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. Continue reading about Ceres…
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.” Continue reading about Taxpayers for Common Sense…
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. Continue reading about Malaria No More…
It seems that most PR and Marketing firms are started by people who have been in the industry for years. They know their field well, but they may not fully understand the businesses of their clients. Upward Strategy is a little different. It is a New York City based digital strategy firm that helps “organizations chart and execute a powerful, results-driven product, communications and engagement strategy online.” Ok, that doesn’t sound all that unique. What’s different about Upward Strategy is that its ideas are born out of the entrepreneurial experience of the company’s founder and CEO, Rachel Sterne. She only graduated from NYU in 2005, but she’s already put together an impressive track record of entrepreneurship, and she’s even been named one of America’s Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs by BusinessWeek. It’s hard to tell whether there are any other employees at Upward Strategy besides Rachel—I couldn’t find any on LinkedIn—however, that’s about to change. Continue reading about Upward Strategy…
I live in Chicago where politicians and ethics go together like chocolate chip cookies and ketchup. After living here for a few years, I’m constantly noticing problems (like gang fights at the beach and 3 foot deep potholes) that are clearly the result of many years of inadequate and often corrupt politicians. I actually find it shocking that anyone under 30 (or over 30 for that matter) has any faith in or hope for politicians anymore. There have been way too many scandals. I guess that’s why Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington was started in 2003. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials — regardless of party affiliation — who sacrifice the common good to special interests.” Oddly enough, the Wikipedia entry for CREW mentions that many of their donors are liberal groups and that most of the members of Congress whom they target are Republicans or conservative Democrats. Since corruption and unethical activity don’t follow party lines, it seems as though CREW might not be living up to its mission of acting “regardless of party affiliation” (which, in my opinion, isn’t the ethical and responsible thing to do). Continue reading about Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington…
Despite all of the buzz about social media, I’m still convinced that e-mail is the most effective way to communicate with people online. Unfortunately, e-mail can become a headache very quickly. I probably get somewhere between 50 and 100 messages a day, and I sometimes find it overwhelming (but feel free to add to it if you have a question – willy@onedayonejob.com). I don’t know how people who get way more e-mail than I do are able to deal with it. There are lots of e-mail productivity tools, but most of them don’t work for me. I was starting to get desperate for a better way to manage relationships through e-mail, and then I came across Etacts. They’re a really young startup based in San Francisco, CA, and they built an e-mail tool that is exactly what I always wanted. I even went through the hassle of moving all of my accounts to Gmail just so that I could use Etacts. Their web-based software goes into your e-mail archive and pulls out a ton of data, then it gives you a simple interface where you can see things like who your top contacts are, how many messages you’ve traded with them, how long it’s been since you contacted them, and a few more simple features. You can even tie in your AT&T phone bill, although I haven’t figured out how to make that functionality work yet. Continue reading about Etacts…
Chances are that housing is and will be your biggest expense for most of your life. It’s one of our most basic needs, so it makes sense that we spend a lot on it. Unfortunately, housing markets don’t react quickly to changes in demand, so we often have situations where housing becomes unaffordable for many who wish to live in an area. This may be ok when it’s some posh area of town, but what about when people who have lived and worked in area for years can no longer keep up with the real estate prices? Enterprise Community Partners is a Columbia, MD based non-profit that addresses these problems by creating “opportunity for low- and moderate-income people through fit, affordable housing and diverse, thriving communities.” They want to help people living in poverty “move up and out,” and they do this by helping to develop “a diverse mix of affordable and market housing options, access to jobs and social supports, and a strong commitment to the environment and civic participation.” Continue reading about Enterprise Community Partners…
I remember selling wrapping paper at my Dad’s office to support my elementary school. I’m sure his employees felt pressured to buy from me so I could win some stupid prize. What a terrible way to raise funds for a school or non-profit—it’s such an intrusion. But what if there was a great way to give money to great causes while at work that wasn’t quite so pushy? There is, and it’s called EarthShare. They’re a Bethesda, MD based non-profit that helps other environmental conservation focused non-profits raise money. They do this by giving employees (at any company that participates) the choice to have funds automatically deducted from their paychecks and donated to either specific member charities or a general EarthShare fund that is distributed amongst all of EarthShare’s member charities. Continue reading about EarthShare…
I have my big annual fishing trip coming up next week, which means that I’m starting to go through my mental gear checklist. One thing that I’ve been looking for is some sort of pack to carry all of my stuff when I’m on the river. I used to use a vest, but it’s no longer doing the job. In my search for a perfect pack, I came across a company called Recycled Waders that makes gear out of old waders (waterproof boots that go up to your chest to keep you dry while standing in the water). I’m pretty sure they’re too small to have any internship opportunities right now, but luckily I found a company (from a reader e-mail) that takes a similar approach, but with a much larger audience. They’re called TerraCycle (based in Trenton, NJ), and they turn trash into stuff. You can get an insulated cooler made out of Skittles bags. Or a kite made out of Oreo wrappers. Or a tote bag made of Capri Sun pouches. It’s all about making “affordable, eco-friendly products from a wide range of different non-recyclable waste materials.” Continue reading about TerraCycle…
One of my least favorite things about the “real world” is that summer doesn’t automatically mean vacation. Unless you’ve gone into teaching, you’re expected to keep showing up for work every day like it’s the middle of February—even if it’s totally beautiful out. The good thing is that “real world” summer usually lasts from May through early October (at least here in Chicago). Even though you have to keep going to work, your summer isn’t regimented by school’s start and end dates. This means that interning gives you the worst of both worlds. Anyway, we all know that summer is really all about vacation (not internships), and for many that means hitting up a resort like The Balsams in Dixville Notch, NH. In the summer you can play golf or tennis, go kayaking or mountain biking, take a hike, or just relax. In the winter there’s skiing, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, snow mobile races, and I’m sure fireplaces to warm up near. It’s an old school New England inn with modern luxuries and fine dining. I’ve never been there, but I know the style—and I like it. Continue reading about The Balsams…
Since college I’ve been fascinated by social sciences. Before then I didn’t realize that you could apply the scientific method to gain more understanding about nearly any topic in the world. Now that I spend lots of my time focused on things like marketing, career development, and writing, I know how important it can be to base your actions on research or the results of experiments. Obviously, social science goes far beyond those areas, and can have huge positive effects on many of the problems that are facing our world. That’s why the Brooklyn, NY based Social Science Research Council exists. Their mission is “to lead innovation in the social sciences, build interdisciplinary and international networks, mobilize knowledge on important public issues, and educate and train the next generation of social science researchers.” By supporting the field of social science, the SSRC helps all kinds of decision-makers make better informed choices about pressing issues. Continue reading about Social Science Research Council…
Sometimes you need a little recognition to keep working hard at something. Yes, we glorify those who keep persevering in anonymity, but there’s almost no better way to motivate someone than to recognize him or her for a job well done. That’s exactly what Just Vision is trying to do for “Palestinian and Israeli civilians working to end the conflict.” The media rarely talks about them. It focuses on the violence and the conflicts. This is typical of the press—the people who behave badly get their message out, while the people who keep quiet and do the right thing have to beg for a little bit of coverage. Just Vision, which is based in Washington, DC, is an organization fully focused on shining light on the positive news stories about Israeli and Palestinian civic leaders who are working for peace. Just Vision does this with the goal of making these leaders more “visible, valued and influential in their efforts.” Continue reading about Just Vision…
You’d think that a company that was founded in 1998 and survived the Internet bust was started with a pretty solid idea, right? Or maybe they came up with a great idea that allowed them to adapt as the economy changed. It may be hard to judge the quality of the ideas that led to ON24, but there’s no doubt that the people behind the San Francisco based company have been persistent. According to Wikipedia they started as Newsource with a focus on being a “distribution center for Internet-based video press releases.” Then they pivoted in 1999 to become ON24, “an online financial news streaming media source.” Neither of those ideas seemed to work out, but the technology behind them seemed to be what kept the company alive. In 2003 it all finally came together as ON24 “introduced a web-based video publishing platform that enables users to self-produce live and on-demand webcasts.” The 3rd time was a charm, as that’s what ON24 continues to do to this day. Continue reading about ON24…
Today is your last chance to vote for the World’s Best Internships on InternshipKing.com! Help us find a winner.
I bet there aren’t many of you out there who are deciding between an internship in science and an internship in public relations. There just isn’t a lot of overlap between the two fields in terms of subject matter and in terms of people. However, Washington, DC based Spectrum Communications has carved out a significant niche in the areas of science and healthcare public relations. They’ve put together “a team of self-acknowledged science geeks and health policy wonks,” and these geeks and wonks obviously have a strong background in public relations as well. This is important because PR in the fields of science and health is extremely complex. With “sophisticated concepts and often restrictive regulatory environments” it’s easy to make mistakes, and that could cost a client millions of dollars. Spectrum Communications has been around since 1996, so you have to think that they know what they’re doing. Continue reading about Spectrum Communications…
I hate the term Millennial when it’s used in the same way that Generation Y is. A lot of career advice these days is focused on generational issues, but I just don’t buy into it. Yes, old people and young people have different attitudes, but that’s nothing new. There are way more important things to be talking about, which is why I get visibly irked when the word millennial comes up. (And I’m proving my point right now by being a 25 year old grumpy old man.) My bad attitude should explain why it took me a second to warm to the idea of Millennial Media, which is a Baltimore, MD based mobile advertising company. By millennial, they mean next generation/futuristic, so they’re ok in my book. The company apparently has the largest mobile advertising network in the country, and they claim to reach 83% of the U.S. mobile audience. Continue reading about Millennial Media…
This morning I was reading a blog post about why interns should be paid (which goes nicely with my article on the legality of unpaid internships), and I noticed that the guy who wrote the post happens to work at an ad agency that pays its interns. Since paid internships in the ad industry are always in demand, I figured that GSD&M Idea City was worth a look. I learned that they’re based in Austin, TX (I feel like a lot of companies that are hiring right now are based in Texas), and that they are one of the bigger names in the industry. In fact, from 1987 until 2007 they were “one of two agencies that held the Wal-Mart account” according to Wikipedia. That means that they helped “build Wal-Mart from $11 billion in sales to $312 billion.” The agency has since moved on, but their client list continues to impress. Continue reading about GSD&M Idea City…
The magazine industry is kind of an ugly place to be right now. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some great internship opportunities with periodicals, but the iPad hasn’t saved the industry yet. The problem is that most magazines rely on selling ads to drive revenue since subscriptions almost never cover costs. Unfortunately, ad dollars are moving online where performance can be easily measured. Additionally, many companies have cut back on advertising during the recession. But what if you worked at a magazine that didn’t have to worry about selling ads. At YES! Magazine, that’s exactly how it is. They are a Bainbridge Island, WA based non-profit magazine “that supports people’s active engagement in building a just and sustainable world.” Subscriptions cover about half their costs, and the other half is covered by donations. Since YES! Magazine doesn’t need a profit margin, they can operate way more efficiently than for-profit magazines. Continue reading about YES! Magazine…
It’s tax time, which means that I’ve spent some time looking over my records from last year. This year is already looking better than last year thanks to a sponsor on One Day, One Job. Hopefully it will mean that when I do my taxes in 2011, I won’t consider myself a “low-income entrepreneur.” But if I still do, I’ll at least have the option of getting some support from the Corporation for Enterprise Development. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for low-income families and communities.” The program that I’m alluding to is the CFED’s Self-Employment Tax Initiative, which helps to provide free tax preparation services for people like me (though I haven’t actually taken advantage of any of these resources). That’s just a small slice of what CFED does, though. Their broader goal is “working at the local, state and federal levels to create economic opportunity that alleviates poverty.” Continue reading about Corporation for Enterprise Development…
I swear that half of all college students want to work in sports and entertainment. Unfortunately most of the job and internship postings you’ll find in those industries are actually scam internships. Getting a position at a legitimate sports and entertainment company is not easy, but with AEG you have a shot. They call themselves “one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world,” and although that sounds broad, it’s a good description. AEG operates in a number of business areas including Facilities, Sports (Teams and Events), Music (Events), and Merchandising. They own/control arenas like the STAPLES Center, Conseco Fieldhouse, and the Prudential Center, while also owning professional sports teams like the LA Kings and Los Angeles Galaxy (can you tell that AEG is based in Los Angeles?). They’ve also “promoted tours by artists including Britney Spears, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Christina Aguilera & Justin Timberlake, The Dixie Chicks, Yanni, Paul McCartney, Usher, Kanye West, Prince, Rod Stewart, Bon Jovi, Nickelback, and PopTarts Presents American Idol.” And that’s not even half of it. AEG is a major player in sports and entertainment, and a great place to start a career. Continue reading about AEG…
Today is my half birthday, which has nothing to do with trumpets or creative agencies, but I thought it was worth noting in case you want to buy me a present. Trumpet says “Don’t Advertise. Connect.” So that’s what I’m trying to do. Connect with me by buying me a gift. Anyway, Trumpet is a unique creative agency. They’re based in New Orleans, LA, and they typically work with startups, launches, and turnarounds. Since those are exactly the kinds of businesses that New Orleans needs right now, they’re a perfect fit for the city. Trumpet offers holistic strategy guidance that goes beyond advertising and touches on areas like “product development, social or digital strategy, publicity, events, design or sponsored content.” They really aim to touch all areas of the businesses that they work with. Continue reading about Trumpet…
I know how tough finding a great internship is, so I’m not going to pull a prank on you. It would just be mean to tell you about some awesome internships and then say that they don’t exist. Instead, I’m going to stick to what I’ve done for the last two April Fools’ Days and introduce you to some internships with a humorous side to them. Two years ago we took a look at Motley Fool, and last year it was College Humor. This year we’re going to check out The Second City, which is “the leading brand in improv-based sketch comedy.” They have theaters in Chicago and Toronto, along with Training Centers in those cities and Hollywood too. The Second City is also where famous comedians like Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters!), Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Chris Farley cut their teeth. (My buddy Jason Seiden also did a little work at their Training Center.) It is the place for comedy, and it’s all located a mile up the street from where I live. Continue reading about The Second City…
I grew up in Fairfield, CT, which is next to a city, Bridgeport, that is always aiming for “revitalization.” They’ve talked about a building a casino for years, and they even built a minor league baseball stadium. It’s hard to say whether that has helped or hurt, but it seems that Bridgeport is at least doing a little better than it was a decade ago. I’d imagine that the real reasons for improvement have come from smaller projects that are more in tune with the city’s communities’ needs. These are the kinds of projects that The Reinvestment Fund invests in in cities in the Mid-Atlantic. They are “a 24 year old nonprofit financial lending institution with a strong social mission” and offices in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. They started out as a small community development organization, and they’ve grown to become something much bigger. Continue reading about The Reinvestment Fund…
Apparently the hot dog is a killer. Who knew? I had heard that the preservatives in hot dogs might cause cancer, but I read yesterday in this Fast Company article that the American Academy of Pediatrics recently “called for the redesign of hot dogs” because of the choking hazard. One of the Academy’s doctors even went so far as to say that, “If you were to take the best engineers in the world and asked them to design a perfect plug for a child’s airway, you couldn’t do better than a hot dog.” The article went on to discuss how RKS, a Thousand Oaks, CA based industrial design firm, was playing with ideas on how to redesign the hot dog. That’s a big task to bite off, but RKS was able to come up with some pretty cool concepts in their brainstorming. It shows why they can claim companies like Apple, Coca-Cola, Nissan, and HP as clients. Continue reading about RKS…
I hope the title of today’s post didn’t make you hungry, because we’re not talking about internships in organic food. Organic is a San Francisco based interactive marketing agency with a brand that has gained a lot of keyword competition over the past 16 years. Yes, people were eating organic back in 1994, but the word wasn’t nearly as common as it is today. Doing research on Organic is tough because the organic search results (excuse my SEO pun) have all kinds of other stuff in them (at least they own Organic.com). Either Google needs to get inside my head to discern my intent, or Organic is going to have to hope that artificial packaged, processed foods go back in vogue. Ok, enough of my ripping on their name—Organic was ranked by AdWeek as the #1 interactive agency in 2007. That fits in perfectly with my impression of Organic from browsing their website and looking at their work. In fact, I’m blown away by how good Organic’s website is. It’s easy to use, it’s full of information, and it’s gorgeously designed. Their corporate mantra is “Exceptional Experience,” and they certainly live up to it. Continue reading about Organic…
For most of us museums are just places to go to visit for a day and to learn something new. We rarely think about what is going on behind the scenes, but we should. At many major museums there is also a significant research function. A perfect examples is the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA, which sounds like a research institution, but it also runs a museum. In fact, The Academy is the “oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World” according to Wikipedia. The Academy has been at the forefront of biological and earth sciences since its inception, and it continues to promote public education in those areas. Just to give you an idea of the scale on which they operate, their collections include more than 17 million specimens. That’s crazy! Continue reading about Academy of Natural Sciences…
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, which means that it’s time to talk about internships in football (we’ve featured NFL internship in addition to a few other cool opportunities). Since it’s our practice to feature non-profits on the weekend, I started browsing around the NFL’s Join the Team site, which features all of the league’s charitable work. One of the things that I came across was the Play It Smart program, which partners “academic coaches with student-athletes in order to, ‘take a student-athlete’s passion for sports and intense dedication to their team and transform it into a force for greater good in their lives.’” It’s a partnership between the NFL Youth Football Fund and the National Football Foundation. I decided to focus on the latter, as they’re exactly what I was looking for—a football related non-profit. The organization’s full name is The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. The Foundation is located in Irving, TX, while the Hall of Fame is located in South Bend Indiana. The organization’s mission is “to promote and develop the power of amateur football in developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America’s young people.” Continue reading about National Football Foundation…
I’m not sure if it’s a trend yet, but it seems that more and more creative/interactive agencies are moving away from client work and spending more time developing products. 37signals used to be a web design agency, and now they develop web-based applications that help people get things done. Brooklyn, NY based AD:60 appears to be taking a similar path. They’re still putting a strong emphasis on their client work, but they also seem to have a lot of interest in developing their own products. The agency’s offerings include Web Design, Website Development, Mobile Technology, Marketing & Advertising, and Consulting, while their current internal projects include MyBankTracker.com and BankTwitter.com. Continue reading about AD:60…
I don’t usually do this, but this is important. I find many of the non-profit internships that I feature on One Day, One Internship on Idealist.org. It’s the best resource for non-profit internships on the web, and it’s a non-profit itself. The organization is in trouble right now, and they need money. If they’ve helped your internship search in any way, go to their home page and make a donation—I just did. Even $5 will help.
If Aspen is known for anything, it’s known for skiing and affluence. In 1945 Walter Paepcke, a Chicago businessman, was so inspired by the town’s natural beauty that he wanted it to be known for something else—”as an ideal gathering place for thinkers, leaders, artists, and musicians from all over the world to step away from their daily routines and reflect on the underlying values of society and culture.” He started by organizing events in Aspen like “a celebration of the 200th birthday of German poet and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,” and then he founded The Aspen Institute. It started as a “forum based on the writings of great thinkers of the past and present,” but now it’s evolved into something more. It is now a non-profit organization that fosters “values-based leadership” and provides “a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues.” It’s certainly an ideas-focused organization, and it is now headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in Aspen, CO and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Continue reading about The Aspen Institute…
Design matters. It’s the reason that Apple can sell devices that essentially do the same thing as those of their competitors for a significant premium. It’s the reason that you choose to trust one website over another. It’s the reason that you buy brands. Yes, functionality matters too, but that’s a given. Grafik gets it. They’re an Alexandria, VA based integrated marketing agency that appears to put a heavy focus on visual design. Their main service offerings are brand strategy, integrated communications, and interactive marketing, but it’s very obvious from looking at their website (and their name) that graphic design is a key part of what makes Grafik successful. Browsing through a gallery of their work only confirms this. Continue reading about Grafik…
I’m sure that many of you use Craigslist to find internships. As much as it can be a great resource for college students, I have to say that I find it weird that people looking for internships and people looking for “casual encounters” are using the same website. There’s just something sketchy about Craigslist. That probably explains why many people are reluctant to use the site to find local service providers. Can you trust a plumber, tutor, masseuse, or pool guy if you find him or her on Craigslist. Maybe. But how will you know for sure? That’s where Thumbtack comes in. They’re a San Francisco based startup that is taking a page out of Angie’s List’s book (maybe they should have “list” in their name) by providing an online marketplace for local service providers, but they’re doing it for free. Free is great, but the real key feature on Thumbtack is the fact that they provide “twelve ways to verify the identity and reputation of every provider.” That way you don’t have to worry about your plumber getting his house calls and his casual encounters mixed up. Continue reading about Thumbtack…
