One Day, One Job » Washington DC

The Constitution Project

Willy Franzen — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:06:57 +0000

Who doesn’t love the Constitution? Not only is it an extremely cool historical document, but it also happens to ensure our most sacred rights. You would think that such a document would be written with extreme clarity, but you probably know that ambiguity and interpretation come hand in hand with the Constitution. We’ve seen plenty of fractious debates end up in front of the Supreme Court and get settled with 5-4 decisions. The Constitution Project is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that aims to build consensus on Constitutional issues.

Come to a Career Consensus

Now, don’t misunderstand The Constitution Project’s mission. They’re far from anti-debate; in fact, they’re very much in favor of debate on Constitutional law. They just think it’s important to build some level of consensus on our most controversial legal issues. They do this “through constructive dialogue across ideological and partisan lines, and through scholarship, activism, and public education efforts.” If this sounds like an exciting project to you, then you should check out Jobs at The Constitution Project. They only have one position available right now—Development Associate—and it requires some prior experience, but it’s worth checking out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about The Constitution Project?

Children’s Dental Health Project

Willy Franzen — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:09:17 +0000

Happy Halloween! Yesterday we took a look at Mars and talked about Halloween candy, but today we’re going to take a different tack. Since we’re told from an early age that candy will rot our teeth, I figure that Halloween is the perfect time to discuss a dental non-profit. It’s also appropriate because many people would consider the dentist to be way scarier than even the most deranged Halloween costume. After a little searching, I came across Children’s Dental Health Project. They’re a relatively small Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “advances policies that improve children’s access to oral health.” Now, this definitely does not mean that I think that anyone should give out toothbrushes for Halloween, but make sure you brush after eating all that candy.

Dental Hygiene for the Win

Now, when I was growing up, I always thought it was ridiculous that I had two scheduled dental appointments every year to take care of my teeth, but only one annual checkup with the pediatrician for the rest of my body. Although I’m still tempted to that feel that way, I realize that most of us significantly undervalue dental health. The truth is that tooth decay at an early age will have significant negative impact over the course of one’s life. Considering the fact that of American children “one-quarter will have at least one cavity by the time they reach kindergarten and one-half by second grade,” we need to do better with our children’s dental health (and probably our own too). This is why Children’s Dental Health Project is actively working to:

Prevent childhood tooth decay, because cavities are the result of a disease that is overwhelmingly preventable.
Promote solutions that are grounded in the best available research and supporting exploration when evidence is lacking
Engage policymakers and other decision-makers in addressing ongoing inequities in oral health and to implement cost-effective solutions.

It sounds like a great organization, and although I don’t know if they’re hiring now, I think it would be worth reaching out to them to see if they have anything open—especially if you are a fanatic about dental health. Use their Contact page to learn more about how to reach them.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you brush your teeth today?

American Rivers

Willy Franzen — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:45:26 +0000

I love rivers (mostly because they’re where I usually go fly fishing). They’re the lifeblood of our society, and even though we’ve figured out ways to move water on our own, they’re still a huge part of our infrastructure. There’s no question as to why most major cities sit on the banks of a large river. The problem with that is that it means that many of our greatest rivers have been subjected to significant abuse. Dams, pollution, irrigation, and overconsumption have left many of our rivers in pretty sad states. American Rivers is a Washington, DC based non-profit that hopes to fix this. They describe themselves as “the leading conservation organization standing up for healthy rivers so communities can thrive.”

Go with the Flow

American Rivers focuses on five program—Rivers and Global Warming, River Restoration, River Protection, Clean Water, and Water Supply. These are extremely important issues that are sometimes ignored by other environmentalists. For instance, many environmentalists advocate hydroelectric dams, yet they fail to realize the damage that these dams can do to our watersheds. I’ve also noticed that even the most environmentally conscious cities (cough, Ithaca) destroy their rivers by bounding them with concrete and allowing trash like shopping carts and mattresses to litter their riverbeds. Many of our rivers are healthier than they were 10 years ago, but there’s still plenty of work to be done to ensure that future generations have healthy rivers. Here’s a video from American Rivers that outlines the issues better than I can:

If American Rivers looks like somewhere that you might want to work, you can check out their Jobs page here. Right now they’re looking for a Conservation Associate, which looks like a perfect position for a new grad. Check out the job description for all of the details on how to apply.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite river?

Cultural Tourism DC

Willy Franzen — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:54:27 +0000

Being a tourist is fun, even if it makes you feel a little stupid. The only problem with doing touristy things is that you miss out on a lot of what a city has to offer. Major attractions have the resources, reputation, and connections to bring in lots of people, but they often lack the local feel that tourists often seek. Smaller attractions often struggle to get people in the door, despite the fact that they are many times more interesting than their larger counterparts. Cultural Tourism DC is a non-profit organization that is trying to change that in Washington, DC. They aim to “strengthen the image and economy of Washington, DC, neighborhood by neighborhood, by linking more than 200 DC cultural and neighborhood organizations with partners in tourism, hospitality, government, and business.” It’s a perfect idea for a city that is so packed with history and culture that you could probably do the tourist thing every day for a year without running out of things to do.

Are You a Cultural Tourist?

Tourism plays a huge role in the Washington, DC’s economy, and Tourism DC is doing it’s best to spread that wealth around the city. By helping the less visited tourist attractions and neighborhoods make the connections and partnerships that they need to bring more people in, Cultural Tourism DC is improving the city and bringing tourists to places that they never would have visited before. While some tourists would prefer that cool, cultural places stay “off the map,” they have to realize that “off the map” attractions often disappear because they can’t afford to stay open or be maintained. If you’d like to help people truly experience Washington, DC, then you’ll want to check out jobs at Cultural Tourism DC. Right now they only have one position—Media and Publications: Communications Associate. It looks like a cool opportunity, and you can apply by sending a “résumé and cover letter with salary requirements and two writing samples (one press release and one other) via email to Reply@CulturalTourismDC.org with ‘Communications’ in subject line.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite attraction in DC?

Best Shot Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:56:19 +0000

Some of the most fun that I had during college was playing in a charity dodgeball tournament. My team was doing really well until we ran into a team of future NHL players, pitchers from the baseball team, and some former softball players (they threw underhand, and they threw hard) in the semifinals. That match was pretty ugly, but even when you lose at dodgeball, you have fun. We’ve seen dodgeball gaining more and more popularity, and with that trend we’ve seen more and more non-profits using dodgeball to raise funds. Best Shot Foundation is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is doing just this. They’re an organization that is focused on bringing attention to the fact “that pneumonia kills more young children than any other disease,” and then doing something about it.

Give It Your Best Shot

Even here in America pneumonia can be a major problem for people—especially those whose immune systems are compromised in some way. However, across the world it’s a much bigger problem. According to UNICEF:

Pneumonia kills more children than any other illness—more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Over 2 million children die from pneumonia each year, accounting for almost 1 in 5 under-five deaths worldwide. Yet, little attention is paid to this disease.

That’s a startling statistic. Best Shot Foundation is focused on fixing this problem by focusing on “the belief that increased public commitment will drive increased health resource allocation.” They’re getting things started by organizing dodgeball tournaments at college campuses across the country. I love the idea, and I think that you should help. Since Best Shot Foundation is a startup non-profit, they don’t appear to have any full-time, permanent jobs right now, but they are hiring 16 Regional Tournament Organizers to take on the challenge of running these tournaments. Since finding a job is so tough now, this is a perfect stopgap position to gain some experience for your résumé and show off your skills and abilities. And it could turn into something permanent if Best Shot Foundation continues to grow. You need to do more than just send a résumé to apply, so check out all of the requirements in the job description before applying.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever played in a dodgeball tournament?

Online Computer Library Center

Willy Franzen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:54:49 +0000

Libraries used to be their own little kingdoms of knowledge. If you needed to research something, you’d go to the library and hope that they had what you were looking for. If they didn’t, you were out of luck. The Internet has changed everything. Now we live in a world where our libraries are interconnected and information resources can be shared instantly between institutions. And even there is a resource that can’t be shared electronically, you can track it down instantly. A big reason that this is possible is Dublin, OH based Online Computer Library Center. They started in 1967 as “a regional computer system for 54 Ohio colleges;” however, they have since grown to serving “more than 71,000 libraries of all types in the U.S. and 112 countries and territories around the world.” They’re better known as the OCLC, and they’ve very much an Information Technology focused non-profit.

You Down with OCLC?

OCLC’s vision is very simple: “The world’s libraries. Connected.” They do this through WorldCat (a global network of library content and services), a Membership Association, a wide array of Products and Services, Support and Training, and Programs and Research. Basically anything that helps libraries do their job better by networking with other libraries is OCLC’s realm. If you’re into Information Science, then this is the place to be. That’s also true because OCLC has been named by Computerworld as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in IT for the past 4 years, which is why you should check out their Careers page and job postings. You’ll want to check out jobs like Training and Support Coordinator (Washington, DC) and Software Engineer (Dublin, OH) among others. You can apply online, so get to it!

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How thankful are you for OCLC?

Young People First

Willy Franzen — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:47:48 +0000

I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the plight of “Generation Y” and the bad rap that “we” get, but I think most of it is bunk. Complaining isn’t going to get “us” anywhere. Working hard and taking action will. There’s one exception though, and that’s with the political process where complaining is the preferred way of taking action. Right now we live in an era where older people have mortgaged our country’s future for their own benefit. Yes, they have literally amassed huge amounts of debt to pay for all of things that they want. We live in a Democracy, and there are more of them than us, so they get what they want. And when the bill arrives, they’ll have left the table—to put it nicely. This is a real generational issue, unlike the generational issues that “Gen-Y experts” are constantly talking about. Young People First is a Washington, DC based non-profit startup that is attacking this issue with fervor. They’re sick of “how much lip service was being paid to young voters, yet how little real inclusion in the political process they were offered,” and so am I. Young People First doesn’t have any jobs posted right now (they do have internships), but I’m so impressed with their ideas that I hope some of you smart readers will find a way to work with them anyway.

You First

I believe in respecting your elders. I think that paying your dues is important. But I’m angry that I’m going to have to foot the bill for a government run Ponzi scheme that ignores long-term consequences. Whether we’re talking about the budget, the environment, our currency, or our education system, we’re on a path that can’t continue indefinitely. Young People First is responding to this problem by measuring it first. They’ve created a Future Preparedness Index. It’s goal is to “empower this generation to prevent the next cycle of hidden crises here in the US, and to encourage a proactive, practical approach to successfully meeting our most critical long-term challenges.” There isn’t a ton of information on the organization beyond an interview with founder Zach Kolodin, a Facebook Fan page, and an Idealist page, but their general premise is enough to get me riled up (sorry for the earlier rants). Like I said earlier, they don’t appear to be hiring at the entry level, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t land a job with them. Reach out to Zach Kolodin at zach@youngpeoplefirst.org and see what you can do for our generation.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Young People First?

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?

Oceana

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:47:50 +0000

I love our oceans—everything about them. I love swimming in them, eating the food that they provide, fishing in them, watching sunsets over them, and all of the other wonderful things that they offer. However, our oceans are both blessed and cursed by the same thing—they seem infinite. That’s what makes them so great, but it’s also what has led us to abusing them nearly to the point of no return. A little pollution will disappear in the vastness of an ocean. Overfishing doesn’t matter because there are always more fish. Scraping up the bottom isn’t a big deal because we can’t see the bottom. I wish that oceans were that resilient, but they’re not. Oceana is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “seeks to make our oceans as rich, healthy and abundant as they were in our grandparents’ youth.” They recognize the value of their oceans, and they’re doing something to protect them.

Dive in to a Job at Oceana

From what I can tell, most of what Oceana does is based on advocacy and creating awareness. They do this through a number of campaigns including Stop Climate Change, Stop Dirty Fishing, Stop Destructive Trawling, Stop Seafood Contamination, Cut the Bait, Save Seat Turtles, Safeguard Sharks, Dive Into Ocean Conservation, Surf Into Ocean Conservation, Stop Cruise Ship Pollution, Advocating for Ocean Change, and Protect Prey. This approach makes sense because our everyday choices impact the future of the ocean, and until we understand that, we’re not going to take a collective action for positive change. Here’s what Oceana has to say about their campaigns:

To achieve real benefits for the oceans, Oceana conducts focused, strategic campaigns. Each campaign has a specific timeframe and objective that will make a significant difference to the oceans. Each campaign combines scientific, legal, policy and advocacy approaches to reach its goal. Saving the oceans may take decades, but in each of our campaigns we aim to accomplish an important milestone in that effort within two to five years.

If you love the oceans as much as I do, you might want to consider Jobs at Oceana. Right now they have a couple of opportunities that seem suitable for recent grads. These include Grantwriter and E-Activism Fellow. You can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to resumes@oceana.org with the job title in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you love about the oceans?

College Hunks Hauling Junk

Willy Franzen — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:52:17 +0000

Today is the last day to enter our Maghound Your Way to a New Job contest. With so few entries so far, there’s an excellent chance that you’ll win a one-year subscription to an awesome new magazine subscription service (3 monthly magazines for free!).

I’m still on my Inc. 5000 kick, and today we’re looking at a company whose name immediately caught my eye. They’re called College Hunks Hauling Junk, and that’s exactly what they are. Omar Soliman wanted to make some money during the summer, so he borrowed his mom’s cargo van to start hauling away people’s junk. He then entered his business plan in the Rothschild Entrepreneurship Competition and won the $10,000 first prize. He realized that he had a business that he could grow, and now College Hunks Hauling Junk is doing $2.9 million in revenue. Guess that’s why Omar and his co-founder Nick were named (also by Inc.) as Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30. College Hunks Hauling Junk is headquartered in Tampa, FL, but through expansion and franchising they now operate in Anne Arundel, MD; Baltimore/Howard County, MD; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA; Louisville, KY; Orange County, CA; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; Richmond, VA; San Francisco/San Jose, CA; Tampa Bay, FL; and Washington, DC Metro.

Are You Hunky Enough?

College Hunks Hauling Junk certainly has a provocative name, but that’s part of their success. Finding someone to haul away your junk isn’t that hard, but it’s really easy to go with the brand you recognize. College Hunks Hauling Junk is all about grabbing attention so that they’re the company that you choose when you need to get rid of some junk. It doesn’t hurt that they can call themselves green, as they recycle 60% of the junk that they collect. Now, College Hunks Hauling Junk obviously has plenty of jobs available. If you want to get in the business of hauling junk to pay your way through college, they can help, but they’re also a growing company with growing needs. They have a bunch of corporate job postings that consist solely of titles. Since they’re a college startup, it’s hard to say how much experience they’re looking for with each position, but you’ll have to apply to find out. The posted job titles include Truck Captain/ Wingman, VP – Franchise Development, Client Loyalty Associate (Inside Sales Rep), Operations Manager, VP – Marketing, VP – Public Relations, VP – Finance, VP – Business Development, and VP – Information Technology.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used College Hunks Hauling Junk?

Blue Entertainment Sports Television

Willy Franzen — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:36:53 +0000

Be sure to check out our new contest, Maghound Your Way to a New Job. We’re giving away two one-year subscriptions to an awesome new magazine subscription service that can help you find a job.

In continuing with my obsession over jobs at Inc. 5000 companies (which fits in perfectly with our latest giveaway), we’re going to take a look at Blue Entertainment Sports Television today. They’re a Louisville, KY based “full-service sports and entertainment management, event and production company.” They’ve taken the unified agency approach that you often see in Marketing and Advertising, and have applied it to sports. That means that their areas of work include representation, marketing, promotion, hospitality and events. Their strategy seems to be pretty solid considering that their revenue has grown 4,685.3% over the past three years to $22.9 million.

Are You the BEST?

Blue Entertainment Sports Television is fortuitously named, as their acronym is BEST. I guess you’re well on way to living up to that name when your clients include Magic Johnson, Reggie Bush, Victoria Azarenka, Shawn Marion, Bryan Brothers, and Caroline Wozniacki. Blue Entertainment Sports Television is actually a relatively new brand that came from the combination of preexisting brands SFX Tennis, SFX Events, SFX Media, Game-Seven Sports Marketing, Team Championships International, Blackwave Sports, Humarks, and Worldwide Football and Management Group. There’s actually a case study on the rebranding, and it seems to be correlated with huge revenue growth.

Although BEST doesn’t get specific about what kind of jobs they offer, they do make a call for résumés on their Contact page. To get a feel for what kind of jobs they might offer new college grads, you should browse through their LinkedIn Company Profile and take a look at what types of positions their current employees have. You can apply for a job at BEST by sending a cover letter and résumé to careers@experienceBEST.com. You should also note that they have quite a few offices beyond their headquarters in Lousiville, KY including domestic offices in Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and Washington, DC and international offices in Australia, Austria, Canada, Argentina, and Poland.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about BEST?

Child Trends

Willy Franzen — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:44:08 +0000

Be sure to check out our new contest, Maghound Your Way to a New Job. We’re giving away two one-year subscriptions to an awesome new magazine subscription service that can help you find a job.

Although most people would probably think you were nuts if you told them that you live your life according to research studies, it’s not that far off from what most of us actually do do. We are constantly bombarded with nuggets of information that tell us what’s good for us and what’s bad for us. It’s hard for us not to take to heart these simplified conclusions from actual scientific research. Some of the most publicized research occurs in the areas surrounding child rearing. Child Trends is a non-profit, non-partisan “research center that studies children at all stages of development.” They’re based in Washington, DC and they’re constantly focused on using science to improve the way children are raised. They’ve been around since 1979, so I wouldn’t be surprise if some of their research actually affected the way in which you were raised.

Keeping Up with Child Trends

Child Trends has a number of main research areas including Child Poverty, Child Welfare, Early Childhood Development/School Readiness, Education, Fatherhood & Parenting, Health, Indicators of Child Well-being, Marriage & Family, Teen Sex & Pregnancy, Youth Development, and Children of Immigrants. They pretty much cover everything having to do with children. All of this research is then synthesized into LINKS (Lifecourse Interventions to Nurture Kids Successfully), which is essentially a guide to what works in child rearing—I guess living your life according to the research isn’t all that crazy. If you want to be a part of developing this kind of research, then you should check out Jobs at Child Trends. Although they don’t have any explicitly entry level positions posted, there is a Research Scientist job for someone who has relevant graduate education. They accept applications in a variety of ways, so check out all of the details on their Jobs page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you live by the research?

U.S. Department of Labor

Willy Franzen — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:02:13 +0000

Having graduated from Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, I spent a lot of time learning about work, employment, and labor issues during my undergraduate days. While most people think that Labor Day is all about the end of summer (sorry!) and not being able to wear white anymore, my school ensured that I was made more aware of the history of Labor Day. Oddly enough, ILR didn’t give us the day off from classes, but they did excuse us from classes if we went to a big Labor Day celebration with speakers from major unions. If that sounds like something that would interest you, then maybe you’ll want to check out jobs with the U.S. Department of Labor. There isn’t a more suitable employer to feature on Labor Day than our Federal Government’s Cabinet department responsible for promoting “the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States.”

A Labor of Love

Maybe I’m unique in being fascinated by the world of work, but I think that the issues surrounding employment and labor are going to continue to play a huge role in our economic (and quite possibly cultural) history. The Federal Government has built itself a significant role in these issues through the Department of Labor, and with nearly 20,000 employees I don’t think the DOL is going anywhere in the near future. The scope of what the DOL does for our country’s workers includes:

improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.

This creates all kinds of cool jobs for people who are interested in employment issues. From Statistician to Industrial Hygienist, the range of positions at the Department of Labor is extremely wide. Since you most likely have the day off, you’ll get the pleasure of browsing through the DOL’s Job openings yourself, since there are too many for me to list here. Before you do that, though, you may want to check out the DOL’s Reference Guide for College Students entitled Starting Your Career at the U.S. Department of Labor. It’s not flashy, but it will walk you through the process of getting a job at the DOL.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How are you celebrating Labor Day?

TechnoServe

Willy Franzen — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:00:09 +0000

As an entrepreneur I am a strong believer that businesses are often the best way to solve problems. Don’t get me wrong—I love non-profits, but the ruthlessness of the business world breeds efficiency and effectiveness. We’ve seen plenty of non-profits try to cure poverty, yet poverty remains one of the world’s biggest problems. Lately we’ve seen more and more business based solutions aimed at eradicating poverty. TechnoServe, is a non-profit (the irony!) that is doing just that. They help “entrepreneurial men and women in poor areas of the developing world to build businesses that create income, opportunity and economic growth for their families, their communities and their countries.” What they’re doing may sound like some new social entrepreneurship startup, but they have a 40 year track record of successfully transforming the lives of the world’s poor. I guess business based solutions to poverty aren’t a new idea at all.

TechnoServing Up Some Exciting Jobs

When I first heard the name TechnoServe, I imagined some sort of technology related non-profit; however, that’s not what they are at all. In fact, what TechnoServe does could be considered quite basic. They’re helping people do what other people have been doing for thousands of years—building sustainable businesses. Last year they helped 1,350 businesses generate $149 million in total sales, while in the process touching the lives of 1.2 million people. TechnoServe does this through three key practices: Developing Entrepreneurs, Building Businesses and Industries, and Improving the Business Environment. Over the years they’ve expanded to more and more countries, so they now cover: Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Peru, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, and India. Their U.S. based offices are in Norwalk, CT and Washington, DC; and you can find information on their jobs here. Most of their job openings don’t profile for new college grads and they don’t accept applications for unlisted positions; however, with the right background (they really like consulting experience) you may find a few of their job listings to be a good fit. Additionally, they have a three to twelve month Volunteer Program that can groom you for a job with TechnoServe. Check it all out and see what works for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you heard anything about TechnoServe?

First Book

Willy Franzen — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 12:46:47 +0000

What was the first book that you ever read? Mine wasn’t actually a book—it was a Super Mario Bros. comic book. My parents had decided that it would be fun to take Amtrak to Florida to visit Grandma and Grandpa instead of flying. And it actually was. I spent a lot of the time struggling through the comic book, and then I was suddenly reading. That wouldn’t have happened on a 3 hour flight. Do you have as vivid of a memory of reading your first book as I do? First Book hopes so. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that “provides new books to children in need addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books.” In 16 years they’ve provided more than 65 million books, so you have to call First Book a huge success.

Open a New Chapter with First Book

Considering the fact that you’re probably someone who enjoys reading (since that’s what One Day, One Job is all about), you have to have a strong understanding of how powerful reading skills can be. It all starts when you’re 5 or 6 with a single book, yet many kids just don’t have access to age appropriate books. First Book solves that problem. They also have an awesome way to market their story. By asking you “What book got you hooked?” they’re getting right at an emotional memory. You have to agree that “there are some stories no child should grow up without.” If First Book already has you reminiscing about your early days of reading, then you should check out their jobs. They have two Director level (not entry level) jobs posted on their Jobs page, but there’s also a Strategic Alliances Coordinator position posted on Idealist. It’s perfect for a new grad, so give it a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What was your first book?

Leading Authorities

Willy Franzen — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:44:00 +0000

Events are all about the people. A lot of that has to do with who’s invited—or more importantly, who shows up. You can invite people like Aretha Franklin, Trent Lott, John Cleese, Terry McAuliffe, Steve Wozniak, Brad Paisley, and Darell Hammond, but they’re probably not going to come to your event (if they all did it would be quite a mix). Unless, of course, you’re using Leading Authorities. They are a Washington, DC and Chicago, IL based lecture agency that provides “top-tier speakers and nationally-recognized entertainment acts to events all over the world.” Yeah, you’ll have to pay a hefty sum, but how else will you get an impressive name to keynote your conference or sing at your party? Leading Authorities is also an “award-winning production house” and an event design firm. That means that you’ll be able to make the most of the talent that you bring in for your event—assuming that you, a recent college grad, are throwing a huge event.

Become a Leading Authority

Leading Authorities offers everything that’s necessary to put on an amazing event. They’re especially well networked in the worlds of politics and entertainment, so that’s where most of their talent comes from. If you browse through their talent roster, you’ll find a lot of familiar names and a lot of names that you haven’t heard of. Don’t overlook the people that you’ve never heard of though—they often make the most interesting speakers. To get a better idea of what Leading Authority offers, check out their video below.

If you think that a job at a lecture agency would be cool, you’re in luck because Leading Authorities is hiring. If you head over to their Jobs page, you’ll see that they have a Program Consultant opportunity in their Washington, DC office. The job appears to be suitable for new grads, and you can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to monique@lauthorities.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of Leading Authorities’ speakers do you want to see most?

National Building Museum

Willy Franzen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:10:38 +0000

For nearly as long as humans have been around, we’ve been building shelters—places to sleep, eat, work, and play. And nearly as long as we’ve been building shelters, we’ve been doing it artistically. Function is still our primary goal—it’s the reason that we build things, but it’s amazing how development, architecture, construction and engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban planning come together as an essential part of human culture. The National Building Museum in Washington, DC was started to “advance the quality of the built environment by educating the public about its impact on people’s lives.” Yes, it’s a museum filled with artifacts and objects related to the history of buildings, but it’s more than that. It’s really about “fostering lively discussion about a wide range of topics.”

Building Your Career

I’ve always had a special appreciation for buildings because they’ve fed me, clothed me, and educated me. My Dad is an architect, so artistically inspired structures pay the bills (or at least they did, now it’s helping people find jobs). If you have a passion for buildings, then a job with National Building Museum will lay the perfect foundation for your career. The National Building Museum Jobs page shows a number of opportunities that seem suitable for new grads. These include CityVision Team Leaders, Visitor Services Representative, Development Events Coordinator, and Membership Assistant. To apply for any of the jobs, send a cover letter, résumé, and salary history to recruitment@nbm.org with the job title in the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the National Building Museum?

Green Seal

Willy Franzen — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:25:07 +0000

Whether or not we’re really going through a green revolution is up for debate, but I can assure you that Marketing departments across the world are taking advantage of the public’s appetite for “green” products. Unfortunately, “green” doesn’t really mean anything. To you it might mean one thing, and to me it might mean another. We assume that something that is labeled or advertised as green will be better for the environment, but how do we really know? That’s where Green Seal comes in. They are Washington, DC based “independent non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding the environment and transforming the marketplace by promoting the manufacture, purchase, and use of environmentally responsible products and service.” They do this by certifying products that meet their Green Seal standards. By having an independent third party set standards, consumers can actually make informed choices about the products they buy (as long as they’re Green Seal certified, of course).

Are You Green Seal Certified?

There’s a lot that goes into the certification process, and there are plenty of other organizations and businesses that work in the green certification field. The reason that Green Seal is different is that their “standard-setting process is open, collaborative, fair, and completely transparent.” There are no trade secrets. That means that even the most environmentally conscious customers will be able to know if Green Seal meets their personal standards. If Green Seal meets your personal standards, you may want to think about a job with them. I couldn’t find a Jobs page on their website, but they do post open positions on Idealist. Right now they have two opportunities that appear to be suitable for new grads: Environmental Scientist and Environmental Engineer. The jobs sound pretty similar, and they require a strong science background, so check out the full job descriptions and see if you’re the right fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you try to buy certified products? Which certifications?

American Legacy Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:41:09 +0000

Three months ago when I featured the American Lung Association’s Jobs, I mentioned a good friend who is battling lung cancer. From what I’ve heard, he continues to be doing well and fighting for his life. Unfortunately, I recently learned that my grandmother is also facing a battle with lung cancer despite the fact that she stopped smoking before I was born. It’s obviously very upsetting for my family, and we’re going to do our best to get her through this. I don’t usually like getting too personal with these posts, but there’s no better way for me to introduce the American Legacy Foundation. They are a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.” I’ve seen what tobacco can do to people, and it absolutely amazes me that anyone chooses to smoke these days, but many do. It may be their right to do what they want with their bodies but I’m glad that the American Legacy Foundation is working hard to push them towards a smarter, healthier decision.

Where Rejection Is Good

You’re most likely to have seen the American Legacy Foundation’s truth ads; however, I’m sure that you’ve also noticed some of the other things that they do. They’re working to keep smoking out of movies and to help current smokers break their addictions. They’re also supporting a ton of research. It may seem a little pushy. It may be annoying. But it’s important. We as a society need to reject tobacco—for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our friends. If you agree, then you may want to purse a career with the American Legacy Foundation. Right now the jobs that they have posted on their Jobs page and on Idealist (Communications Manager and Collaboration and Outreach Manager) are a bit beyond the entry level, but you may be able to find something that will work for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How has smoking affected your life?

Lucky Brand

Willy Franzen — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:49:56 +0000

Next March I’m going to regret not saving this one for my St. Patrick’s Day holiday themed post, but today we’re going to take a look at Lucky Brand. They’re a clothing manufacturer and retailer that is “rooted in rock ‘n ‘roll with a signature sense of humor.” Their About page will tell you that they stand for “independent thinking, individual style and a feeling as authentic as love” and that they’re known for “great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans;” however, I think it’s much simpler than that. One of their founders came up with the idea to put the phrase “Lucky You” behind the flies of every pair of pants that they made. It was an instant point of differentiation, and I think that it has a lot to do with why Lucky Brand is going strong 19 years after they started. It really is pure, politically incorrect genius. Lucky you…

Get Lucky

The best way to get a feel for Lucky Brand is to check out their clothes online or visit one of their retail stores. If you don’t get what the brand is about, you’re not going to get a job with them. I think that’s true of any brand, but it’s especially pertinent in industries like apparel where brand is everything. So, what about jobs at Lucky Brand? They have a ton of Store Management opportunities at their retail stores. This may not be exactly what you had in mind post-graduation (or maybe it is), but it kind of offers the opportunity to run your own business—at least that’s what the job description makes it sound like. They have openings for Retail Management in Ala Moana, HI; Miami, FL; Monterey, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; Tampa, FL; San Jose, CA; San Francisco, CA; Austin, TX; Waikiki, HI; Westlake, OH; Los Angeles, CA; Manhattan, NY; Las Vegas, NV; El Paso, TX; Aurora, IL; Chicago, IL; Pleasant Prairie; WI; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Bridgewater, NJ; Elizabeth, NJ; Seattle, WA; Wrentham, MA; Peabody, MA; Boston, MA; Houston, TX; Studio City, CA; St. Louis, MO; and quite a few more locations (although those jobs were posted in March and earlier). You can find all of those job postings on Lucky Brand’s Jobs site.

You also have the option of submitting a résumé for general consideration for corporate jobs in Vernon, CA. I think that this might be worthwhile because of what Lucky Brand has to say about their Internship Program:

The Lucky Brand Fall 2009 Internship Program is intended to help acclimate Junior and Senior level university/college students to our company culture, build on their creativity, and allow them the best opportunity to get to know Lucky Brand. This program is designed to identify, develop and potentially hire top entry level talent.

If they’re looking to hire top entry level talent, then why don’t they have any entry level jobs posted outside of retail? Maybe it’s just a season thing, or maybe they mostly like hiring past interns, but it’s worth investigating. Lucky Brand offers internships in Design, Human Resources, Wholesale Sales & Planning, Accessory Jewelry Design, Accessory Design, eCommerce, and Marketing, so those are areas where they might also have entry level jobs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you consider yourself lucky?

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?

Polaris Project

Willy Franzen — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:27:27 +0000

I know that most of us were taught in school that slavery ended nearly 150 years ago, but, unfortunately, that’s not really true. Slavery and human trafficking continue to plague our world, even though most of us aren’t really aware of it. Polaris Project is a non-profit organization is not only bringing awareness to the issues surrounding human trafficking and modern-day slavery, but also combatting them. They do this by “conducting direct outreach and victim identification, providing social services and transitional housing to victims, operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) serving as the central national hotline on human trafficking, advocating for stronger state and Federal anti-trafficking legislation, and engaging community members in local and national grassroots efforts.” They’ve been at it since 2002 with offices in Washington, DC; Newark, NJ; Denver, CO; and Tokyo, Japan.

Find Polaris

When you look at some of the accomplishments that Polaris Project posts on its website, you start to understand what it is that they actually do. For instance just last year in the DC area, they “provided 28 emergency responses serving 40 girls and women ages 13-42,” “provided individual mental health therapy for 4 survivors,” and “launched a Job Training Program for survivors” among many other things. It’s still hard to believe that human trafficking is going on so close to home, but it is. That’s why the Polaris Project exists, and that’s why you should consider joining their team. Right now they have two job openings in the Washington, DC area: NHTRC Program Associate/Specialist and NHTRC Resource Call Specialist. There are also two openings in Newark, NJ: Outreach Associate (part-time) and Case Manager. Additionally, they have quite a few openings in their Fellowship Program. You can find the specific application instructions at the end of each job posting.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Polaris Project?

Taproot Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:04:30 +0000

As I tell you every weekend, the non-profit world can never get enough top notch talent. Part of the reason is that the careers aren’t nearly as lucrative as private sector careers, but another part of it is that there are a seemingly unlimited number of non-profit organizations out there. Taproot Foundation solves this problem in an interesting way. They act as a project management consulting service while linking top notch business professionals up with non-profit organizations in a volunteer capacity. They typically work with organizations in the areas of Arts, Education, Social Services, Environment, and Health on engagements in the areas of marketing, HR, IT, and strategy management. I’m always impressed by non-profit consulting services, and this appears to be a pretty cool twist on that model.

Tap into a New Career

The way that the Taproot Foundation works is that they recruit a team of 3-6 volunteers to work on an engagement. The teams are typically virtual, and they commit to 100 hours of time over 6 months. Each team member has a specific role, and a clear idea of the scope, deliverables, project plan, timeline, and tools & additional resources that will be relevant to the project. The team will also have the support of the Taproot staff and other volunteers at higher levels. It’s a really cool approach, and the volunteer opportunities sound truly exciting; however, the Taproot Foundation also happens to be hiring. Current job openings that might be suitable for new grads include VISTA Program Development Fellow – Pro Bono Action Tank (San Francisco, CA), VISTA Corporate Sponsorship Fellow (Chicago, IL), and VISTA Eastern – Central Region Program Fellow (Washington, DC). They also have a location in New York, but there’s nothing suitable there right now. Each of the job descriptions goes into great detail, so check them out to get the full scoop on the careers that the Taproot Foundation offers.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

National Archives

Willy Franzen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:46:55 +0000

Since I’m going to have a non-profit for you tomorrow, let’s start celebrating the Fourth of July today. Now, I know that you probably have fireworks, the beach, hot dogs, and hamburgers on your mind, but let’s take a minute to appreciate the Declaration of Independence. It’s the best “I Quit” letter in the history of the world. It’s like that letter that you wrote to your parents when you were 14 and decided that you were moving out, except it isn’t completely nonsensical. The Declaration of Independence has a lot to do with why this country is so great, so I hope that you’ll take a minute to give it a read today. And where do you go if you want to read the Declaration of Independence? The National Archives, of course! You can see the original document in all its glory, or you can check out a more readable version. If you’re not familiar with what the National Archives is, basically they “are the nation’s record keeper.” They preserve and keep forever 1%-3% of our government’s documents for both legal and historical reasons.

Declare Your Independence with a New Job

One Day, One Job has its own archives, but it’s nothing compared to what the National Archives has (duh!). The National Archives serves many constituencies, as there are all kinds of uses for historical documents. These include: the General Public, Genealogists/Family Historians, Veterans and their Families, Educators and Students, Researchers, Records Managers, Preservation and Archives Professionals, Information Security Specialists, Federal Employees, Members of Congress, Press/Journalists, and more I’m sure. You could spend hours learning about the National Archives and what they have preserved, so I’m going to leave that research up to you.

What I do have for you is an inside look at what kind of jobs they have available. You can start learning about what it’s like to work at the National Archives by visiting their Careers page, and from there you can check out their Jobs page. Here’s where it gets a bit confusing because there are a lot of options. You want to select Jobs for the General Public or Federal Career Intern Program. The former takes you to the USAJOBS.gov site where you can see all of their job listings. Right now the best option is Archives Technician, but there might be some other options for you. The latter isn’t actually an internship program; it’s an entry level hiring program. It doesn’t have any openings right now, but it’s worth keeping an eye on because it looks great.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the National Archives?

Racepoint Group

Willy Franzen — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:39:39 +0000

This is a guest post by Heather R. Huhman. Heather is the media relations manager at a national health care professional association and entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com.

“Leverage the power of traditional and digital media relations to elevate premium and emerging technology, health and science brands” – that’s what global public relations agency Racepoint Group works hard toward on a daily basis. While their worldwide headquarters is outside of Boston, Racepoint Group also has offices in San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; a European headquarters in London; and a global network of partners and affiliates spanning four continents.

Racepoint Group’s practice areas include corporate, crisis and issues management, employee relations, financial communications, government relations, marketing communications and public affairs, while their industry expertise includes technology, health and science, social commerce, mobile and energy. And while many agencies claim to be “award-winning,” Racepoint Group really means it. In 2008 alone, they won more than 20 industry awards.

Race to the Finish Line

If you want to be on the cutting edge of the public relations industry, definitely take a look at Racepoint Group. Each of their client campaigns reflect the increasing transformation of media from traditional print and broadcast channels to new digital spheres of influence – blogs, reputation aggregators, e-communities and social networks. And, they have their own proprietary tools to help execute and measure each one.

Racepoint Group is currently seeking an Account Coordinator in its Washington, DC office. Account Coordinators are critical team members who perform public relations tasks such as developing media lists, editorial calendars, speaking calendars, clip reports, briefing materials, draft press releases and press material development. To land this position, you’ll want to have several internships under your belt, strong writing and proofreading skills, and effective verbal and written communication skills.

Interested? Send your cover letter and résumé to HR@racepointgroup.com with the subject AC-Corp or submit your application online.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Need help with your cover letter and résumé—or your entire job search? Heather offers low-cost coaching packages specifically for students and recent graduates seeking careers in public relations. Click here to learn more.

The Rosen Group

Willy Franzen — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:09:13 +0000

This is a guest post by Heather R. Huhman. Heather is the media relations manager at a national health care professional association and entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com.

So much of media relations today is focused on “new” or “social” media, but The Rosen Group still recognizes the importance of “traditional” media. A full-service public relations firm with more than two decades experience building awareness for its clients, The Rosen Group has locations in New York City and Washington, DC. While The Rosen Group is a relatively small firm of 25 staff members, their client list is rather impressive, including PC Magazine, the American Wind Energy Association, Weight Watchers and many more.

Bloom Like a Rose

I know I’ve said this before, but one of the best parts about working at a smaller firm is the level of which even junior staff are involved in each account. This “all hands on deck” approach is not only beneficial to potential clients, but also potential staff. Particularly early in your career, being thrown into such a learning-conducive environment can be extremely valuable. Additionally, the firm was founded and is still run by a 30-year public relations veteran, Lori Rosen. However, other than Ms. Rosen and a few other senior-level executives, the firm is very much “bottom heavy.”

The Rosen Group is currently seeking a Junior Account Executive (Craigslist) in New York. The position requires strong writing skills, and previous internship experience is preferred. Interested? Send your cover letter and résumé to Lori Rosen at lori@rosengrouppr.com. Another good contact at the agency is Thelma Rogel, Director of Human Resources. Her e-mail address is thelma@rosengrouppr.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Willy Franzen — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:12:07 +0000

Once you get your undergraduate degree, you have a choice. You can continue with higher education, or you can get a job. You can start making money, or you can keep spending money. If you’re having trouble deciding between those two options, don’t worry. There’s a way to get a job without leaving the world of higher ed. That’s because The Chronicle of Higher Education, which is based in Washington, D.C., is hiring. As they put it, they are “the No. 1 source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators.” Apparently 80,000 academics and 350,000 people in total subscribe to The Chronicle of Higher Education, while their website gets 12 million monthly pageviews. They were even “ranked in the top 10 of most credible news sources by Erdos & Morgan.” Clearly, The Chronicle is the place to go for information about higher education.

Chronicle Your Success

If you love the world of higher ed, but you’re not quite ready to invest in another degree to hang on your wall, then you might want to look into writing for The Chronicle of Higher Education. If you start browsing The Chronicle’s website looking for jobs, don’t be confused by the link to their Careers section on the left hand sidebar—it’s not what you’re looking for. A big part of The Chronicle’s business is posting ads for jobs in higher education, so that’s why that link is so prominent. To find jobs with the Chronicle, you need to use their Help page, or you could just use the following link to go directly to their Jobs page. They have 3 openings right now, but only one seems suitable for new or recent grads. It’s for a Community Colleges Reporter, and it does require “at least 2 years of writing/editing experience.” It may not be explicitly entry level, but I’m sure that some of you have built up a journalistic resume that will put you into consideration for this job. To apply, send a resume, cover letter, and 5 clips to ccsearch@chronicle.com and use “Job Applicant” as the subject line.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read The Chronicle of Higher Education?

Fleishman-Hillard

Willy Franzen — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:57:25 +0000

This is a guest post by Heather R. Huhman. Heather is the media relations manager at a national health care professional association and entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com.

When I was in college, I wanted nothing more than to work at Fleishman-Hillard. Renowned for their corporate culture, Fleishman-Hillard is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., has 80 offices throughout the world, does business in more than 20 languages and has 29 practices areas. In 2008, the firm’s work and culture earned them the “Best Agency to Work For” by The Holmes Report. But their list of awards hardly stops there, including “103 Silver Anvil Awards, 90 CIPRA/SABRE Awards, and numerous other national and international awards.”

And Fleishman-Hillard doesn’t just win awards outside the organization, but also with its own employees. In 2007, 98 percent of Fleishman-Hillard employees called the firm an organization “of which they can be proud,” according to an employee satisfaction survey. Fleishman-Hillard rewards their employees in return, giving out two awards annually – the “team player” and John D. Graham – recognizing “individuals in various geographic regions for unparalleled commitment to the client, the agency and their team.” Managers also give awards at their discretion for “their heroic efforts.” I’ve known many individuals who’ve worked for Fleishman-Hillard over the years, including one of my college mentors, and I’ve heard nothing but good things.

Be Rewarded at an Award-Winning Agency

Fleishman-Hillard is currently seeking a Coordinator in its Boston office. (Fleishman-Hillard also has offices in Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; London, England; Los Angeles, CA; Melbourne, Australia; Miami, FL; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN; Montreal, Canada; New York, NY; Potland, OR; Raleigh-Durham, NC; Sacramento, CA; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; St. Louis, MO; Sydney, Australia; Toronto, Canada, and Washington, D.C.) This position is a mix of “traditional” and “new” public relations in a large agency setting. Beyond administrative and office duties, the Account Assistant also conducts media relations, media monitoring and reporting, research and other junior-level account activities. The best way to land this position is to have had a prior agency internship while in college, preferably with Fleishman-Hillard itself or another large agency.

Interested? Apply for the job online here. Even though the position is in Boston, much of the recruitment process originates in the St. Louis office. I recommend reading their blog, Stand Out, and the biographies of some of the folks in charge of talent development.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

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/

Vecna Technologies

Willy Franzen — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:48:19 +0000

Don’t get freaked out, but imagine an earthquake. Part of the building that you’re in collapses and you’re injured. There’s no way for you to get out, and there’s no safe way in for a rescue team. It’s too dangerous to send people in to get you out, but your injuries are life threatening. You need medical attention ASAP. Luckily, there’s a BEAR. No, not a trained wild animal (although that’s almost a good idea), but a “versatile, humanoid robot capable of lifting
and carrying humans and other items over 600 lbs.” This isn’t some fantasy. It’s a reality because of Vecna Technologies, a high-tech startup whose corporate mandate is “Better Technology, Better World.” They’re based in Greenbelt, MD, but they also have offices in Skyline, VA; Cambridge, MA; and Silicon Valley, CA. Robotics like those found in the BEAR is just one sliver of the things they’re doing to put technology to amazing uses.

Better Technology. Better Jobs.

Since Vecna works in so many different areas, I’m going to use their words to tell you more about what they do:

Vecna is the driving force on important and exciting projects such as designing cutting edge health care infrastructure and life-saving AI software for hospitals around the world, helping NIH with genomics research, providing high-tech consulting to government and commercial clients, and building enterprise web-based systems. Vecna’s robotics division is making history with the BEAR robot and is rolling out several new robotic products. The breadth of our projects keeps work fun and challenging for the whole team.

It’s really cool stuff, and if you want a more detailed look at what they do, you can check out all of their Solutions.

What about jobs? There are quite a few of them, and Vecna Technologies does a great job of selling themselves as an employer. Their Careers page has a ton of information – even a link to a page that asks Is Vecna Right for You? and a rundown of the hiring process. After checking that out, you’ll probably want to take a look at Vecna’s Current Job Openings. Those positions most suitable for new grads are Electromechanical Technician (Boston Area), Implementation Engineer (DC Area), Robotics PhD (Boston Area), and Software Engineer (Boston or DC Area). You can apply for these positions online; however, Vecna does offer a referral bonus. The process is a bit complicated, but it’s worth it – because I’ll split the $4,000 bonus with you. So, if you’re going to apply for a job with Vecna Technologies, e-mail me at willy@onedayonejob.com first. I’ll get right back to you with the referral #, and you can win doubly if you land the job.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How cool is the BEAR?