One Day, One Job » customer service

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?

Weebly

Willy Franzen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:53:34 +0000

I’ve been building websites since 1998 (I think). Even back then, there were online services that made it easy to build a web site without any knowledge of HTML. The difference is that now there are services that enable you to make a website that looks good with no HTML knowledge. These website builders are extremely powerful, and server the purposes of most people who want a relatively simple website. Weebly is a company that offers the ability to create a free website and/or blog. They’re based in San Francisco, and they were named one of TIME’s 50 Best Websites of 2007. Weebly has some of the best names in the Venture Capital world behind them, and they’re actually profitable (based on the freemium model).

Be Part of the We in Weebly

Weebly now has more than 2 million users, which means they’re a dominant player in their market. They seem pretty focused on keeping things lean, which means that they’ve been able to achieve these results without having to take on a huge amount of capital. It’s hard to say where the personal website creation market will go in the future, but for now it seems as though Weebly has a strong hold on moving users from their free service to their paid service. They sound like a pretty cool company, and you can get a better feel for them by checking out the company blog or Founder David Rusenko’s blog. If you like what you see, then you should take a look at jobs at Weebly. Right now they have only one position available and it’s does require some experience, but I think that there are plenty of new college grads who would be a good fit as their Head of Customer Satisfaction (Community Manager). You can apply online for the job, and I think that you should probably build a Weebly site as part of your application.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you built your own Weebly site?

Brightcove

Willy Franzen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:45:33 +0000

It took long enough, but Internet video is everywhere. Yes, we had online video 10 years ago, but now it actually looks good—and works. The main reason for this is that end users (you and me) finally have technology in their homes that can handle playing online video. This means high speed Internet connections and computers with enough processing power to not crash when a website uses a Flash video player. The issue for content creators is that delivering video still poses some challenges. Sure, I was able to produce an online job search training course that relied heavily on video with little trouble, but I wasn’t delivering video to thousands or even millions of people (I wish I had the problem). As your use base increases, the challenge of delivering video increase exponentially. Moreover, managing video content in an organized fashion is a completely different challenge than organizing text and images. Brightcove is a Cambridge, MA based company that provides an online video platform for many of the worlds biggest brands.

Are You Bright Enough?

I’ve probably said this before about other companies, but I’m not sure that I’ve seen a client list as impressive as Brightcove’s customer list. It includes names like The New York Times, Discovery Channel, Sony Music, U.S. Army, and Ticketmaster, so you know that Brightcove isn’t just some flash in the pan startup. They have top flight clients who are paying lots of money for the Brightcove platform. With that said, it will be interesting to see how online video delivery develops in the next 5 to 10 years and how Brightcove adapts to those changes. If you want to be a part of the future of online video, then you need to check out Brightcove’s Job listings. Most of their current openings are either experienced or internship positions, but there are a couple of jobs that seem suitable for new grads. These include Customer Solutions Specialist and Part-Time Training Operations Assistant. Brightcove also has a listing for applicants who can’t find a job posting that fits them. Whether you are looking for something in Software/Web Development, User Experience, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Sales, or Business Development, it’s probably worth reaching out to Brightcove to see if they might have something for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you seen websites that use Brightcove to deliver video?

Slide

Willy Franzen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:39:03 +0000

It looks like Yahoo! Finance has taken a page out of my book and used Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list to highlight some companies that are hiring. I found the link on Twitter, and was pleased to see that I had already featured a number of the companies. One that I haven’t yet featured (and don’t remember hearing about before) is Slide. They’re a San Francisco based startup that claims to be “the world’s leading social entertainment company.” I think that’s a bit of a stretch, but they do make social networks more fun for hundreds of millions of people. Their 40 Under 40 CEO is Max Levchin, who co-founded PayPal (which was sold for $1.5 billion to eBay). He is apparently well on his way to having built another billion dollar company, considering the fact that Slide was valued at $550 million last time that they took money.

Slide into a New Job

The basic premise behind slide is that social networks are better when you can bring outside content in—whether it’s sharing something that you’ve made like a slideshow or using an application that allows you to throw sheep. People want customization, yet they don’t have the web development skills to do it on their own. They need help, and that’s where Slide comes in. Monetizing social network traffic isn’t necessarily easy, but Slide seems to be heading in the right direction when it comes to turning their massive traffic into revenue. Not only do their investors believe in them, but so do advertisers like Starbucks, Sunkist, Activision, AT&T Wireless, Discovery Channel, Estee Lauder, McDonald’s, Lionsgate Films, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures. I guess 5 million sheep thrown a day is worth more than I thought it was. Slide is very clearly growing, and as I mentioned in the opening of this post, they’re hiring. Their Jobs page shows more than a dozen open positions, and a bunch of those are suitable for new grads. These include Product Manager, Community Manager, Flash Animator/Illustrator, Flash Social Game Engineer, Graphic Designer, Junior QA Engineer, Linux Server Engineer, OO Javascript/Front-end Engineer, Python Web Developer, and Community Support Representative. You can apply online directly from these links, so give Slide a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Slide?

Tandberg

Willy Franzen — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:57:54 +0000

I think that I’ve mentioned before that my first experience with video chat was was with CU-SeeMe in an Internet cafe in the mid 90s. Back then the potential for social interaction over online video seemed pretty promising, but the potential for business uses (not that I thought about that when I was 13) was even greater. Real-time video has been slower to take hold on both the social and business fronts than I expected, but now that the quality is so good, we’re seeing more and more businesses embrace video conferencing. Tandberg is a company that is at the forefront of this movement. They have dual headquarters in Oslo, Norway and New York City, and they are both “the market share leader and the fastest growing company in the video conferencing industry.” Their 30% annualized revenue growth for the past 10 years may not be Inc. 5000 material, but it’s still hugely impressive.

I Wonder If They Use Video Interviews

While video conferencing can be as simple as opening up iChat and using the built-in iSight in your Mac, Tandberg offers a higher end experience. They offer products and services that offer superior a superior user experience with a focus on business uses. I remember using video conferencing in a class in college, and I was amazed at how effective it was for presenting to the company that we were working with on our project. It’s all about changing the way people communicate, and if that’s something that gets you excited, then you should check out Jobs at Tandberg. They have opportunities in the United States, Asia Pacific, and Europe. We’re going to focus on the US where they have entry level opportunities like Service Sales Account Manager – Western US, Service Sales Account Manager – Eastern US, Training Operations Supervisor (Reston, VA), Regional Support Specialist Chicago, IL or Reston, VA/Atlanta, GA, and Global Marketing Writer (Reston, VA). You can apply for any of the positions by sending a cover letter and résumé to hr@tandberg.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you ever use video conferencing?

Kiva Systems

Willy Franzen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:42:08 +0000

We’ve already taken a look at Kiva, a San Francisco based microfinance non-profit, but today we’re going to take a look at Kiva Systems, a Woburn, MA based logistics and robotics company. They were ranked #6 on the Inc. 5000 this year by growing from $204,000 in revenue in 2005 to $21.4 million in revenue in 2008. That’s 10,399.0%, which is just insane. Their growth is coming from the online shopping revolution, even though they’re not an e-commerce company. This is due to the fact that their automated order fulfillment systems are huge efficiency boosters for warehouse operations. It’s hard to imagine how a Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System works, but once you see the video below, you’ll totally get it—and you will be amazed.

Kiva’s Magic Job Shelf

Since there’s no better way to understand what Kiva Systems does than to watch one of their systems in action, I’ve scrounged up a video to demonstrate what they’re all about (e-mail readers please click through to watch).

As you can see, Kiva Systems has developed technology that is changing the way fulfillment happens without completely ridding the process of humans. They’ve worked with names like Zappos, Walgreens, and Diapers.com, and that client list is just going to keep growing. They’ve only been around since 2003, so Kiva Systems is still a very young company, which means that there couldn’t be a better time to get in than now. They’re one of the most fascinating companies that I’ve come across in my nearly two years of profiling companies, and they’re looking to hire lots of entry level talent. They have a special Jobs page for college students/grads that describes that they’re looking for. They are mostly hiring engineers to join their Software, Hardware, and Manufacturing Teams; however, they also have opportunities on their Professional Services and Customer Experience Teams. You can apply for a job by e-mailing your résumé and cover letter to jobs@kivasystems.com noting your area of interest and graduation date. Unlike items in a warehouse with a Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System, these jobs aren’t going to bring themselves to you, so get to work!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about Kiva Systems?

Rosetta Stone

Willy Franzen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:39:19 +0000

While the Inc. 5000 is filled with exciting companies that you’ve probably never heard of, there are also some familiar names on the list. Rosetta Stone is a popular brand with job seekers, not because of their jobs, but because many new grads decide that they should put their free time to good use and learn a new language. (I think they’d be smarter to invest in a job search prep course, but I’m biased.) Rosetta Stone is far and away the biggest brand name when it comes to learning new languages, so it’s no big surprise that the Arlington, VA based company has grown from $48.4 million in revenue to $209.4 million over the past three years. In fact, the growth has been so strong that they recently held an IPO that was considered very successful.

A New Tongue, A New Job

While many companies in the business of selling content are struggling these days, Rosetta Stone continues to thrive because of their unique approach. They created a system for effectively teaching people languages on the computer, and then they modified the process for 30 different languages. Even though it costs them very little to administer their content to a new customer, they’re able to charge a significant amount of money because of how well their software works. If you love languages, then it’d be hard to find a company as interesting to work at as Rosetta Stone. They have a really nice looking Careers page, but they blow it by listing their jobs on CareerBuilder.

It’s actually relatively easy to browse Rosetta Stone’s 100+ job listings, I’m just averse to anything related to the big three job boards. In fact, you can even narrow down Rosetta Stone’s job listings to just entry level positions. Right now you’ll see listings for Customer Security Representative, Talent Acquisition Coordinator, Customer Care Representative, Associate Product Manager – Consumer Learning Products, and Consumer Product Support Specialist. There’s a good chance that some of Rosetta Stone’s other jobs are also suitable for new grads, but you’ll have to browse through the job postings yourself to find them. Since all of the positions are on CareerBuilder, you’ll have to apply through their website. You might also want to check our Rosetta Stone’s Facebook Recruiting page, where they talk about their campus recruiting.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever used Rosetta Stone to learn a language?

LightWedge

Willy Franzen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:29:21 +0000

The other night I wanted to read a book before bed, but I had moved the lamp from my bedroom into my living room because our hard to reach light fixture’s lights burnt out. It took all of 30 seconds to move the lamp back to my bedroom, but it was a pain in the butt. If only I had a LightWedge—a product made by the company of the same name that will illuminate your book for you. It’s a stupid simple idea that beats the heck out of wearing a headlamp in bed. Oh yeah, and the Newton, MA based company is making a ton of money. Inc. magazine recently came out with their list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the US, and Lightwedge came in at #1,609. That may not sound great, but when you see that they increased from $3.9 million in revenue in 2005 to $11.6 million last year, you have to be impressed. I always say that the best way to job search during a recession is to look for the companies that are growing, and there’s no better way to find those than Inc. magazine’s list.

Illuminate Your Job Search

One of the key contributors to LightWedge’s growth was getting featured on Oprah, but that doesn’t come without having developed a great product. LightWedge continues to expand on their business of developing illumination devices. One of their smartest plays is the Harry Potter LUMOS Book Light, which is currently backordered. It really is a perfect tie-in. Obviously I’m impressed by LightWedge, which is why I think you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a number of job openings that seem like possibilities for new grads. These include Web Site Customer Service Representative, Sales/Marketing Account Manager, Web Design Engineer, and Sales Analyst. Some of these jobs require prior work experience or in-depth knowledge of certain areas, but they’re all worth looking at. You can apply for any of these jobs by sending a cover letter and résumé to work@lightwedge.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you tried the LightWedge?

Mattel

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

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

All Work and No Play Makes You a Dull Job Seeker

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

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

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What was your favorite Mattel toy?

ChannelAdvisor

Willy Franzen — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:48:05 +0000

Now, I know that the name ChannelAdvisor sounds like some sort of new and improved tv guide that you can buy on the infomercials, but bear with me for a second and I’ll tell you what ChannelAdvisor is really about. The simple version is that they’re a Morrisville, NC based company that helps other companies sell online. The more complex story is that ChannelAdvisor “helps the world sell online with solutions for retailers to efficiently distribute their products across multiple online channels, drive shoppers to those products, and then convert those shoppers into customers.” That sounds good, but what does it really mean? Major retailers often have thousands of products. Their first e-commerce priority is to get their products listed on their own site, but after that they want to extend their reach to comparison shopping sites. There are tons of these comparison shopping sites, and they all have different data requirements for listing products. The retailer can try to do it on their own, or they can hire ChannelAdvisor to do it for them.

Don’t Change the Channel

ChannelAdvisor appears to be the best in breed when it comes to understanding online sales channels—just look at the list of respected brands on their customer list. Clearly they know what it takes to drive traffic and sales online. Unfortunately, the story on ChannelAdvisor isn’t all cupcakes and marshmallows. They did go through a round of layoffs last year while at the same time securing $20 million more in funding. The good news is that this resulted in their first operating profit in January. Now that things have settled down, it appears that ChannelAdvisor is hiring again. Their Jobs page shows 15 open positions, and a number of those seem suitable for new grads including Customer Support Analyst, Customer Support Engineer, Inside Sales Specialist (Surrey, UK), and Inside Sales Specialist. All of the jobs (except the one in UK) are in Morrisville, NC, and you can apply for them online.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about ChannelAdvisor?

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?

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?

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?

Wolfram Research

Willy Franzen — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:49:42 +0000

If you’re an Internet geek like me, then you’ve probably noticed all of the buzz around Wolfram|Alpha. Some have dubbed it a “Google killer,” but as far as I can tell, they’re way off the mark. They’re wrong because Wolfram|Alpha isn’t a search engine – it’s a knowledge engine. The goal is “to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone.” The concept is kind of hard to grasp until you try it, but once you see how it works, I think that you’ll be impressed. So, who is behind Wolfram|Alpha? Wolfram, of course! They’re based in Champaign, IL, and they’re “one of the world’s most respected software companies–as well as a powerhouse of scientific and technical innovation.” They’re the company behind Mathematica – a software package that excels in ” computation, modeling, simulation, visualization, development, documentation, and deployment.” I’ve never had the pleasure of using it, but I know math teachers who think it’s pretty awesome.

Join a Powerhouse

From what I can tell, Wolfram is about as academic as a company can get. They use their expertise in computer science to create amazing tools that help smart people do their jobs and research better. Yet, Wolfram’s ambitions go beyond that. This Wolfram|Alpha thing seems to be a well received attempt at going mainstream, and it’s only in its early stages. You have to love a company that is constantly working to make people smarter and more effective, which is why you should consider jobs with Wolfram Research. They don’t have specific job openings listed, but they are constantly looking for people in the following areas:

Algorithm Development
Software Engineering
Financial Engineering
Image and Signal Processing
Control Systems
Geospatial Information Systems
Instrument Control
Experimental Data Analysis
Statistics
User Interface Development
Applications Development
Software Quality Assurance
Technical Support
Technical Marketing
Business Development
Project Management
International Business Development
Special Projects
Mathematica Programming
Information Technology
Customer Relations
Educational Outreach
Technical Writing
Sales
Scientific Business Development
Technology Licensing

There’s a single online application form for all of these positions, and it’s really in-depth. So, if Wolfram Research already has you fascinated and “you’re clear-thinking, pragmatic, and energetic about getting things done well,” then go ahead and apply ASAP. Additionally, Wolfram Research has some Science and Technology R&D Fellowships that you may want to check out. Beyond Wolfram’s headquarters in Champaign, IL, they also have locations in Boston, MA; Oxford, United Kingdom; Paris, France; and Tokyo, Japan.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Wolfram|Alpha’s capabilities?

Harvest

Willy Franzen — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:22:57 +0000

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a fellow Cornell grad named Danny Wen. He graduated a couple years before I landed on campus, but he and another Cornellian named Shawn Liu are also entrepreneurs. After graduation they started working at Internet consultancies, but eventually they decided to go into business for themselves in New York City. Just like me, they decided to solve a problem that they were facing. Unlike me (the guy who couldn’t find a job), their problem was tracking all of the money that they were making. Their response was Harvest, a web-based solution for freelancers and small business to track time and invoice clients. I know that keeping a small business organized is really hard, so it makes sense that a dead simple tool like Harvest would be in high demand.

Harvest Yourself a Job

Now, Danny Wen didn’t just contact me to say hi. Ok, maybe he wanted to do that too, but he has a job for you guys, and he wanted me to share it with you. His company is growing, and they’re looking for young talent to help continue that growth. Right now there’s only one job opening, but it’s a good one. Harvest is looking for a Community Manager to “organize and support the growing community of Harvest users from around the world.” This job comes with all kinds of different tasks, but almost all of it boils down to communication. You need to know social media, be able to write well, engage with customers, and, obviously, manage Harvest’s community. The job sounds awesome, and Harvest also sounds like a pretty cool place to work. The position is Contract to Hire, and you can apply here.

Additionally, Harvest’s parent company (I think that’s what it is) Iridesco is also hiring an Interface Designer, so that’s another job that you might want to check out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Don’t you want to work here?

Ifbyphone

Willy Franzen — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:54:06 +0000

I never liked talking on the phone much. I’m not sure why, but as a kid I never felt comfortable calling people. I eventually got over that, but I’m certainly glad that running my business doesn’t require a ton of phone time – I can do a lot of stuff online. However, if I was running a more phone intensive business, I’d definitely consider using Ifbyphone, a “hosted voice application and platform” run by a Skokie, IL (near Chicago) based company with the same name. Most phone systems require a huge hardware investment, but Ifbyphone’s can do all of the following through their software solution: Hosted IVR, Voice Broadcasting, Toll-Free Numbers, Local Phone Numbers, Call Routing, Virtual Receptionist, Store Locator, Google® Integration, Call Tracking, Dynamic Numbers, Find, Me Call Forwarding, Lead Distributor, Click-to-Call, and Conference Calling. I don’t know what all of those things are, but they sure sound important. Anyway, Ifbyphone focuses on offering their platform to small and medium sized business, and they have $4.6 million in venture capital funding to do it.

A Call to Action

I still don’t fully understand everything that Ifbyphone does, but their demo videos do a pretty good job of describing exactly what some of their offerings do. (And I really don’t like the Voice Broadcasting one. I wouldn’t be happy to get one of those messages.) After looking more closely at what Ifbyphone is about, I can see how the product can add a ton of value to small and medium businesses. It’s pretty cool to see phones getting intertwined with the web, and Ifbyphone is leading that transition. If this is something that excites you, then a job with Ifbyphone is probably worth considering. Their blog has a post about three positions that they’re hiring for. Two are explicitly listed as entry level – Customer Success Specialist and Account Manager For Channel Sales Position. Both jobs offer a great opportunity to get in early at a growing startup, so check out the full descriptions and apply by sending a cover letter and resume to jobs@ifbyphone.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How do you feel about talking on the phone?

Aplia

Willy Franzen — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:45:32 +0000

Part of my daily routine is reading Greg Mankiw’s Economics Blog. When I saw his post announcing that the text book that he wrote will now be accompanied by an interactive learning tool, I was intrigued. I quickly read the Washington Post article that Dr. Mankiw linked to in the announcement to learn more about Aplia, the company that developed this educational tool. It turns out that Aplia, which is based in Belmont, CA, was developed by a Stanford economist named Paul Romer who was very successful in developing a theory to explain why different economies grow at different rates, but not so successful at engaging students. Since Dr. Romer is clearly a problem solver at heart, he developed a product (and company) called Applia that “offers high-quality, auto-graded assignments” and is “dedicated to improving learning by increasing student effort and engagement.”

Aplia for a Job

Paul Romer took $10 million in venture capital to spur the growth of the company, and he eventually sold out in 2007 to Cengage, a textbook publisher. Aplia is now “used by more than 1,000,000 students at over 950 institutions,” so I’ll wager that Cengage is pretty happy to have a successful interactive tool to bring some life to their slowly dying textbook business. Now, the real reason that I got so excited when I first heard about Aplia isn’t my interest in interactive educational tools (although I clearly have an interest there), it’s the fact that I thought they might have jobs. And they do. They still seem to operate separately from Cengage, so they have their own Jobs page (although it’s branded like it’s just for Cengage).

On that Jobs page, you’ll find quite a few jobs that appear to be suitable for new grads. We can’t link to the specific openings because of their crappy Applicant Tracking System, but you should be able to find their jobs easily. They have Content Writer positions in Accounting, US History, Psychology, Biology, and Economics that can be located in Belmont, CA; Boston, MA; or Cincinnati, OH. Additionally there are jobs for an Editorial Assistant, Flash Expert, and Customer Support Representative. The jobs look awesome, so give them a look and apply online if you’re interested.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did any of your courses use Aplia?

Eventbrite

Willy Franzen — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:58:36 +0000

The other night I went to a great event called Out of Work Chicago to watch Jason Seiden speak and to get familiar with job seekers who aren’t fresh out of college. It was a great event, and I definitely enjoyed it. I didn’t need a ticket because I came with one of the featured speakers, but the thought of registering hundreds of people for an event seems pretty intimidating to me. I don’t know if the guys at Out of Work Chicago use Eventbrite, but it looks like the perfect solution for registering and ticketing people at any size event. If your event is free, Eventbrite is free. If you’re charging, they take a 2.5% cut. That sounds like a pretty decent deal to me, considering it eliminates most of the headaches of event registration.

Are You Brite Enough?

It’s cool to see a Web 2.0 startup like San Francisco based Eventbrite that not only has a great product, but also a defined revenue stream. Instead of building hype, they’ve built a simple service that excels at what it does. If I’m ever running an event that requires registration, I’ll definitely give Eventbrite a try. And if you’re looking for a job, you should give Eventbrite a look. Their Jobs page has three openings posted right now, and two of them seem like they could be suitable for new grads. There’s an Account Executive/Sales position that doesn’t require any prior work experience, and there’s also a Customer Support position that requires 2-5 years of experience. That sounds like a lot, but I’m sure there are quite a few of you out there who have that type of experience – even if it was as part of a college organization or volunteer work. There’s also a Senior Software Development position posted that definitely isn’t for new grads; however, I haven’t come across many Web 2.0 companies that don’t want to hear from brilliant Software Developers, so if that’s you, you should definitely reach out to Eventbrite. To apply for any of the jobs with Eventbrite, send a cover letter and resume to jobs@eventbrite.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you registered for an event through Eventbrite?

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?

simplehuman

Willy Franzen — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:42:56 +0000

I hate to do this to you, but today is going to be the third California based company in a row (this one’s in Torrance). There seem to be a lot of jobs out there, so if you want to live efficiently, maybe you should move out there… or you could just furnish your home with things from simplehuman. They “design housewares to make you more efficient at home — from a spoon rest on a utensil holder to a pedal that’ll outlast 50,000 steps, or a paper towel holder that won’t unravel and a dishrack that drains in different directions.” It’s all about wowing people with the mundane. Do you know anyone who loves his or her garbage can? Probably not, but simplehuman aims to change that. (In my college days the most efficient garbage can was the biggest one for two reasons, it had to be emptied the fewest times and you could toss things in from extremely far away.) Now, “efficient living” may have a different meaning to a college student, but simplehuman brings some class to that sense of efficiency. You’ll appreciate it once you get you’re out on your own and begin your journey towards yuppie-hood.

simplejobs

Not only does simplehuman make some really cool housewares, but they also have some awesome looking jobs available for new college grads. Unfortunately, their Careers page actually doesn’t show the same attention to efficient design that their products do. You need to use a pull down menu to check each department for openings and we can’t link to the individual job postings. Right now there is a Product Marketing Analyst job (in the Marketing Department) that is a bit above entry level, but might be worth trying for if you have the right internship experience. There’s also a Customer Service Associate position (in the Customer Service Department) that is perfect for a new grad. There’s a Senior Industrial Designer job in their Design Department, but it’s not entry level. There may be some hope for some Junior Industrial Designer positions in the future though. Finally, there’s a Marketing Program Specialist – New Technologies & Social Media posted on Mashable that looks awesome. It’s worth checking out if your an Internet marketing savvy new grad. No matter which job you’re applying for, you can use their Corporate Job Application form to apply. They’re also open to applications for unlisted positions, so don’t be shy. There are also Retail jobs with simplehuman, but you can check those out on your own.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own anything from simplehuman?

Media Temple

Willy Franzen — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:00:51 +0000

I recently ended up with a good news/bad news situation. The good news was that the traffic here, on One Day, One Internship, and on Found Your Career had exceeded what my old server was able to deliver. The bad news is that our new server costs 8x as much per month. It’s still a relatively small price to pay to reach as many people as we do, but nobody likes to have to spend more money. Luckily, we’ve been relatively happy with our hosting service, but had we wanted to change, we might have taken a look at Culver City, CA based Media Temple. Why? Because they have cool jobs. Cool jobs usually mean happy employees, and happy employees usually mean good customer service. That must be the case with Media Temple – just look at the client list that they’ve been able to score.

Work (and Worship?) at Media Temple

What Media Temple does isn’t very different from 100s of other hosting services. They take much of the technical stuff out of running a website. Media Temple’s advantage is all in how they do things, and they must be doing things right – they were named to the Inc. 500 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies. When a company’s advantage is in how they do things not what they do, it’s all about the people. What really caught our eye about Media Temple was one job in particular on their Jobs page. They’re looking for a Twitter Ninja, and the job description is actually 140 characters – “(mt) needs a Twitter ninja! We’re searching for full-time tweetologists to help our customers. Tell us about yourself: jobs@mediatemple.net.” If you’re a Twitter addict who knows something about web hosting, this sounds like the perfect gig. Additionally, Media Temple is also looking for a Perl Developer and a Customer Support Agent. You can apply directly from their Jobs page, so take a look at Media Temple and see if they’re the kind of place that you’d like to work.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Heard anything about working at Media Temple?

Priceline.com

Willy Franzen — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:39:36 +0000

My first introduction to William Shatner was watching Rescue 911. Little did I know that his body of work extended far beyond narrating a show about real life heroes. I imagine today’s children will have an equally narrow view of William Shatner’s career, as they’ll know him as “Priceline Negotiator.” (Can you read those words without hearing the corresponding tune? I can’t.) Anyway, the whole idea behind William Shatner’s newest role – besides his doing the commercials in return for stock – is that Priceline.com will negotiate the best deals on travel-related items like hotels, car rentals, and airline tickets. They also have a “name your own price” model that used to be the core of their business, but now Priceline has widened its focus to discount travel in general.

Entry Level Job Negotiator

Don’t you wish you had someone like William Shatner to negotiate your entry level job for you too? Ok, that’d be a little weird. Sometimes learning negotiating skills is better than having someone do the dirty work for you. I think that I’m glad that the way we find jobs online is different from the way that we find travel deals online. With that said, you can go to the same place for both if you’re interested in a job in travel or e-commerce. Priceline.com has a number of jobs that seem like they might be well suited to new or recent college grads. In their Grand Rapids, MI office there are jobs for a Japanese Translator and Customer Service Executives, while at their Norwalk, CT headquarters they’re looking for an Associate Regional Revenue Manager – Hotels. You can figure out how to apply from the job descriptions that I’ve just linked to. Priceline.com doesn’t have an About page, so there’s not a ton of information about who they are and what they’re about as a company, so you might want to do a little Googling to get more info.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Priceline.com to book your travel?

Aweber

Willy Franzen — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:27:02 +0000

Last week when I told you about Constant Contact, I mentioned how Jason Seiden and I are using a competing service to deliver e-mails about our job search prep course (if you’re struggling in your job search, you need to check this out – it will help). That service is called Aweber, and their CEO, Tom Kulzer, happened to stop by (yes, CEOs read One Day, One Job) to let us know that his company is also hiring. Since I think that companies with great products and awesome customer service usually make the best places to work, I’m pretty sure that Aweber, which is based in Newton, PA, is the kind of place that you want to work. They’re an industry leader, and they have a gaming room and go carts. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, they’re privately held and profitable, having done business for 11 years.

Jobs in E-mail

Ok, I said this last week, but if you want jobs in your e-mail, then sign up here (they’re delivered by FeedBurner now, but hopefully we can move them over to Aweber soon). If you want jobs in e-mail, then you should check out Aweber. Even though the overall economy sucks, there are plenty of companies that are growing like crazy right now. Aweber has 38 employes right now, and they’re looking to add 5 more people – that means they’re looking to increase their workforce by 13%. They can do this because they offer an affordable service that helps other people make money through e-mail marketing. Of the 5 jobs that Aweber is trying to fill, 4 appear to be suitable for entry level candidates. Three are as Web Developers and one is as a Customer Solutions Specialist. The jobs sound awesome, the perks look sweet, and you can find out all of the details on Aweber’s Jobs page. You can apply by e-mail (big surprise) at resumes@aweber.com, but be sure to read over the specific application requirements first. You should also check out their Core Values too – they say a lot about what Aweber is all about.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever received an e-mail sent by Aweber?

Constant Contact

Willy Franzen — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:40:30 +0000

When Jason Seiden and I decided that we were going to do an online job search prep course, we knew that we wanted to build a buzz before the course was open for enrollment. We decided that the best way to let people know more information about the course was to build an e-mail list. That’s what we did, and very quickly hundreds of people who were interested in the course signed up to be given more information via e-mail. When you need to manage an e-mail list of that size, it’s a lot easier to use third-party software. We went with a company called Aweber, but we looked at a number of other companies that offer similar services. One of those companies was Constant Contact, which is based out of Waltham, MA. As they put it, they help “small businesses, associations, and nonprofits connect with their customers, clients, and members” through “leading email marketing and online survey tools—supported by its expert personal coaching and support.” In fact, if you scroll to the bottom of many of the mass e-mails that you get, there’s a good chance that you’ll see a Constant Contact logo at the bottom.

Jobs in E-mail

If you want jobs in your e-mail, then sign up here (they’re delivered for me by FeedBurner, not Constant Contact). If you want jobs in e-mail, then you should check out Constant Contact. They’ve been around since 1998 and they have more than a quarter million customers. Despite the fact that e-mail isn’t a hot new Web 2.0 technology, it’s still one of the best ways to connect with people in a meaningful way. There’s a good reason that companies like mine pay good money to companies like Constant Contact to provide e-mail marketing tools – there’s a huge return on investment. That’s why it’s no surprise that Constant Contact appears to be doing well despite the down economy. They have nearly two dozen job openings posted on their Careers page, and a few of them appear to be appropriate for new and recent grads (some require a few years of experience). These include Entry Level Software Engineer, Junior Developer (Contract), Business Intelligence Reporting Analyst, Inside Sales Representative (Loveland, CO), Compliance Specialist, and Customer Support Specialist (Loveland, CO or Waltham, MA). You can apply for all of these jobs online, so check out the descriptions and see if anything is a good fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever received an e-mail sent by Constant Contact?

King Arthur Flour

Willy Franzen — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:29:17 +0000

On Sunday morning I woke up to a massive lake effect snow squawl. My first thought was, “I don’t want to go outside today.” Then I realized that everyone else was thinking the same thing and that all those brunch spots that are usually a two hour wait would probably have tables available. Then I wimped out and decided to make pancakes – chocolate chip pancakes. So, I pulled out the King Arthur Flour and searched for their pancakes recipe in Google. I was shocked to learn that this is one of their King Arthur Flour Guaranteed Recipes. If I somehow managed to screw up, they had a phone number that I could call to get someone to help me fix it. Oh yeah, and they’d send me a $5 Baker’s Catalogue gift certificate for my troubles. Luckily the pancakes were delicious, and I didn’t have to take advantage of their fantastic customer service offerings, but the idea that a flour company even offers customer service is remarkable. I always say that companies that treat their customers well make great places to work, and this appears to be true with Norwich, VT based King Arthur Flour.

Get Knighted

I’ve been using King Arthur Flour for a while, but I didn’t think of them as a potential employer until I saw that the Wall Street Journal named them to their list of Top Small Workplaces 2008. The company is 219 years old, has 160 employees, and used to be family owned (now they’re 100% employee owned). Baking is a big deal at King Arthur Flour, which is why “each worker gets a five-pound bag of flour each month and free loaves of bread, as well as a 10% to 40% discount at the company store, which includes a wide array of baking supplies and baked goods.” And if all that’s not enough, they “knight” their employees when they reach service time milestones. You’re probably thinking, “All this for a flour company?” And the answer is “Yes!” There’s a reason that they’re able to stand out in an industry that is about as commoditized as an industry can get. It’s because they offer high quality products (it’s not just any flour), great customer service, and treat their employees well.

How can you be on your way to getting knighted? You should start by checking out King Arthur Flour’s Jobs page. Right now they have 3 opportunities posted, and they all are worth taking a look at for new college grads. They are for a Shift Team Leader – Customer Service, Baking Specialist – Customer Service, and Human Resources Analyst. You can apply by sending a resume and cover letter in Word or PDF format to jobs@kingarthurflour.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever baked with King Arthur Flour?

Rubicon Project

Willy Franzen — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:53:40 +0000

As far as I can tell, now is not a good time to be in Advertising. When the economy slows down, ad sales usually take a hit. I know that first hand, which is why we’ve moved towards offering useful products – like job seeker training – instead of selling ads to employers (remember: all of our daily posts are editorial). With that said, online advertising is still the future, and with the struggles that many publishers are facing, now is a perfect time for innovation. That’s what Rubicon Project is all about. They’re a Los Angeles, CA based startup that is “on a mission to automate the $65 billion global online advertising industry.” This means optimizing unfilled ad space through software. With 300+ ad networks to choose from, publishers just can’t possibly evaluate every ad network’s offers on their own. Rubicon Project can – in a matter of seconds – and then server the most profitable ad immediately.

Past the Point of No Return

According to Wikipedia “‘Crossing the Rubicon’ is a popular idiom meaning to pass a point of no return.” If you take a job with Rubicon Project, you will be past the point of no return towards a successful career in the advertising industry. To get a better sense of what Rubicon Project does, you should check out this video overview and then the rest of Rubicon Project’s videos. After that you can head over to Rubicon Project’s Jobs page. They have quite a few openings, and not all of them require a technical background. Opportunities that might appeal to new grads include Quality Assurance / Technical Support Engineer, Software Engineer, GUI Designer/Developer, Database Administrator, Stats Coordinator, Associate – Ad Network Alliances, Publisher Operations Coordinator/Analyst, Publisher Strategist, and Yield Management Specialist.

Rubicon Project has some interesting application questions because they get so many resumes. They include:

1. What are your three favorite restaurants in Los Angeles?
2. What’s one product (or gadget) you couldn’t live without and why?
3. What’s your idea of a fun night out?
4. How would you describe yourself?
5. Describe an innovative and original advertising idea.
6. What are your favorite websites?
7. And why not include an interesting bit of trivia about yourself.

You can send your answers to these questions to jobs@rubiconproject.com along with a cover letter and resume.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you noticed trouble finding jobs in Advertising lately?

Six88 Solutions

Willy Franzen — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:35:04 +0000

When I interned at Orvis, I got to take a trip to their distribution center in Roanoke, VA. I learned a lot about the company on that trip, and I got to experience one interesting situation. At the time Orvis had a new product – a kangaroo skin hat – that happened to be illegal in California. Unfortunately they didn’t realize that kangaroo products were illegal in California until after one of the hats had already shipped. Apparently every violation of this law comes with a very steep fine. It was understandable that there was a big fuss about this, and somehow the company was able to track down the package before it crossed the California border. Now imagine that your company faces this problem every day. That’s what it’s like for wine retailers – every state has different restrictions, regulations, taxes, and other hoops that you need to jump through to ship wine. That’s where Boulder, CO based Six88 Solutions comes in. They produce software called ShipCompliant that makes it much easier for wine companies to stay in compliance with the law.

Jobs in Compliance

Basically what Six88 Solutions does through ShipCompliant is offer software as a service to wine retailers that “processes direct shipments for more than 900 wine brands across the US.” They “maintain the industry’s most accurate and up to date database of direct shipping rules in order to enable real-time compliance checks and auto-populated state shipping and tax reports.” It’s a business idea that just makes sense. (This is how the government creates jobs, by designing regulations that are so onerous that you need to pay someone to figure them out for you.) There’s no reason that every single wine manufacturer should have to employ a compliance team, so they can outsource to ShipCompliant and keep doing what they do best. The only question is when ShipCompliant will expand into kangaroo hat compliance. So if this sounds like something that you’d like to be a part of, you should check out the Jobs at Six88 Solutions. Right now they’re looking for a Jr. Inside Sales / Lead Qualification Rep and a Customer Service Specialist. Both appear suitable for new college grads, and you can apply online from the Jobs page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of ShipCompliant?

Vosges

Willy Franzen — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:00:14 +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.

Last year we did a weeklong build up to Valentine’s Day – we checked out jobs at ProFlowers, OpenTable, eHarmony, and Tiffany & Co. One obvious choice that I left out was a confectioner or chocolatier. That’s why today we’re going to look at Vosges, a Chicago based producer of Haut-Chocolat. I had a lot of options when it came to picking a chocolatier to feature today, and I probably could have picked one that has more jobs available (your homework can be to go find one), but I picked Vosges for a single reason. They make a chocolate bar with bacon in it. I’ve had it, and it’s awesome. How could you not want to work with a company that is creative enough to mix those two things together?

Delicious Jobs

Have you ever asked someone out and been told, “Yes, when pigs fly?” If so, you might want to give that person one of Vosges’ Flying Chocolate and Bacon Pigs. Ok, I sound like a walking advertisement for Vosges, but I am just wowed by their creativity. It’s not just about chocolate though. Their mission is pretty ambitious – “to create a luxury chocolate experience rooted in a sensory journey of bringing about awareness to indigenous cultures through the exploration of spices, herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, nuts, chocolate and the obscure.” Or as their founder puts it, “Peace through chocolate.” If you’re as impressed by Vosges as I am, then you might want to consider a job with them. Their Jobs page is a little odd, because it starts by talking about the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. They eventually get into the fact that they’re “always looking for high-energy, dedicated team members to join our chocolate revolution.” In other words, they seem more than open to cold calling. In addition to that they also have retail positions at their stores in Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas. But wait… I’ve saved the best for last. Vosges is also looking for a Vosges Chocolate Concierge (Multi-Channel/Customer Service Representative). This sounds like a really cool job, and the description even says that it’s targeted towards current college students who are nearing graduation. The job description is pretty detailed, and you can’t apply by e-mail, so check out the Vosges Jobs page for all of the info. Oh yeah, and if you land the job, you better send me some chocolate.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever had a Vosges Bacon Bar?

Inventables

Willy Franzen — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:38:45 +0000

Over the weekend I was having a conversation with some friends about what kind of bagged lunches we used to take to school. A common theme was the popularity of Lunchables and how it was a rare occasion for most of us to have our parents actually buy Lunchables at the supermarket (I didn’t care for Lunchables, so I was scorned by the group). Lunchables have absolutely nothing to do with today’s company, except that whenever I hear the name Inventables, I immediately think of Lunchables. Inventables is a Chicago based (I think that I can actually see their office from my window) company that helps companies innovate by making sourcing and selling materials and technologies easy. In other words they go out and find the newest, most innovative materials and provide a subscription service that provides information to companies that are looking for new materials to use in their products. They look for materials like we look for entry level jobs.

Are You Inventable?

It’s hard to explain how cool the idea behind Inventables is. You really need to check out their Innovation Center product to see what it’s all about. You’ll also want to check out Inventables’ Customer List and Case Studies. You’ll see exactly how Inventables is changing the face of many companies’ products. One example is with Fossil watches – Inventables provided Fossil with “Inventables’ item ele.222, a combination LCD and push-button switch” which inspired the idea of creating a stop watch that can be slapped to start and stop (so you don’t have to push that tiny little button). Another example of Inventables’ driving innovation is when they provided Micro-Suction® Surface tape to Palm to provide a base for their Treo docks that won’t slip. If you’re fascinated by materials and love innovation, then a job at Inventables is just what you’re probably looking for. Right now they have job openings for a Research Coordinator (may require experience), a Supplier Advocate, and a Client Specialist. There are also always freelance Technology Hunter jobs available with Inventables. To apply for any of the jobs with Inventables, you should head over to the individual job descriptions and scroll down to the bottom – there’s a link to an application form.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did your parents let you get Lunchables? Will your boss let you get Inventables?

GoodBarry

Willy Franzen — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:01:28 +0000

Running a website isn’t easy. I know. Figuring out hosting, updating software, setting up e-mail account, managing analytics, and monitoring uptime are just a few of the tasks that make setting up a website a nearly insurmountable task for small business owners. If you don’t know how to do everything yourself, you need a pro whom you can trust to jump in and fix something when it breaks – even if it’s at 2 AM. Why deal with all the headaches of managing a website (and a webmaster) when you can outsource it all to someone else, like GoodBarry. GoodBarry is an integrated system that allows you to manage your business’ website, e-mail marketing, and online shop while automatically growing its customer database all through one central console. Although it’s not suitable for what I’m doing here on One Day, One Job, I can dream of the day when I don’t have to worry about all the webmaster stuff.

Good(Insert Your Name Here)

GoodBarry has a great product, and they look like a really cool company to work for. “Barry” is the alter-ego of the company’s CEO, Bardia Housman, for when he takes on customer service duties. He’s a customer-centric type of guy, and GoodBarry is a customer-focused type of company. Companies that take good care of their customers are usually pretty good places to work, so we’re going to guess that the jobs at GoodBarry should be worth checking out. Their Jobs page does a nice job of telling their story, so it shouldn’t be too hard for you to get a sense of who they are, what they do, and how you can help. GoodBarry currently has 5 job openings, but only 2 of them are based in the US. In San Francisco, CA they are looking for a .NET Web Development Ninja and a Technical Support Engineer. Both jobs like they might be suitable for entry level candidates, as are a couple of the jobs that they have based in Sydney, Australia – Marketing Analyst and Web Design Ninja. You can apply for all of these jobs directly from GoodBarry’s Jobs page, so check out the full job descriptions and see what suits you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Know any businesses whose websites are run on GoodBarry?