One Day, One Internship

QuoteWizard

Willy Franzen — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:58:07 +0000

Most people see insurance as a good thing. I see it as more of a necessary evil. The truth is that the large majority of people are losing money when they’re paying for insurance. Insurers wouldn’t take on your policy if it wasn’t going to be profitable for them. You’d be amazed at how good insurance companies are at predicting risks, which is why their business operations are so largely skewed towards getting new customers. Ever wonder why GEICO, Allstate, State Farm, and other auto insurers are so aggressive with their advertising? It’s because if you sign up, they’re going to make money. This means that generating leads for insurance companies is a huge business, and that’s why Seattle, WA based QuoteWizard came in at #36 on the Inc. 500 this year with 5,950.5% three-year revenue growth. They provide a simple online tool to help consumers find the best quotes for Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Renter/Condo Insurance, Health Insurance, and Life Insurance. By organizing and presenting information in a simple way, QuoteWizard is able to generate a ton of leads for insurance companies—and for every lead they generate, they get paid.

Are You a Wizard?

There are a ton of Internet business like QuoteWizard. They don’t actually sell anything, but they provide information that is extremely valuable to consumers. Lead generation is big business, and it’s all based on being able to drive traffic. That means that online marketing is essential to businesses like QuoteWizard. This includes a variety of different things like content generation, search engine optimization, ad buying, software/product development, and more. QuoteWizard does whatever they can to get people on their site, and then they use their content and the QuoteWizard application to refer people to different insurance companies. If you want to learn about results-based online marketing, a place like QuoteWizard is a great place to do it. Although they don’t mention internships on their Jobs page, they seem like the perfect place to pitch an internship. Their current job openings include Online Media Analyst, Jr. Sales Representative, Online Media Buyer, and Web Developer, so think along those lines when you’re pitching yourself.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you used QuoteWizard?

SCVNGR

Willy Franzen — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:55:56 +0000

I’m a big fan of location based networks. I’ve been using Foursquare since last July, but I have to admit that I’m getting a little bored of it. Facebook Places seems somewhat interesting, but it’s more because most of your friends already have accounts. If I’m going to be motivated to keep checking into places, I need an incentive. Foursquare occasionally gets me something for free, but the gaming element of the service seems like an afterthought. That’s why I was excited to check out SCVNGR when a reader recommended them as a company to feature. They’re based in Boston, MA, and their focus is on getting people to do challenges at specific places and share what they’ve done with friends. Their go to example is making tin-foil origami out of the wrapper from a burrito place and then uploading a picture of it, but I’ll bet that it can get way more interesting than that. For instance, anyone can build a set of challenges and treks with rewards on SCVNGR—I could take the Cornell Daily Sun’s list of 161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do and turn it into a SCVNGR trek. Maybe I could even team up with a sponsor to reward people who knock off certain items on the list. SCVNGR seems like a really fun way to learn about cool things to do and then share what you’re doing with friends. I can definitely see this taking off—maybe I’ll make a trek for getting an internship.

SCVNG for an Internship

SCVNGR is certainly in its early stages, but they’re already working with big names like The Smithsonian, The New England Patriots, and Princeton University. You can see a full list of their clients here. They’re funded by some really well respected names, including Google Ventures, so you know that they’re serious about location based gaming. They have a small team of only about 20 60 people so far, but they’re already looking to add to it. If you check out their Rockstars page, you’ll see short profiles of all of their employees along with job postings for positions in Software Development and Sales. They don’t mention internships, but they have an intern listed on that page. Additionally, I was able to find an outdated posting for a paid Clue Shredding Game Design Internship, so it does appear that they pay their interns. I can’t imagine what kind of challenges are included in their hiring process, but hopefully their app is at least part of it. That’d be pretty cool.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use SCVNGR?

Gazelle

Willy Franzen — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:34:03 +0000

There are a lot of things that you can do to get through college when money is tight. You can get a temporary job, you can do consulting, you can live with your parents, you can sell your blood, and you can even collect cans for the deposit money. But if you’re desperate for cash, you might as well start out with low hanging fruit. There’s a good chance that you have outdated electronics lying around your apartment or house. Maybe it’s a first generation iPhone or a video game system that you never play anymore. Why not sell it? You don’t even have to go to some sketchy neighborhood to find a pawn shop or meet some stranger from Craigslist. You just need to use Gazelle, a Boston based company that provides “a practical, responsible, rewarding way for consumers to get value for used electronics.” The are the “nation’s largest reCommerce company,” and they keep growing—they’re #24 on the Inc 500 list with a 7,119.7% three-year growth rate.

Move Fast Like a Gazelle

Gazelle isn’t just about quick and easy cash for used consumer electronics, they’re also about the environment. They think that reuse is the best way to recycle, so they envision a future where “every consumer electronic is considered for reCommerce and that none ends up in a landfill.” Apparently you can make lots of money and make the world a better place—Gazelle is proof of that. The key to Gazelle’s success is an intense focus on user experience. Selling your stuff on eBay sucks. It’s time consuming, and there’s a good chance that you’ll get scammed. With Gazelle, you know what you’re getting into, and they handle the logistics for you. They may pay a slightly lower price for your stuff, but for many people it’s worth it. If you’re intrigued by the idea of reCommerce, then you need to check out internships at Gazelle. They don’t have any positions posted right now, but I did find this intern experience on the Harvard Business School site. They clearly offer internships, so it’s up to you to reach out to them see whether they’re in Marketing, Software Development, Business Development, or some other area. (And whether they’re paid too.)

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you sell something on Gazelle?

ModCloth

Willy Franzen — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:47:02 +0000

Looking good is key to interviewing well. If you’re not confident in how you look, you won’t be confident in how you speak. Clothes matter. Luckily, dressing well doesn’t have to be expensive. We’ve worked out deals to get you $50 off your first order at Bonobos and free access to Gilt Groupe’s daily sample sales. You’ll look good, feel good, and still have some money left to celebrate landing an internship.

I just got back home to Chicago on Saturday, and I arrived to see the latest issue of Inc. Magazine waiting for me on the kitchen counter. It’s a big day for me because it’s the Inc. 500 issue where they list the 500 fastest growing private companies in the United States. It’s my absolute favorite tool for finding new companies to feature, which is why we’re going to take a look at ModCloth today. They came in at #2 on the list with 17,191% growth over the past three years to get to over $15 million in revenue. And all of that growth has been “built on a foundation of love for vintage and retro clothing.” The company, which is based in both San Francisco and Pittsburgh, was started by high school sweethearts Eric Koger and Susan Gregg Koger, and they aim to “provide a fun and engaging shopping atmosphere” for their customers by using social media to interact with them. ModCloth is big on democracy, so customers actually get some say in the direction the company’s buyers take.

Mod Your Internship Search

The tough thing about being an indie brand is that it becomes difficult to maintain your image as you grow—especially when it’s at a 17,191% rate. By constantly including customers in their processes, working closely with bloggers, and engaging more than 100 indie designers, ModCloth is building a foundation that ensures that they’ll be able to effectively grow an indie brand. Another key part of their growth plan has to do with hiring. Right now their Careers page gives a nice rundown of what it’s like to work at ModCloth and also includes a link to their current openings. They have more than two dozen positions posted right now, but only one is an internship. Right now, they’re looking for a Public Relations intern. There’s no word on whether it’s paid or not, but don’t despair if you don’t want to do PR, but love ModCloth. I’m pretty sure that they offer quite a few other internships, but just don’t have any posted right now. You can always reach out to them to find out more about other opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear vintage clothing?

Ceres

Willy Franzen — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:58:41 +0000

Since I’m too young to remember it, I’m sure that many of you are too. In 1989 “a major environmental disaster shook public confidence in corporate America—the Exxon-Valdez oil spill.” It made the environmental costs of business finally feel real to many people, and it resulted in the founding of a non-profit organization called Ceres. They are “a national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups” that work “with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change.” With the BP oil spill among other environmental crises, it’s quite clear that Ceres has lots more work to do after 20 years of operations. Still, Ceres, which is based in Boston, MA, has accomplished quite a bit in their mission to “integrate sustainability into capital markets.” They launched both the Global Reporting Initiative, which is “now the de-facto international standard used by over 1300 companies for corporate reporting on environmental, social and economic performance,” and the Investor Network on Climate Risk, which is “a group of more than 70 leading institutional investors with collective assets of more than $7 trillion.” They’re obviously a major player in sustainability, and they’re taking the right approach by working with businesses instead of fighting them.

Get Ceres About Your Internship Search

One of the key ideas behind Ceres is their ten principles. It’s a code of corporate environmental conduct that has been adopted by more than 50 companies (13 of which are in the Fortune 500). These principles include: Protection of the biosphere; Sustainable use of natural resources; Reduction and disposal of wastes; Energy conservation; Risk reduction; Safe products and services; Environmental restoration; Informing the public; Management commitment; and Audits and reports. Interestingly enough, many of these principles mirror general good business practices. By endorsing or adopting these principles, a company can “actively commit to an ongoing process of continuous improvement, dialogue and comprehensive, systematic public reporting.” If you like this approach, then you should check out internships at Ceres. Oddly enough, Ceres’ only internship currently available is posted on Idealist. It’s a paid position, and it says that it’s targeted towards grad students, although it’s not clear why they say that in the job description. Interns typically work in areas like research, writing, project coordination, IT and communications, so you have plenty of options.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about Ceres?

CoFed

Willy Franzen — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:00:57 +0000

While my dad was in college, he and a few of his friends started a café. More than 30 years later, that café is still thriving and was one of my favorite brunch spots when I was at Cornell. The restaurant industry usually chews people up and spits them out, so it’s pretty unusual to see any restaurants last that long, let alone one started by a bunch of amateurs. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more college town success stories like Café Dewitt come out of CoFed, which is a Berkeley, CA non-profit that is “empowering students to create ethically-sourced, community-run cafés on college campuses.” CoFed is all about the triple bottom line, as they not only want to start successful cafés that offer delicious food, but they want to do it in a humane and sustainable way.

Get CoFed

If your mouth is already watering, then keep reading. So far CoFed has raised about $10,000 and has teams at 6 campuses across the West coast: Cal Poly SLO, City College San Francisco, Humboldt State, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and University of Washington. Each of the teams gets access to CoFed’s training programs and research, so that they can start with a good chance at success. I’ve seen plenty of campus-run dining establishments forced to close, so I know that starting an on-campus cooperative with a shoestring budget will not be easy. Still, I think CoFed is doing a neat thing in a unique way—and how can you not support an organization that improved the quality of food on campus? If reading about CoFed is making you hungry to learn more, then you should check out their Jobs and Internships page. Right now they’re a bit light on funding, so they don’t quite have the budget for full-time jobs. They’re essentially recruiting interns with the potential for full-time jobs as the interns help grow the organization. If you’re looking for an experience over security, then you should check out their opportunities in Development (this one is the most likely to turn into a job), Social Media, Admin, and Event Production. All of the positions start as unpaid, but may become paid in the future. At the very least, you won’t go hungry.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

American Eagle Outfitters

Willy Franzen — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:00:45 +0000

When I think of outfitters, I think of an adventure. I think of a business that is going to prepare me to fishing, hunting, canoeing, horseback riding, camping, or something along those lines. Apparently my definition is accurate, but the broader definition of an outfitter, at least according to Wikipedia, is “a shop or person that sells men’s clothes.” I guess that makes Bonobos and Gilt Groupe my two favorite “outfitters.” It also means that Pittsburgh, PA based American Eagle Outfitters was accurately named, at least until they started selling women’s and children’s clothing in addition to their men’s line. Maybe that’s why use see them using AE much more often than AEO. I’m sure you recognize the clothes, and you probably have seen one of American Eagle Outfitters 950+ stores in the last shopping mall that you visited. Their brand is all over the place, so it’s hard to miss.

Fly Like an Eagle

American Eagle Outfitters’ target market is “15 to 25 year old girls and guys” who are looking for “high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable price.” It’s a pretty tight niche, but it’s one that they serve well. In addition to the main American Eagle Outfitters brand, there are also Aerie, which means bird’s nest and offers intimates for 13-25 year old females, and 77kids, which is a reference to AE’s oft-displayed year of founding and is targeted to kids aged 0-14. I guess this means that most of you are close to growing out of the American Eagle Outfitters lines, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be completely done with them. There’s always the chance for an internship. AEO’s Careers site is called LiveYourLifeLoveYourJob.com, and it provides a ton of information on what it’s like to work at American Eagle Outfitters. It’s a really well done site, but it’s done in Flash so I can’t link you to specific pages. If you take a look at the College Recruiting part of the site, you can check out American Eagle Outfitter’s Internship Programs which are offered in Merchandising, Planning, Information Technology, Finance, and Retail Management. All of the positions are paid and based in Pittsburgh; however, there’s the chance that other internships may be posted from time to time on AEO’s Job Search page. For instance, they have a general listing of internships along with a Technical Design Internship (NYC) posted right now. Take a look, and see what fits (even if it’s a position at one of their retail stores).

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you wear American Eagle clothes?

Lucasfilm

Willy Franzen — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:00:29 +0000

Let me preface this post by saying that there is no way that I am going to do the topic justice. There’s just no way that I can properly bring to life the story of Lucasfilm when I’m just not all that into Star Wars. I’ve seen the trilogy, and I even saw the one or two of the movies from the prequel trilogy, but I’m not a fanatic. With that said, there are plenty of fanatical Star Wars fans and fans of George Lucas’ work. What he was able to do with late 70s/early 80s technology in the Star Wars movies is incredible, but what’s even more incredible is the excitement that Lucasfilm has been able to build around its franchises—mainly Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Lucasfilm is located in San Rafael, CA, while they also have a large presence in Singapore. They’re a monster name in the film and entertainment industry, and they also have businesses including Industrial Lights & Magic, Lucasarts, Lucasfilm Animation, Lucas Licensing, Lucas Online, and Skywalker Sound.

Join the Force

The truth is that Lucasfilm has a ton of fanatics. There are people dressing up for movie premieres and devoting big portions of their lives to their fandom. This means that Lucasfilm is a dream employer for many, and if you’re not insanely fanatical, you’re probably not going to be a great fit (unless you’re just really good). If you are fanatical, then I probably don’t need to tell you anything more about Lucasfilm. They have an Internships page that will give you the fulfill rundown of “Jedi Academy.” They recruit at about 20 schools, and it seems that their application deadline is usually in mid-February (so you have some time if you’re thinking about next summer). They ask all applicants to fill out a profile to apply for any of the internships, which are offered in game programming and engineering, game art, R&D engineering, software engineering, information technology, web development, marketing, licensing, and production. All positions at Lucasfilm are paid, and you can find the specific listings for internships by browsing their job listings and selecting “Internships” as your job category. Currently they only have positions posted in Business Affairs and Digital Training.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your famous Lucasfilm production?

Ustream

Willy Franzen — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:35 +0000

I’ve never done a live video event for job seekers, though I’ve seen a lot of others in the career space do them. I figure that the video content that Jason Seiden and I put together for Found Your Career is way better than anything that I can do on the spot. However, if you think that a live Q&A or something would be valuable, you should definitely let me know via e-mail at willy@onedayonejob.com. Since you’re probably going to bombard me with e-mails, I’ll probably have to sign up for Ustream, “the leading live interactive broadcast platform.” Ustream, which is based in San Francisco, was founded to enable soldiers stationed abroad to connect more efficiently with their families. The technology required for doing that has plenty of other capabilities, which is why Ustream can be used to broadcast nearly anything—from political debates to sporting events and from move premieres to interactive games. Shoot, Chad Ochocinco says, “Ustream is big for me. It allows me to have a voice.” And

Uhired

Ustream gets over 50 million monthly unique viewers, so they must be doing something right. I haven’t quite nailed down how their business model works, but it seems to be a freemium model. Anyone can use Ustream for free, but if you want extra features you have to pay. There’s also advertising embedded in video streams. Ustream has a huge amount of investment, so they do have some flexibility when it comes to getting to profitability. Remember, delivering online video still isn’t a simple task, so it can be pretty expensive. If you want to add to Ustream’s expenses by joining their payroll as a paid intern, then you’ll need to check out their Internships page. Right now they only have one position posted: Marketing Intern (Public Relations & Social Media). It’s full time and looks extremely interesting, so check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use Usteam?

Caring.com

Willy Franzen — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:00:39 +0000

Over the weekend I was complaining about irresponsible government spending (most of which is the result of the generations that came before us). Now, our parents and grandparents may have left us with a nasty bill to pay, but we still owe them a lot. Which is why I encourage you to take care of your aging parents—much like I do by accompanying my Dad on all kinds of fishing vacations. I’m truly looking out for his best interest. Obviously, I’m being sarcastic, but the truth is that it won’t be that long before we do have to start taking care of our parents. It can be an uncomfortable and unfamiliar situation, which is why resources like Caring.com exist. Caring.com is based in San Mateo, CA and “is the leading online destination for those seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones.” Their tagline is “You’re there for them. We’re here for you.”

Do You Care?

According to Caring.com’s About page, more than 40 million people in the United States care for someone over the age of 50 (like me for my Dad). That’s an astounding number, and it’s only going to go up as the Baby Boomers continue to age. While taking care of children is something that is supposed to be ingrained in our DNA, taking care of aging loved ones isn’t. This is why Caring.com provides “thousands of original articles, helpful tools, a comprehensive local directory of caregiving services, and the collective wisdom of an involved community.” Their business appears to be completely advertising based; however, they’re very upfront about how they separate sponsored content from editorial. If you’re interested in online media or serving caregivers, then you can check out jobs at Caring.com or you can head straight for Caring.com’s internship posting on Craigslist. They’re looking for paid Marketing Interns to assist them in areas like SEO, SEM, Social Media Marketing, and Display Advertising. It sounds like a pretty cool gig, so check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you care for anyone over the age of 50?

BuzzFeed

Willy Franzen — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:00:52 +0000

You know how I know that I’m cool? I saw the Bed Intruder Song video (if you haven’t seen it yet, watch the original version first) on YouTube before you and pretty much everyone else who saw it. Pop culture fluency used to be based on your generation, but now it seems that it has more to do with when you last signed online. If you want to be as cool as I am, you may want to start using BuzzFeed. It’s a website and New York City based company that publishes and tracks viral media. They won’t tell you what’s hot this year or this week, but what’s hot right now this second. It may not seem all that important now, but when you’re out with your friends and they’re referencing the latest YouTube craze, you don’t want to have to sneak away to the bathroom to watch on your phone.

Feed the Buzz

Building a business based on viral content seems silly enough, so it may seem ludicrous that BuzzFeed is building a business based on tracking viral content. Their technology “measures the ‘ViralRank’ of thousands of pieces of content each day and dynamically promotes the content that is most engaging to consumers.” The site gets more that 5 million unique visitors per month, and the greater BuzzFeed network reaches more than 100 million people per month. Those are some big numbers, which is why BuzzFeed is building both analytics software and contextual advertising capabilities—or what you might call monetization platforms for the BuzzFeed technology. If you love viral content, then you’ll want to check out internships at BuzzFeed. Right now they’re looking for paid Editorial Interns; however, they might have opportunities on the Web Development/User Experience side too. Take a look at the job descriptions and get a feel for what BuzzFeed is all about.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use BuzzFeed?

Taxpayers for Common Sense

Willy Franzen — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:00:07 +0000

Yesterday, we talked about a non-profit that helps people work towards personal financial responsibility. Today, we’re going to look at an organization that helps our country do it as a group. Imagine that you are at a restaurant. It’s pretty expensive, but you’ve got some money, so you’re going to have a nice dinner. But there’s a twist. Instead of paying for your dinner, you have to pay for the people who sat at your table before you; and the people who sit down next will have to pay for yours. That foie gras is looking good now, isn’t it? This is how the federal government works. They don’t worry about what they can afford now—they just let someone else pay the bill in the future. If the Congressional Budget Office’s latest predictions are any indication, those of us who are in our 20s are going to get stuck with a pretty hefty tab. It’s the biggest problem facing our generation, yet very few people talk about it. We’re going to be the group that gets screwed—the one that has to pay the tab for the people before us while also paying for our own tab. Just you wait. Not only will we be the generation that stumbles into the “real world” due to a terrible recession, but we’ll also be the one that actually pays for everyone else’s extravagance. Luckily, there are organizations like Taxpayers for Common Sense that aim to reign in the federal government’s wasteful spending. They are a Washington, DC based “non-partisan budget watchdog serving as an independent voice for American taxpayers.”

Some Common Sense for Your Internship Search

Taxpayers for Common Sense aims for “a government that spends taxpayer dollars responsibly and operates within its means,” which is why they “work with individuals, policymakers, and the media to increase transparency, expose and eliminate wasteful and corrupt subsidies, earmarks, and corporate welfare, and hold decision makers accountable.” The organization was founded in 1995, and in just 15 years of operation has helped save taxpayers more than $5 billion dollars. That’s a huge accomplishment, but it’s scary how small that number is in relation to our nation’s debt. There’s a long way to go, and it seems that our country’s decision makers are only getting more and more spend happy. It appears that Taxpayers for Common Sense is mostly an advocacy and research organization, since they can only really accomplish their goals by bringing light to pertinent issues. If you’d like to join TCS and help ensure that the bill that our generation pays isn’t quite as outrageous as it could be, check out the Taxpayers for Common Sense Internships page. They offer full-time, paid internships in National Security, Water Policy, Communications, Resources Policy, and Organization Development. It’s your chance to cut your parents’ credit cards.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

How do you feel about paying taxes?

The Financial Clinic

Willy Franzen — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:54:12 +0000

When I have a personal finance question, curiosity, or problem, I look to Ramit Sethi for help. His book I Will Teach You To Be Rich and blog by the same name are amazing resources for anyone regardless of financial standing or background. Although people love to blame Wall Street and other societal causes for their own financial misfortune, the truth is that a little education can go a long way in helping people achieve financial success. While Ramit provides educational resources for individuals, The Financial Clinic, a New York City based non-profit, provides a more hands-on approach to promoting economic progress. They call it “a Peace Corps for financial stability.” The truth is that most college students and new grads have enough of their own financial struggles, but if you’re the type of person who has a plan and a system, then The Financial Clinic might be worth taking a closer look at.

Walk in to the Clinic

The Financial Clinic was founded in 2005 to help “build working poor families and individuals’ financial security by addressing their immediate financial challenges and helping them create trajectories for long-term goals and financial mobility.” If you replace “working poor families” with “new grads” and “financial” with “career,” then it kind of sounds kind of like what I’m doing. Anyway, The Clinic focuses on five distinct practice areas, which are Assets, Banking, Credit, Debt, and Taxes. They have a ton of resources and partnerships to help them focus programs on each of these areas, but the key to getting the work done on the ground is their Fellowship Program. You can find the full rundown here, but the basic gist of it is that recruits “devote a year to counseling individuals and families through immediate crises such as consumer debt, home foreclosure and tax difficulties.” It sounds like something between an internship and a full-time job, so I figured you’d want to hear about it. I had trouble with the application link, so you may want to use the contact information posted on Idealist, where you’ll also find information on The Financial Clinic’s Unpaid Consumer Law Internship for Law School students.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you financially literate?

Underwater Adventures Aquarium

Willy Franzen — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:55:18 +0000

When I’m doing my daily research and looking for interesting jobs or internships, I often find postings on third party job boards. I’m not a big fan of job boards, so I try to go directly to the employer’s site to get information on the opportunities. Today I was Googling an internship, and the first result was completely unrelated. Luckily, it was a way more interesting internship with Underwater Adventures Aquarium at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. It’s the world’s largest underground aquarium, and it’s just the kind of place that you might end up at during a summer vacation road trip. They say it’s like scuba diving without getting wet. There are 1.2 million gallons of water, and there’s a “300 foot-long curved tunnel, complete with a moving walkway that simulates a scuba diving adventure.” Underwater Adventures has sharks, octopuses, jellyfish, and all kinds of fish, and you can watch them all get fed. They even offer birthday parties where you can sleep with the sharks.

Take Your Internship Search Underwater

Judging from the excitement that Shark Week generates among my friends, there are plenty of you who would love to work at an aquarium. Whether it’s sharks, sea turtles, boring old fish, or one of their other 5,000 aquatic creatures that get you excited, Underwater Adventures (which will soon be rebranded as Sea Life Centres) is worth checking out. They don’t really have a great About page, so the Wikipedia article on them is the best place to get background information (beyond making a visit, of course). If you like what you see, then you should consider internships at Underwater Adventures Aquarium. The internship that I mentioned before is in Animal Husbandry and it’s unpaid, but there are also jobs like Animal Interpreter, Box Office Sales, Energetic Mascot, On-site Educator, and Outreach Educator that might be suitable alternatives to an internship. Take a look, hold your nose, and dive in.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited Underwater Adventures Aquarium?

New York Daily News

Willy Franzen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:42:01 +0000

I honestly can’t tell you when the last time that I picked up a newspaper was. It’s not that I’m sequestering myself from current events, it’s just that I do most of my media consumption online because it’s so easy. Obviously, attitudes like mine are causing a lot of distress in the newspaper industry, but I think there’s still a great business in delivering quality content. One area where online media kicks traditional media’s butt is in grabbing eyeballs. Sensationalism sells, and most newspapers still haven’t grasped that. However, tabloids, especially those based in New York, have always known how to get attention. That’s why there’s a good chance that I’ll pick up a copy of the New York Daily News if it’s sitting on a table at the coffee shop that my parents like to take me to back in Connecticut (where I’m headed this morning). It may not be the most reliable source for information or the most academic, but you have to love the fact that the New York Daily News understands the psychology of its readers and uses that knowledge to convince them to read. It doesn’t matter how great the writing is if nobody reads it.

Daily Internships, Daily News

The New York Daily News was founded in 1919 and has had a tumultuous history and has nearly gone out of business multiple times. Today, however, they are the fifth most widely circulated newspaper in the United States, printing 535,059 issues on a daily basis. Up until 1991 the New York Daily News was owned and operated by the Tribune Company, but it is now owned by Mort Zuckerman. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an About page for the Daily News, so I recommend that you check out its Wikipedia entry to get the full story. Along with having no About page, the Daily News also has a shoddy Jobs page, even if they say that its their “great employees” that make them “a great news organization.” They don’t actually list jobs or internships, but they do mention that they typically hire in the areas of Advertising, Circulation, Marketing, Production, Technology, Finance, and Digital. I’m pretty sure that you can add Editorial and Writing to that list too, and probably Social Media too. They recommend that candidates reach out to them at resumes@nydailynews.com, and it looks like that may be worthwhile; however, you may also want to check out this posting on Ed2010 for unpaid Social Media and Photo Gallery Interns. To apply for either of those positions, you can reach out to ncarter@nydailynews.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you read the New York Daily News?

Aprimo

Willy Franzen — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:03:12 +0000

A company’s marketing is usually done by one of two groups—an internal marketing team or an integrated marketing agency that is hired by the company. I’m sure there are some exceptions, but most brands fall into one of those two buckets; however, marketing software is carving out a growing piece of marketing budgets. Automation is a wonderful thing, and as marketing becomes more analytics and results based, automation gets easier. Agencies and marketing teams aren’t anywhere near being replaced by computers (but I guess it’s possible in the future), but software can really change how brands approach their marketing. Aprimo is an Indianapolis, IN based company that provides integrated marketing software. They serve both B2B and B2C clients with software that aids in areas including “campaign management, lead management, brand management, e-mail marketing, event management, performance management, social marketing, spend management, and workflow & project management.”

Primo Internships

When I cover integrated marketing agencies, I usually take a look at their clients to see what kind of names they’re working with. When I did the same with Aprimo, I saw that their clients include Merrill Lynch, Warner Brothers, Bank of America, and quite a few other recognizable names. You can read through Aprimo’s success stories for both B2C clients and B2B Clients. I know that it’s hard to grasp exactly what Aprimo does, because their website is definitely focused towards potential clients, but looking through their B2C Solutions, B2B Solutions, and Services will definitely help you start to get a feel for what integrated marketing software does. Once you do that, you should check out Aprimo’s Careers page, where you’ll learn all about working at Aprimo and see that they’ve been named one of Indiana’s Best Places to Work. You can also take a look at Aprimo’s current openings, which includes internships in Social Media, Website Administration, and Market Development/Inside Sales. They don’t mention whether the positions are paid or not.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Aprimo?

IGT

Willy Franzen — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:53:42 +0000

My family is in Colorado Springs this week, and we’re staying at an amazing ranch on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. Yesterday we went back to civilization for the first time, and we decided to visit Cripple Creek—an old mining town that was home to “the last great Colorado gold rush” and more than half a billion dollars in gold ore. Unfortunately gold mining can only last so long, and Cripple Creek eventually became a ghost town. In 1991 voters legalized gambling in Cripple Creek, and the city was reinvigorated, albeit with most of the storefronts inhabited with gaming establishments. Our visit was interrupted by a massive hail storm, so we waited in the car until it let up a bit and ran into the first restaurant we could find. Turns out that it was a restaurant inside of a casino, and we had to walk past a bunch of slots and other machines to get a bite to eat. Of course, I couldn’t make it past the Game King video poker machine without playing, and luckily I came away from “lunch” 90 bucks richer. That gave me the idea to take a look at IGT (International Game Technology), the Reno, NV based gaming company that designs and manufactures the Game King machine among many other casino machines.

A Jackpot for Your Internship Search

IGT calls itself “the leading company specializing in design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming equipment, software and network systems worldwide.” And that seems fair considering how ubiquitous their machines seem to be on casino floors. I guess that’s why they just won 16 awards from Casino Player Magazine’s Best of Gaming Reader Poll—the most of any manufacturer. IGT’s success spans across types of gaming machines; however, some of their biggest successes have come with cobranded machines like the Wheel of Fortune slots. The only issue with IGT seems to be that they’re extremely sensitive to the recession, as any player in the gaming or hospitality industry will be. Judging from both their Job postings and LinkedIn, it appears that even intern hiring might have cooled off a little bit. However, IGT just named a new VP of HR, so that may get things going again.

IGT is really big on campus recruiting, and they seem to put a lot of effort into their University Relations presence for both entry level hires and internships (which I’d guess are paid). You can get an overview of the types of opportunities available at IGT here, and they include positions in Accounting & Finance, Administrative Services, Casino Services/Casino Support & Training, Corporate Strategy, Engineering, Facilities & Security, Game Design/Art, Human Resources, Information Systems/ERP, Legal/Compliance, Manufacturing & Operations, Marketing, Product Management, Sales & Business Development, and Technical Documentation/Drafting. You can also take a look at IGT’s Employee Profiles, which includes interns, to get a better feel for the positions that you might be interested in (most of which are located in Reno and Las Vegas, but they also have opportunities in nearly any area where gambling is big). Unfortunately, IGT doesn’t seem to provide an HR contact on their website, and their applicant tracking system is terrible. To apply for an unlisted position (since it’s off cycle for college recruiting right now), I recommend that you try reaching out to them at Careers@IGT.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you played any IGT games?

Somark Innovations

Willy Franzen — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:49:53 +0000

If you’re anything like me, you’ve run into this problem before. You’re sitting around the house, and your lab mice are frolicking around. One of them starts misbehaving and you need to scold it, but you can’t because you don’t know it’s name. They all look the same, and you are completely clueless as to who the troublemaker is. Ok, I actually don’t have mice in my house, and I hope that you don’t either, but if you’ve ever worked with lab mice you probably know that identifying them is kind of important.Somark Innovation is a San Diego, CA based company that makes that a lot easier. They’ve developed technology called Labstamp that “applies automated tail tattoos for mouse identification.” The tattoos are human readable, permanent, and available with 46,656 unique alpha-numeric IDs.

San Diego Ink

I know that a lot of people don’t love the idea of animal testing, but it’s essential to all kinds of scientific research. Somark Innovations provides technology that makes testing with mice more cost effective and less prone to mistakes. It may seem stupid, but proper identification of lab mice can be absolutely essential to the success of a given study. There’s a version of Labstamp on its way for lab rats, and I’m interested to see how else Somark Innovations uses their technology going forward. Some of the earlier press on Somark Innovations mentions “chipless RFID tattoos,” which sounds really cool, but it doesn’t seem to be mentioned on their site anymore. Somark Innovations also doesn’t mention a Jobs or Internships page, but they do note on their Team page that they’re “always looking for more team members, especially engineers” and “if you would like to learn more about joining the SOMARK team, please send a note to LearnMore@somarkinnovations.com.” Additionally, I found a posting that they made for a paid Marketing Intern. Check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you get a tattoo on your tail?

OneAmerica

Willy Franzen — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:05:21 +0000

Watching the fighter jets scream across the sky during practice runs for the Chicago Air and Water show reminded me of September 11th. I was standing on the beach watching smoke billow from the Twin Towers and could see fighter jets—the only planes in the sky—cruising along as they patrolled the air. I also remember having a sense of anger, and wanting to have someone to blame for the atrocities. I think that most people shared that feeling, at least initially, but some were far less rational about how they dealt with it. September 11th was obviously a terrible day for every American, but it was also the day when life got much harder for people in American of Arab, Muslim, South Asian and other backgrounds. That’s why Seattle, WA based OneAmerica (formerly Hate Free Zone) was founded immediately after September 11th. Their mission is “to advance the fundamental principles of democracy and justice through building power in immigrant communities, in collaboration with key allies.”

OneAmerica OneYou

Beyond facing discrimination, Arabs, Muslims, South Asians in America have also been adversely affected by new government policies. OneAmerica helps give these people a voice in the political process. By working directly in the affected communities, OneAmerica is able to build trust and get people mobilized in a way that can make a difference. OneAmerica does this by focusing on four areas: Civic Engagement, Community Organizing, Policy Advocacy and Research, and Communications and Media. If you’d like to be a part of the work that OneAmerica is doing, then you should take a look at their internships on Idealist. Right now they’re looking for an unpaid Washington New Americans Intern. It looks like they’re flexible on dates, so give them a look and see what makes sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think about OneAmerica?

Malaria No More

Willy Franzen — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:50:15 +0000

Today we’re going to start with a mind boggling fact. Half of human deaths since the stone age can be attributed to malaria. Half. Starvation, war, cancer, AIDS, and natural disasters have nothing on a tiny little parasite. Chances are that you grew up in a place without malaria. You may have used insect repellent, but was to avoid having an annoying buzz in your ear and a few itchy bumps on your arms or legs. It wasn’t a life or death situation. Unfortunately, in much of the world—especially Africa—a little bug bite can lead to your ultimate demise. Malaria remains one of the biggest problems that the human species faces with 250 million annual cases and 850,000 annual deaths. This costs African nations $12 billion in lost productivity ever year, while consuming 40% of all hospital expenditures. Malaria No More is a New York City based non-profit organization that believes that fighting malaria is “the best humanitarian investment” that can be made right now. They’ve only been around since 2006, but they’ve already done some great work to curb the damage done by malaria.

Internship Search No More

While many global health organizations have a singular focus like funding, advocacy, or implementation, Malaria No More takes an entrepreneurial approach and has its hands in all activities aimed at eradicating malaria. To better understand how Malaria No More works, you should first learn more about the disease that they’re fighting. Then you can take a look at their Approach and how it focuses on using business methods to make an impact. The three areas that Malaria No More focuses on specifically are Communications, Investments, and Resources Mobilization. If you’re intrigued by Malaria No More’s approach, then you should check out their Internships page. They have a number of unpaid internship opportunities posted including positions in Marketing, Communications, Programs, and Development. Check them out and see if you’re a god fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Malaria No More’s approach?

Lowercase Capital

Willy Franzen — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:53:58 +0000

I was considering writing about McDonnell Douglas after having my apartment building buzzed by F-18s all day yesterday (they’re practicing for the Chicago Air and Water Show), but I had a friend send me a link to a posting that was way too cool to pass up. It’s from the venture capital industry, which is notoriously hard to break into. Lowercase Capital is a new Angel Fund that was launched in June by Chris Sacca, who was formerly the Head of Special Initiatives at Google. I’ve spoken with a few venture capital companies who were interested in my business, and most seemed buttoned up (at least compared to the startups that they invest in). This is definitely not the case with Lowercase Capital, unless you mean buttoned up with a Bolo tie. Yes, Lowercase Capital has a Western theme, which is fitting because they’re located in Truckee, CA (I was in Truckee two days ago, and it’s awesome). It almost seems gimmicky, but the whole thing really speaks to how Chris is trying to change the way venture capital works with Lowercase.

Giddy Up

Before he started Lowercase Capital, Chris Sacca was an individual angel investor. He put his own money to work helping startups get off the ground. Now, he’s doing the same thing, but on a larger scale and with $8.5 million in his fund. The fund is extremely hands on, so they do a lot more than just write checks. You’ll want to browse around the Lowercase Capital site to a get a better feel for who they are and what they do, but at first you might find it confusing. Outfit is their About page, while Posse is a list of their portfolio companies. Prospecting gives you info on how to pitch them, and Cables is their blog. Most importantly, Ranchhands is what they call their Jobs/Internships page, and right now they’re looking for a Cowpoke/Intern. It is a paid position, and it’s one of the best opportunities that you’ll have to break into the VC world since there aren’t all that many internships in the industry. The description takes the Western metaphors to a whole new level, so you’ll probably have to read the posting a few times to be able to process it all. The position comes with a ton of flexibility, so you’ll have the chance to make of it what you want. If you’re interested, check out the job description and apply to thisjobhasmynameonit@lowercasellc.com. Oh yeah, and apparently you can do the internship from anywhere.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Lowercase Capital’s western theme?

Lolapps

Willy Franzen — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:07:38 +0000

I don’t play Facebook games with one exception—a game that a friend built. I guess this makes me unusual (I do play iPhone games though) because the stats on Facebook games are crazy. It’s hard to believe that anybody gets work done these days. If only there was a Facebook game where winning meant you’d landed an internship. That’s not going to happen, so if you insist on Facebook gaming your way through the internship search, then you better be looking to work for a company like Lolapps. They’re based on San Francisco, and they make Facebook games. They actually started with a user-generated quiz business, then they moved on to building games for well-known brands. Now, they’re focused on becoming their own gaming brand. Their current products include games like Garden Life, Band of Heroes, Diva Life, Yakuza Lords, and a few more. I’m sure they’re working on plenty more as they try to grow their name in the ultra-competitive world of Facebook games.

Laugh Out Loud and Apply

I know it seems crazy that people are getting rich off of Facebook games, but it’s really happening. It’s the right platform at the right time. It’s also not all based on advertising either. Yes, ads are a bigger driver of revenue for many Facebook gaming companies, but in game purchases are also huge. Yes, people actually spend money—sometimes more than they’d spend on a console game—to improve the experience of their favorite Facebook games. With 180 million users and 5 million daily active users, Lolapps is in great position to be a leader in the space. If you’d like to join them, then you should check out their Internships page. Right now they only have a position posted for a UI Artist (no word on whether it’s paid or not), but I wouldn’t be surprised if they also offered internships in Flash Engineering, Web Development, and UI/UX Design. If you want to get to know the company better, you should be sure to check out their Flickr stream and their blog where they occasionally spotlight their employees.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you play any of LOLapps’ games?

Adventure Publishing Group

Willy Franzen — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:45:13 +0000

Yesterday I was walking around in a variety/novelty/toy shop. It’s the typical vacation town toy store with all kinds of goofy stuff. As soon as I went through the door I regressed back to about 8 years old. I was picking up everything and playing with it—cap guns, balsa wood airplanes, and the avenging narwhal play set (check it out, it’s awesome). Obviously I’m extremely immature. If you’re like me, but you’d like to do something more mature with your childlike tendencies, then you might want to check out Adventure Publishing. They’re a New York based company that specializes in trade publications—specifically magazines related to the toy and licensing industries. Yes, they make magazines about toys.

They’re Not Playing

Adventure Publishing Group’s titles include Toy Book, Licensing Book, Specialty Toys & Gifts, Toy Report, Total Licensing Report, and The Toy Insider. Obviously toys and licensing are two very different industries; however, they’re both extremely interesting and must have some similarities that have led Adventure Publishing Group to cover both of them. Unfortunately, Adventure Publishing Group doesn’t offer much information about their business online, but if you browse through the links below, you’ll be able to get a feel for each of their publications. This also means that they don’t have a jobs or internships page, but I was able to find a posting on Ed2010 for a paid ($30 daily stipend) Editorial Intern at The Toy Book. The position looks great, and you can apply by sending a cover letter and résumé to Jackie Breyer at jbreyer@toybook.com.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Adventure Publishing Group?

Square

Willy Franzen — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:51:58 +0000

I think that some of the biggest innovation yet to come in the Internet space is going to be in the form of payment processing. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if one day in the future we pay for almost everything by logging into our Facebook/Google/Amazon accounts. That still seems pretty far off though. The lag in easy online payments can probably be attributed to the need for extremely high levels of security. As soon as it’s ridiculously simple to send a friend money to chip in for a group gift, it’s also going to be ridiculously simple for a hacker to take you for all you’re worth. In the meantime there are some companies that are working to develop transitional solutions for payment processing. San Francisco’s Square is one of them. They have developed a software platform that allows anyone to accept credit card payments. It all started when a glass artist was unable to make a sale because he couldn’t accept credit cards. Now, all you need is an iPhone/iPad or an Android device to do just that.

Fair and Square

Not only does Square allow nearly anyone to accept payments, but they also allow you to do it anywhere. Their tagline is”0 to $60 in under 10 seconds.” They’re not quite there yet, but they’re working on it. Ideally, all you have to do is download an app, set up an account, and get your hands on one of their Square readers—a small device that plugs into the headphone jack of a phone and accepts credit card swipes. This is an amazing solution for a lot of people. I think of farmers’ markets as the ideal place for Square, but you probably have a different idea. What’s also cool is that customers can get their receipts via e-mail instead of having little pieces of paper that they crumple up and put in their pockets. If you like what Square is doing and you want to help move us forward towards better forms of payment, then take a look at jobs at Square and start thinking about an internship. Right now they have positions in Software Development/Engineering, Customer Service, Design, Information Technology, and Research/Risk Analysis, although none of them are internships. Their About page does mention two Summer interns, and a little digging turns up the fact that they’re part of the Iraq Information Technology Intern Exchange Program, which sounds awesome. You’ll have to reach out to the folks at Square yourself to see about an internship, but I think it’ll be well worth your while.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you ever use Square?

L.L. Bean

Willy Franzen — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:25:18 +0000

August is typically a big vacation month, so it can sometimes be hard to stay focused on your internship search. If you’re taking a vacation yourself, you may want to thing about the brands that you associate with vacation. For me, it’s often L.L. Bean because I end up spending most of my time enjoying the outdoors—and that usually includes some of their gear. They’ve been “a trusted source for quality apparel, reliable outdoor equipment and expert advice for more than 95 years.” It all started with one man named Leon Leonwood Bean and some cold wet feet. He decided to combine the comfort of leather boots with the durability and functionality of rubber work boots. He then obtained the mailing list for Maine hunting license holders and sent them a three-page flyer about his new boots. L.L. guaranteed that people would be satisfied with his boots, and he had to eat his words. Of the first 100 pairs that he sold, 90 were returned for defects. that would put a lot of people out of business, but not L.L. Bean, which continues to be located in Freeport, ME to this day.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Today L.L. Bean still offers their same satisfaction guarantee, and they continue to put a huge emphasis on customer service (places like this are usually awesome to work for). L.L. Bean now has 4,600 employees year-round, and that number spikes to 9,000 during the holidays. I guess that’s when L.L. Bean does a good portion of their $1.5 billion in annual sales. They also have a flagship store without locks on its doors—it’s open 24/7/365. It also comes with a “trout pond, a coffee shop, café and 3,500- gallon fish tank.” I’d imagine that the headquarters has some pretty cool stuff too—I know that the Orvis headquarters does. If you’re excited about Bean Boots, dog beds, outdoor apparel, tents, sleeping bags, and everything of the sort, then you’ll want to check out LLBeanCareers.com. It offers information on careers on Retail, Corporate, and Season opportunities, but internships are noticeably absent. That’s because they typically work with colleges and universities to find interns; however, their Careers FAQ tells you everything that you need to know about how to land an internship with them. It doesn’t say anything about what kinds of internships they offer, but I’m sure you can make some guesses.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own anything from L.L. Bean?

SOSMentor

Willy Franzen — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:01:08 +0000

Growing up is tough no matter where you come from. As you reach your teenage years, you have to start taking responsibility for yourself—your grades, your ambitions, and your diet. Now imagine growing up in a situation where your parents aren’t all that helpful and your community and its schools don’t have the resources to give you the help that you need to get on the right track. This is often the case in inner-city neighborhoods across America, and this includes many communities in the greater Los Angeles area. That’s why Calabasas, CA based SOSMentor was formed in 2000. They’re a non-profit organization that provides “academic mentoring, resources, and educational support to underserved students and their families.” They also put a huge emphasis on diet and fitness, which are really important things to learn about as you enter adulthood.

Supporting Our Students

SOSMentor addresses the problems found in underserved communities by bringing mentors into the communities and helping students in those communities “pursue careers and higher education and make healthy eating and lifestyle choices.” With a focus on growth, achievement, leadership, and success, SOSMentor is well equipped to do things like “increase grades, reduce violence and substance abuse, lower the rates of teen pregnancies, while increasing high school graduations and college admissions.” If you like the sound of the work that SOSMentor is doing, then you should check out their Internships page. Right now they’re looking for a paid Nutrition Intern, so check them out and see how you can make your transition to adulthood by helping others do the same.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about SOSMentor?

U.S. PIRG

Willy Franzen — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 13:00:22 +0000

I didn’t watch The Real Housewives of DC the night before last, but it may have been playing in the background while I was trying to fall asleep. Besides hearing people Obama name drop often enough that you could make a college drinking game out of watching the show, I also noticed that lobbying was mentioned multiple times. I don’t really get how lobbying works, but I know that anyone (or I should say any entity) with a political agenda pretty much has to participate. For every interest there is a lobbying group, and some are far more powerful than others. Often this power goes against the public interest. U.S. PIRG is a non-profit federation of state Public Interest Research Groups that “stands up to powerful special interests on behalf of the American public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being.” They’re headquartered in Boston, MA; however, they have a Federal Advocacy Office in Washington, DC and state chapters all across the country. Oddly enough U.S. PIRG and its affiliates have chosen to fight lobbying and special interests by being a lobbying group. I understand that they’re fighting for the public interest, but that’s still a special interest, right?

Enter PIRG-atory

U.S. PIRG and the state PIRGs are focused on a number of issues. These include Consumer Protection, Financial Security, Reforming Health Care, Toxics & Public Health, Transportation Solutions, Elections & Government Reform, Tax and Budget Policy, and Affordable Higher Education. I don’t think that anyone would disagree with the fact that these are all important issues. That’s why U.S. PIRG and the state PIRGs have built “a strong network of researchers, advocates, organizers and students in state capitols across the country.” To get a sense for what this network of people are working on, you should take a look at U.S. PIRG’s recent accomplishments. You’ll see things like holding elected officials to higher ethical standards, closing contractor loopholes, and promoting young voter participation. If these sound like things that you’d like to be a part of, then check out U.S. PIRG’s Internships page. They actually do a really nice job with their Internships page, so it should be easy for you to find out about all of their opportunities. They offer unpaid internships in Campaign, Legislative, and Media. They all sound really interesting, and there should be opportunities with the state PIRGs too.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of U.S. PIRG’s work?

Hachette Book Group

Willy Franzen — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:02:57 +0000

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I have quite a bit of traveling ahead of me. I’m hoping to spend a good portion of the time reading books, but I have to admit that I’ve been terrible about reading lately. Running a business makes it hard enough to find time to read, and when I do have time, it seems that my laptop makes it too easy to read articles and blog posts. I’m also torn about whether I should buy more hard copy books or invest in an e-reading device like an iPad or Kindle (it seems the Kindle is the winner for heavy readers). You’re probably thinking about how you don’t care about my reading habits, but they’re actually really important when looked at through the lens of a company like Hachette Book Group. If a big reader like me is reading fewer books, then they have some big challenges ahead of them. And that’s why the publishing industry is an exciting place to be right now. Hachette, which is headquartered in New York City, has a simple mission: “to publish great books well.” From 1837 when Little, Brown and Company was founded (they’re now part of Hachette), up until just a few years ago, the way they went about pursuing that mission didn’t change much. Lately, it’s been changing a lot.

A Hachette Job

Despite all the changes in the publishing industry, Hachette is able to stand strong because of their vision to be “the #1 destination for authors, agents, customers and employees.” They appear to be putting the content above the medium, and that’s a recipe for success these days. I don’t have the inside details of how Hachette Book Group’s business is doing, but I like what I see when I browse around their site. If you feel the same way, then you should check out Careers at Hachette Book Group. They only have one internship posted right now, but they typically offer paid internships in areas like Editorial, Publicity, Art/Design, Production, Marketing, Sales, Advertising & Promotions, Human Resources, Administrative Services, Finance, Information Technology, Fulfillment, Subsidiary Rights, and Legal & Contracts. You can find a brief rundown of their internship program on their Careers page.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Are you finding enough time to read?

Tea Collection

Willy Franzen — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:02:00 +0000

When I was a little kid, my parents dressed me in shorts with suspenders and knee socks. I pretty much looked like a mini-version of Augustus Gloop from the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. My parents also occasionally put me on a leash. I’ve been taking it out on them ever since. For parents who prefer to raise children who don’t have axes to grind, there’s Tea Collection. I’ve also seen them go by Tea Living, but most often they just refer to themselves as Tea. They’re a San Francisco based company that offers fashions for children, or as they put it “for little citizens of the world.” Tea got its start in 2002, and now your can find their clothes “in more than 400 stores including Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Takashimaya, and the best boutiques throughout the US and abroad.” Tea’s clothing is certainly high-end, and on the expensive side when you consider it’s for kids under the age of 12, but just look at those pictures of kids looking like smaller versions of real people.

Join the Tea Party

Obviously nobody’s kids need fancy clothes like those from Tea Collection, but that hasn’t stopped the business from growing. As far as I can tell, Tea Collection’s location in San Francisco has helped them to be a little more tech savvy than many of their competitors, and I have to imagine that it makes Tea Collection an even more interesting place to work. If you take a look at their Inspiration and History pages, you’ll get a better feel for their culture. After doing that, you should check out their Internships page. Right now they have one paid internship in Social Marketing along with unpaid internships in Operations/Finance, Fashion Design, Merchandising, Marketing, and Graphic Design.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did your parents dress you in embarrassing clothes?

Development Counsellors International

Willy Franzen — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:50:36 +0000

Been anywhere interesting this summer? I’ve already been to San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Napa, Denver, Northern Michigan, Boston, and I’ll be visiting Lake Tahoe, Colorado Springs, Northern Quebec, Connecticut, and New York City before the summer is over. Oddly enough, none of those destinations have been my choice. It’s always been someone else who has planned the trip. I guess that makes me useless for Development Counsellors International, a New York City based PR and Marketing firm that is “the leader in marketing places.” They obviously want to reach the decision makers, since they’re the people who drive economic development by choosing places to visit, invest in, or live in. If it has to do with economic development or tourism marketing, then it’s DCI’s specialty.

Where Are You Going?

Development Counsellors International’s clients range from cities to states to regions to countries. They’ve worked with 40 of the 50 states and countries including Wales, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Flanders, Luxembourg, Chile, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, and plenty more. To get a feel for the kind of work that DCI does, you should take a look at their Case Studies. You’ll see projects ranging from working with the Costa Rican Trade and Investment Board to working with Invest in Spain. If you love travel or foreign cultures, it’d be hard to find a better place to intern than DCI. If you take a look at their Internships page, you’ll see all of the details about their paid internship program. The positions are on Account Services teams, and they’re offered year round. The Internships page even goes into detail about what past interns have done, so give it a nice long look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Which of DCI’s clients is your favorite place to visit?