to encourage attitudes that resolve conflicts across the world. These are: Conflict is neither negative nor positive; Conflict can be transformed; Finding common ground; Peace is a process; and Humankind is interdependent. If you want to know more about Search for Common Ground’s approach, you can take their Guided Tour.

Searching for Jobs with Search for Common Ground

Here’s a video that goes into greater detail about what Search for Common Ground is all about:

Search for Common Ground currently has about a dozen jobs listed on their Jobs page, although only a few of them will be of interest to new college grads. We recommend that you check out Program Assistant – Sub-Saharan Africa (Washington, DC), Web and New Media Manager (Washington, DC), and Part-time Office Manager (Brussels, Belgium). The experience requirements for these jobs are a little steeper than what we’d usually want to feature here, but we think that you should be able to sell Search for Common Ground on your readiness for the job if you have the right background. To apply, check out the instructions at the end of the job descriptions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Know anything about Search for Common Ground? Leave a comment.

Consumers Union

Willy Franzen — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:05:08 +0000

On Thursday we took a look at jobs with Gawker Media, a blog network that recently sold off a few blogs. One of the blogs that they sold off is one of my absolute favorites – The Consumerist, a blog about consumers’ rights. The reason that they sold off the blog wasn’t that it was unpopular, it was that it was nearly impossible to make profitable because of the need to not show impropriety through relationships with advertisers. Luckily for Consumerist fans everywhere, a perfect solution came about with the purchase of The Consumerist by Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports. Although Consumers Union isn’t a typical non-profit, they do an amazing job of providing regular people with the information that they need to make informed purchases.

No Conflicts of Interest at Consumers Union

One of the most impressive and telling things about Consumers Union is their No Commercial Use Policy:

We accept no advertising and we are not beholden to any commercial interest. Our income is derived from the sale of Consumer Reports and other publications and information services, and from noncommercial contributions, grants, and fees. Published information from Consumers Union, including our Ratings and Reports, is intended solely for the benefit of our subscribers and other consumers, in order to help them make informed choices and decisions about consumer products, services, and other consumer matters. Such information may not be used by others in advertising or to promote a company’s product or service.

That quote pretty much sums it up about Consumers Union. They’re all about protecting consumers, and they don’t let anything get in the way of their mission. If you’re interested in consumer protection, then there are few better places to start your career than Consumers Unnion. A look at their Jobs page shows that a number of job openings that might interest new grads who are looking for work. These include: Media Relations Associate (Washington, DC), Administrative Assistant (Washington, DC), Technical Specialist – Online Advocacy (Austin, TX), Web Applications Programmer (Yonkers, NY). You can apply for each of these jobs directly from the specific job descriptions that we’ve linked to above. We don’t know of any jobs with The Consumerist, but maybe there will be some in the future.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read Consumer Reports or The Consumerist?

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?

Blue Sky Studios

Willy Franzen — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:43:33 +0000

This weekend my Dad e-mailed me about a company that had just moved to Connecticut (where I’m originally from). Connecticut has been working hard to attract the movie industry to the state – they even have what is called a “Hollywood East Task Force” in Hartford – so it’s big news when a company like Blue Sky Studios makes a move to Connecticut because they’ve been bribed by tax credits. It certainly brings a lot of jobs to Connecticut (even though New York loses just as many.) As interesting as it is that Connecticut is trying to become “Hollywood East,” it’s not nearly as interesting as what Blue Sky Studios does. They “pioneer creatively superior photo-realistic, high-resolution, computer-generated character animation for the feature film, television and entertainment industries.” Put more simply, they’re behind feature films like Ice Age, Horton Hears a Who, and Robots, and some pretty cool shorts too.

Live in Blue Sky Country

If you want to work in Animation or Production, there are few, if any, better place to start than Blue Sky Studios. In fact, Blue Sky Country has a comprehensive FAQ on how to break into the industry. Whether you’re interested in a job with Blue Sky or at another animation house, this will tell you everything that you need to do (from high school all the way through college and beyond) to groom yourself to get a job in the Animation industry. That’s a great place to start, but if you’ve already checked off a few things on the list, it might be time to take a look at Blue Sky Studios’ Jobs (or to subscribe to their Jobs RSS feed). We browsed over the listings and tried to find the jobs that might be most suitable for new grads. We came across jobs like Production Assistant, Administrative Assistant (Production), Temporary Animator, Modeler, Character Software Developer, Cloth TD, Materials TD, Character TD, Character Designer, and Designer. It’s hard to say how many of these jobs can be considered entry level, because many of specific knowledge requirements that use jargon that we’re not familiar with, but you’ll have a good idea whether you qualify or not. To apply for a job with Blue Sky Studios, check out the individual job descriptions for specific instructions. Also, if you’d like to know more about what it’s like to work at Blue Sky Studios, you can check out their pages on their Environment and their Process.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Blue Sky’s movies is your favorite?

POM Wonderful

Willy Franzen — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:42:55 +0000

For a long time fruit juices other than orange juice (and prune juice) were largely the domain of young children. I’m not sure why this was, but I still to this day feel like a kid when I drink juice. Over the past few years we’ve seen juice gain in popularity – not grape or apple juice, but more exotic juices like pomegranate, cherry, and acai. POM Wonderful has been one of the companies that profited the most from the upswing in adult juice consumption. Maybe it’s all of the health benefits of the pomegranate that is convincing adults to hit the juice. It’s hard to not like something that improves cardiovascular and prostate health while also improving erectile function. Not to mention that pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants. With those health benefits and great marketing, POM Wonderful is primed for continued success – they’re the largest producer of pomegranates in the United States.

Wonderful Entry Level Jobs

How could you not want to work for a company with “Wonderful” in its name? They make delicious juices, they have clever packaging, and creative ads. They also have jobs all over the world, although their entry level opportunities seem to be restricted to West Los Angeles, CA. Right now there are two jobs available that look like they might be good ways for new college grads to get a foot in the door at POM Wonderful. These jobs are Administrative Assistant and Administrative Sales & Merchandising Coordinator. You can find the full descriptions by visiting POM Wonderful’s Careers page, and you can apply online directly from the job postings. Sounds wonderful, huh?

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you drink POM?

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?