Some of you (though probably not most of you) should quit your internship search and start a business. It’s what I did, and I can’t imagine having done anything else. That’s why I’ve spent hundreds of hours talking with and helping aspiring entrepreneurs. Yesterday I came across a Quora answer by Noah Kagan that I wish they had all read before I talked to them. It explains why most people who hold off on pursuing their dream of starting a business are doing so for the wrong reasons. There’s a movement called The Lean Startup that preaches a similar philosophy–starting a company doesn’t need to be expensive and you don’t even need a brilliant idea. Lean Startup Machine is a New York, NY based company that is spreading the philosophy not only to new entrepreneurs but also to people working in more corporate positions.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
blogging,
business development,
design,
events,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
online marketing,
paid,
sales,
software development,
training,
web development,
writing
In my day… Macs and PCs used completely different file formats. Writing a paper on my Mac (I was one of the few back then) and printing it on one of my school’s PCs was always a risky proposition. If I didn’t convert the file properly, I might end up with no homework and a really lame excuse for my teacher. We’re well past those days, yet many people still struggle with PDFs and other files. A simple request to sign a form and send it back can lead me down a half hour process of trying to find any way possible to avoid buying a new ink cartridge for my printer. Next time I’m going to try Nitro. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that builds “easy-to-use products that help people work smarter with digital documents.” Whether it’s for personal use or for a corporation with thousands of employees, Nitro offers a simple, affordable solution.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
Australia,
blogging,
California,
customer service,
engineering,
Internships,
marketing,
online marketing,
quality assurance,
quality engineer,
sales,
seo,
software development,
web development,
writing
I’m headed to Colorado for my bachelor party this weekend. We rented a ranch, and we’re planning on hiking, fishing, and eating meat. My hope was that we’d get shorts and t-shirt weather, but it’s looking more and more like we might need to bring along something from The North Face. It’s not that we’ll be doing any hardcore mountaineering during the trip–it’s just going to be cold. As much as we all know that The North Face, which is based in Alameda, CA, is about pushing “the boundaries of innovation so that you can push the boundaries of exploration,” we also know that a lot of their gear is purchased to keep suburban kids warm while they wait for the school bus. That’s not a slight The North Face. It’s just that when you make high performance clothing and outerwear that looks great and is relatively affordable, people are going to use it in all kinds of situations.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
apparel,
buyer,
California,
community management,
Internships,
product management,
retail,
sports
My dad is an architect. I was dragged on all kinds of architectural tours as a kid, and that hasn’t changed now that I’m adult. Whenever my parents come to visit Chicago, we end up spending an afternoon on some sort of architectural expedition. About half the time my dad comes up with a random place that he wants to see, and we drive around looking for it. The rest of the time, we end up doing a more formal tour–usually through the Chicago Architecture Foundation. It’s a Chicago, IL based non-profit organization that is “devoted to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a center of architectural innovation.” It all started in 1966 when community members banded together to save the Glessner House (we already did that tour) from demolition. That eventually led to the founding of the Chicago Architecture Foundation, which was then a founding member of the Association of Architecture Organizations.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
architecture,
communications,
development,
events,
historic preservation,
history,
Illinois,
information technology,
Internships,
member services,
non-profit,
program development,
tourism
I used to watch a show called BattleBots. It was a competition between teams that built robots designed to kill each other. I particularly enjoyed the robotic violence, but I could still enjoy watching friendlier robotic competition. That’s what FIRST promotes. They’re a Manchester, NH based non-profit that uses robotics and other forms of technology to “to transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.” FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” and it was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen–the guy who invented the Segway along with quite a few other amazing things.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
customer service,
education,
engineering,
information technology,
international,
Internships,
New Hampshire,
non-profit,
paid,
program development,
robotics,
science
As commerce continues to move online, selling things in a retail setting is becoming more and more about offering an experience. Apple is the ultimate example of this–whenever you walk into one of their stores you’re instantly surrounded by excitement. That’s exactly what Charming Charlie is going for. They’re a Houston, TX based “fashion accessories retailer” with more than 200 stores across the country. Their “in-store experience features a breath-taking volume and variety of accessories, ingeniously arranged by color, making that perfect accent fun and easy to find.” It’s something that they’ve been working on since 2004, and they seem to be getting it right.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
buyer,
fashion,
human resources,
Internships,
jewelry,
merchandising,
quality assurance,
retail,
sourcing,
style,
Texas
There’s a bar in Chicago that is filled with board games. It’s a really good time, if you can get a table. While more and more gaming is moving on to mobile devices, there is still a huge group of people that prefer to sit around a table with friends or family and enjoy a game the old fashioned way. That’s good news for Blue Orange Games, a San Francisco, CA based board game company that was founded in 2001. They now have a catalog of more than 40 games, and they’ve won more than 200 awards. While most of their games aren’t explicitly educational, they are the kinds of games that make you think (they still call them educational). That’s why they’re great for schools, families, and anyone else who is sick of the mindlessness of many of today’s gaming options.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
California,
design,
education,
graphic design,
Internships,
marketing,
paid,
toys
Advertising has changed a lot over the last century, but it’s also stayed the same. While the media, tactics, and trends are always evolving, the general premise of creating an emotional response in potential customers hasn’t changed. Few companies know this better than Campbell Ewald, a Warren, MI based advertising agency that was founded in 1911 and continues to “create game-changing solutions that drive [their] clients’ business.” Despite their centenarian status, Campbell Ewald doesn’t show their age. They’re still coming up with edgy campaigns like the Zipcar ad on their home page that says, “No booty call should go unanswered.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
advertising,
California,
copywriting,
creative,
design,
Internships,
marketing,
Michigan,
Texas,
user experience
I have a lot of shoes for a guy. I’m pretty average when it comes to sneakers, dress shoes, and flip flops, but I have a lot of boots. A lot. Snow boots. Rain boots. Wading boots (3 pairs). Hiking boots. I can keep going… In my opinion footwear is all about specialization–there’s a shoe for every occasion. I think the people from DNA Footwear would agree (though they seem more concerned with fashion, while I’m obviously more concerned about how much water I’ll be stepping into). DNA Footwear is a Brooklyn, NY shoe retailer that is now working to be “the top online destination for today’s latest trends in the world of footwear.” They have a really wide selection with tons of notable brands.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
buyer,
customer service,
design,
e-commerce,
fashion,
footwear,
graphic design,
Internships,
merchandising,
New York,
photography,
retail,
sales,
shoes,
unpaid
I’m always looking for an adventure… as long as it includes fly fishing. Having a hobby that takes me to all kinds of interesting places is awesome, but I realize that many people get their excitement from trying something new. If that sounds like you, take a look at ZOZI. They’re based in San Francisco, CA, and they want “to make everyone’s passions accessible, and most importantly, help you discover new ones.” Whether you’re looking for a better way to spend a weekend without leaving town or you want to travel across the world to get an adrenaline rush, ZOZI offers a ton of options at amazing prices. And if that’s enough, they’ll also give you a deal on some of the gear that you might need for your experience.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
California,
customer service,
e-commerce,
Internships,
operations,
paid,
sales,
sports,
tourism,
travel
Our country has produced some truly amazing individual success stories. They are names that we all recognize like Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Walton, Buffett, and Gates. Not surprisingly, most of those names have ended up attached to foundations–when you have that much wealth it’s hard not to put it to work doing good. Just look at The Rockefeller Foundation. They are based in New York, NY, and their mission is “to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world.” The Foundation was incorporated in 1913 with a $35 million gift from John D. Rockefeller Sr. (he added $65 million the next year). More donations and smart investment have led the endowment to grow to over $3 billion today.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
communications,
foundation,
Internships,
investment,
New York,
non-profit,
public relations,
research,
strategy
My first bike was red and had a banana seat. My second bike was a black and grey Huffy that was far cooler in the eyes of a 7 year old boy. After that I won a green “mud slinger” in a raffle. It was even cooler, but it still wasn’t a real bike because it only had one speed. I got my first real bike in 5th grade. It was a green Trek Antelope 800 with 18 speeds. I loved it and rode it all the time for the first few years I owned it. I eventually stopped riding and haven’t owned a bike since, but I still have a strong positive association with Trek. The company is based in Waterloo, WI and has been pursuing a mission to “build the best bikes in the world” since they were founded in 1976.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
customer service,
design,
engineering,
industrial design,
Internships,
marketing,
merchandising,
paid,
retail,
sales,
sports,
supply chain,
technical support,
Wisconsin
When my wedding invitations went out, they didn’t have just regular stamps. We had special stamps made with our initials on them to give the envelopes a little extra flair. (Yes, I know it’s ridiculous.) You can get nearly anything customized these days, but postage is pretty surprising considering that the USPS is a federal agency. Whether you want your own version of postage, a t-shirt, a wall decal, or playing cards, you should consider Zazzle. They’re the company we used, and they’re a Redwood City, CA based company that allows you to “create amazing custom products with artwork you choose, and prices you’ll love.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
California,
customer service,
e-commerce,
engineering,
human resources,
industrial design,
Internships,
Manufacturing,
marketing,
merchandising,
online marketing,
seo,
social media,
software development,
user experience
I used to be perfectly happy to shop at a regular grocery store–I even got annoyed by the fancier stores. As I’ve gotten more yuppified, that has completely changed (it’s actually because I’ve learned to cook). Now I go to Whole Foods for produce and local specialty stores for meat and fish, but most people still do all of their shopping at a single grocery store. These are the kinds of people that big brands want to reach with marketing messages. MyWebGrocer is a Winooski, VT based company that makes that happen. They provide “leading-edge eCommerce and eMarketing solutions to the grocery and consumer packaged goods industries” including solutions like “website design, specialty modules for websites, hosting, sophisticated email strategies and consulting services.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
analytics,
customer service,
data,
engineering,
food,
grocery,
Internships,
marketing,
paid,
retail,
software development,
technical support,
Vermont,
web development
I’m in Michigan on a short fly fishing trip, and that means that I’m making the most of my access to public land. It’s easy to forget how lucky we are in the United States to have access to so many interesting places for free. Much of that is thanks to organizations like The Trust for Public Land. They’re a national non-profit based in San Francisco, CA that was “founded in 1972 with goals of protecting land in and around cities and pioneering new land conservation techniques.” Since then they’ve done work on more than 5,000 parks and conservation projects, and by using “sophisticated finance and legal techniques,” they’ve had amazing success.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
California,
communications,
conservation,
development,
Internships,
non-profit,
policy,
public policy,
technical support,
Vermont
One of the worst parts about growing up is that the things that amazed you as a kid are often totally disappointing when you revisit them as an adult. When I was about five, my dad, my friend, my friend’s dad, and I visited the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, NY (it must have been right after the museum opened). As a military obsessed little boy, it was the best thing ever. (And then we went to a dinosaur exhibit. And then we went to a baseball game! It was a truly awesome day.) More than twenty years later I went back to the Intrepid, and I was still blown away. Instead of being disappointed, I was able to recognize how impressive the aircraft carrier and the museum built on it really are. There’s a reason that nearly a million people people visit every year to see “a snapshot of heroism, education, and excitement.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
aerospace,
camp,
curation,
education,
events,
history,
Internships,
marketing,
museum,
New York,
non-profit,
paid,
sales
One of my favorite episodes of The Office is when Michael Scott tells his employees to pack a swimsuit for a leadership training trip, and then takes them on a “booze cruise” on Lake Wallenpaupack in January. The staff are obviously pissed at Michael, but for the most part end up having a good time. I’ve been on a few evening cruises, and I’ve always had a great time. I guess that is why Entertainment Cruises is doing so well. They’re a company with “26 vessels serving eight cities with six unique cruise products.” Entertainment Cruises’ offerings range from fine dining and dancing to speedboat tours, with a lot in between. They currently operate fleets in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
accounting,
culinary,
customer service,
entertainment,
events,
food,
hospitality management,
Internships,
marketing,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
New Jersey,
New York,
operations,
paid,
Pennsylvania,
recruiting,
restaurants,
sales,
training,
transportation,
travel,
Virginia,
Washington DC
Button down shirts never fit me properly. I’m only 6’3, but I end up needing an XXL from many brands to get close to the right length (otherwise raising my arms turns the shirt into a belly shirt–and don’t get me started on sleeve length). The problem is that XXL shirts are made for 300 pound dudes, and though I’m by no means thin, I’m not built like that. I made the same exact complaint a few years ago when I wrote about Proper Cloth, but I still haven’t purchased a custom shirt. Maybe Trumaker will change that. They’re a San Francisco, CA based e-commerce and men’s fashion upstart that makes “it easy to get shirts made just for you.” Though Trumaker is positioning itself as an e-commerce company, they’re also using in-person “Outfitters” to get measurements and show off fabrics.
Be Tru
Right now it seems that Trumaker is only operating in San Francisco and Los Angeles, but I’m sure expansion will move quickly. When all you need is sales people to launch a new location, you can move pretty fast. Once a customer meets with the Outfitter, the rest happens over the web. You can shop online like you would on any other site, and they’ll send you shirts that are made for your dimensions. One thing I really like about Trumaker is that they’re not just making dress shirts–they’re offering more casual wear with great plaids and other patterns. There aren’t any prices posted on the Trumaker site, but they say that they “are comparable to similar high-quality, off-the-rack shirts.” This a business with a ton of potential, so if you want to get in on it take a look at Trumaker’s Internships page. Right now they’re hiring an Apparel & E-commerce Intern. They don’t say whether the position is paid, but it looks like a really cool opportunity. You might also want to take a look at their Outfitter positions as an internship alternative.
Links to Help You Begin Your Research
Have you ever bought a custom shirt?
Tagged as:
apparel,
California,
e-commerce,
fashion,
Internships,
operations,
sales
One thing that surprises me about today’s crop of college graduates is that as a whole they seem far less willing to move for a job than one would expect (though this blog post says that’s changing). I think the biggest thing holding young people back is that you often have to move to a new city to even have a chance at landing a job there. That’s a big risk to take when you have no money. Things change as you gain more experience and become more valuable to employers. If you do really well, they’ll often try to convince you to move for them. Many will offer relocation bonuses, but only top executives typically get concierge-level relocation assistance. UrbanBound is trying to change that. They’re a Chicago, IL based company that offers “a web-based platform that helps companies offer a comprehensive transition system to their newly hired and transferring employees.” UrbanBound enables employees to plan their entire relocation in one place, and that’s a big deal when we’re talking about such a significant life change.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
blogging,
business development,
California,
Illinois,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
online marketing,
real estate,
sales,
seo,
social media,
unpaid,
writing
Over the weekend I wrote about how important parental involvement is for our education system. I might have been wrong. Today I learned that parents are completely replaceable–and by robots nonetheless. When I first came across 4moms, I thought it might be a later April Fool’s joke, but they’re a totally for real Pittsburgh, PA based company that is “dedicated to finding innovative solutions that make parenting tasks easier and more enjoyable for families all over the globe.” That’s a nice way of saying that they’re building a future in which parents are obsolete. Ok, I’ve completely overplayed the robots thing, but it’s really cool to see how 4moms has used to technology to overcome some of the more frustrating parts of parenting young children.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
design,
e-commerce,
engineering,
innovation,
Internships,
marketing,
paid,
Pennsylvania,
product,
product development,
robotics,
software development,
web development
When I played baseball in high school, my teammates and I all hated having to “keep the book.” Not only did it mean that you probably weren’t playing, but it also meant that you had to pay 100% attention while you were sitting on the bench. I have to think that keeping the book it a little more fun now that it’s done on tablets and smartphones. GameChanger Media is a New York, NY based company that is bringing high end scorekeeping and stat keeping technology to amateur sports. Not only do they make it ridiculously easy to record everything that happens in a game, but they also allow you to livestream those stats to any fan with an Internet connection (parents must love this!). When the action is over, GameChanger automatically tabulate and displays all kinds of important stats.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
customer service,
design,
engineering,
Internships,
marketing,
mobile,
New York,
paid,
software development,
sports,
statistics,
user experience,
web development
I was blessed to go to great schools with great teachers. I’m convinced that a big part of why the schools performed so well was that the parents demanded it (especially at my private school where the parents were truly customers). Unfortunately, many of our country’s schools are underperforming, and often the parents of children at those schools are unable to hold the administration and teachers accountable. Parent Revolution is a Los Angeles, CA based non-profit that is aiming to change that. They want to “transform public education based on what is good for children, not adults, by empowering parents to transform their under-performing schools through community organizing.” That obviously sounds great, but it comes with a ton of controversy.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advocacy,
California,
education,
Internships,
non-profit,
organizing,
policy,
public policy,
unpaid
In the world of marketing, it’s easy to get distracted from the end goal. Increasing sales. There are a number of commercials that repeatedly make me laugh, but I can’t name the brand of the advertiser even 5 seconds after the commercial airs. It’s easy to get caught up in the vanity of marketing, but the only thing that really matters is results. G2 is “a marketing communications agency created with one purpose: to help [its] clients sell more.” They have offices in New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, and Philadelphia, PA, and they “have serious experts in every communications channel delivering fresh, compelling work that creates greater awareness, consideration, sales and loyalty for our clients’ brands.” G2 is yet another company that has consolidated its entire website to a single page. It’s definitely a recent trend, and I kind of like it. It makes it easy to get a quick overview of the company.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
advertising,
analytics,
animation,
arts,
business development,
California,
communications,
creative,
flash,
Internships,
marketing,
New York,
paid,
project management,
promotions,
software development,
statistics,
strategy,
user experience,
web development
One of my favorite tools for company research is CrunchBase. While it isn’t typically all that detailed, it’s a great way to get a quick overview of many privately held companies–especially startups. Just the information on investment rounds is insanely valuable to me, but it’s far more valuable to entrepreneurs seeking capital and venture investors. They need to know what’s going on in their industry, and CrunchBase doesn’t go deep enough. There’s a site called ChubbyBrain that tried to build a similar, but deeper database, but it doesn’t seem to have worked out. However, that team is now behind a company called CB Insights, which is based in New York, NY and “helps you track the world’s most promising private companies, their investors, their acquirers and the industries they compete in.”
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
analyst,
analytics,
blogging,
engineering,
Internships,
investment,
journalism,
New York,
private equity,
research,
software development,
venture capital,
web development,
writing
I went to a funeral for a friend’s relative yesterday. It was lovely service in memory of a long, full life; however, the only thing that identified the service as being in 2013 and not 1995 (or 1972 even) was that the minister did all of his readings from an iPad. There isn’t a lot of innovation in the funeral industry. I thought online obituaries and guest books were the state of art, but I learned today that Platinum Innovation Group is a Detroit, MI based company that is bringing new ideas to the industry. They’re also working in “the areas of telehealth, telemedicine, health and beauty, film industry, real estate, and genealogy.” They do this by operating “a diverse set of businesses that are powered by innovation and change.” I also found the company using the brand Hello Innovation, so I’m not sure what that’s about. Maybe they’re in the process of rebranding or something.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
account management,
administrative,
business development,
copywriting,
creative,
engineering,
innovation,
Internships,
marketing,
Michigan,
paid,
sales,
web development,
writing
My wedding invitations were mailed yesterday. If I had my way, they would have been delivered digitally, but that’s a battle that I quickly lost. I guess most people like the fanciness of a paper invitation. We’ll never be able to recreate the experience of opening an envelope online, but we’re getting closer. Paperless Post is a company that is leading the charge. They’re based in New York, NY, and they’ve built a platform that “modernizes the tradition of correspondence and helps you create cards and invitations that reflect an individual aesthetic.” They realized that most online invitations chose convenience at the cost of design. Paperless Post wants to allow you to put as much thought and effort into your online invitation or card as my fiancée and her mom put into our wedding invitations (multiple hour long meetings–I wish I was kidding).
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
customer service,
design,
engineering,
graphic design,
Internships,
New York,
paid,
printing,
production,
project management,
software development,
web development
Last year I wrote a post on The Human Fund. It was one of our most popular posts ever, and I’ve been looking for similar organizations with job opportunities ever since. This morning I realized that The Human Fund actually has a for-profit wholly owned subsidiary that is worth taking a look at. The company is called Kramerica Industries, and it’s a New York, NY based energy, fashion, food, tourism, and housing conglomerate. All of its future profits will be funneled towards The Human Fund’s mission of “money for the people.” Kramerica Industries has not yet reached profitability, but that’s not unusual for a business that is centered around R&D intensive projects.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
construction,
energy,
fashion,
food,
holiday,
Internships,
New York,
publishing,
recycling,
tourism,
unpaid
I’ve written a lot of Easter posts. On the candy front we’ve covered Just Born Quality Confections, Jelly Belly, Russell Stover, UNREAL Brands, and the PMCA. And we’ve also looked at Easter Seals (that one’s obvious), The Easter Bunny Foundation, Hatchlings, the ASPCA, and Rabbit Rescue (and I probably should have saved Red Rabbit for Easter too). Today I’m continuing with the rabbit theme and looking at Bunny World Foundation. They’re a Los Angeles, CA based non-profit that is “dedicated to combatting animal cruelty, illegal animal sales, exploitation and neglect of all animals, through rescue efforts, public education, research, investigations, legislation, special events, and media attention.” Obviously, their focus is on saving bunnies (their Team page shows each team member with her favorite rabbit).
I have an Easter Egg Hunt to get to, so I’ll let you do the rest of the research on your own. They don’t have a Jobs page, but I did see something about an internship from a few years back. Even if Bunny World Foundation doesn’t have any career opportunities right now, you can still use Easter as inspiration to explore new job search ideas.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
advocacy,
animals,
California,
holiday,
Internships,
non-profit
I’m not sure how I came up with the idea to feature non-profit jobs on weekends, but it has worked out well. Most of the “non-profits” that we cover are 501(c)3 charitable organizations, but occasionally we feature a trade association or lobbying organization. Today’s “company” is as close as you’ll get to a non-profit while still being for profit (and that’s why I’m writing about them on a Saturday). Community Wealth Ventures is a management consulting firm that helps “leaders innovate, grow and sustain social change organizations that build a better world.” They’re based in Washington, DC and only seem to serve non-profit and foundations. What adds to Community Wealth Ventures’ non-profit street cred is that they’re a wholly owned subsidiary of Share Our Strength (featured in 2011), which is an anti-hunger non-profit. That means that all of Community Wealth Ventures’ profits go towards Share Our Strength’s mission.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
consulting,
Internships,
non-profit,
social venture,
unpaid,
Washington DC
I love candy, which is why I’ve already profiled companies like Just Born Quality Confections, Jelly Belly, Russell Stover, and the PMCA at Easter time and Mars, The Hershey Company, NECCO, Charles Chocolates, and Vosges at other times of the year. This year my Mom asked me what kind of candy I wanted, and I told her that she should take it easy since I’m trying to drop a few pounds before my wedding. Maybe I should have asked her to just get candy from UNREAL Brands. They’re a Boston, MA based upstart that is aiming to get candy “unjunked.” What does that mean? They want to take all of the crap out of candy (corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oil, artificial ingredients, GMOs, and preservatives), but still make it taste good.
Read the full article →
Tagged as:
food,
holiday,
Internships,
marketing,
Massachusetts,
social media
