TransFair USA

Willy Franzen — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:21:00 +0000

One of the cool things about the world that we live in these days is that not every decision need to be politicized. You aren’t restricted to voting your social conscience once a year on election day. You can also vote with your pocketbook/wallet/loose change. There are all kinds of products that not only serve your everyday needs, but that also represent a social idea. I’m not just talking about brands either. That Nike symbol on your t-shirt doesn’t really mean anything, but building a house with LEED certified green materials or buying Fair Trade Coffee allows you to ensure that you’re spending your money in away that aligns with your moral stances. TransFair USA, based out of Oakland, CA is the non-profit organization behind the Fair Trade Certification – as you can see from the logo to the right. They have programs that certify coffee, tea, chocolate, vanilla, fresh fruit, rice, sugar, and much more along a specific set of guidelines.

Fair Trade Certified Internships

I think that we’re already seeing that certification is going to play a huge role in the future of marketing. People want to know that the products that they buy are produced greenly (yes, I just made that word up), fairly, and even organically. People will pay a large premium for that extra bit of knowledge about the products that they buy, so this idea isn’t going anywhere. That’s why TransFair USA seems like such a cool organization. They’re leading the path when it comes to Fair Trade Certification. Whether you’re truly passionate about Fair Trade or you’re just fascinated by certification as a marketing concept, an internship with TransFair USA might be a cool way to spend the summer. You should head over to their Internships page and check out what they have available. Right now there are two opportunities available – Category Management Intern and Web Intern. Both are part-time, unpaid, and based out of their Oakland, CA office. You can apply online directly from the position listings.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you buy Fair Trade Certified products?

The Hershey Company

Willy Franzen — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:01:27 +0000

At least 3 days a week I walk out of my apartment building and I smell chocolate. That may sound strange, but I live less than a mile from a chocolate factory. On days when the wind is blowing right from the West and they’re churning out chocolate, I don’t need to eat dessert – the delicious smell is enough. It’s especially enjoyable when it’s snowing out, and I’m sure that it won’t be nearly as nice on a 90 degree Summer day. It’s a pretty cool perk that I didn’t know that I was getting when I moved into this building. I’m hoping that you can get the same perk when you take an internship with The Hershey Company. I don’t know if their corporate offices are near their factories, but even if they aren’t, you’ll still be surrounded by chocolate if you work for them. Hershey’s obviously doesn’t need an introduction, but you may not know that some of their other big brands are Reese’s, KitKat, Kisses, Jolly Rancher, and Ice Breakers. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, they’re located in… Hershey, PA.

The Secret Ingredient in Hershey’s Chocolate Is You

Ok, the above statement (taken from the Hershey’s recruiting website) kind of weirds me out. It makes me think of what may have happened to Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka. With that said, it’s true that Hershey’s isn’t much without the people who work for them. They are “the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and sugar confectionery products with revenues of nearly $5 billion and almost 13,000 employees worldwide.” That’s a lot of people, a lot of money, and a lot of chocolate. If you love chocolate, it’s the place for you. Hershey’s has a page on their Careers site just for students; however, it doesn’t really yield a lot of information about internships. Your best bet is to scan their job postings to see what internships they have for college students. It’s an easy search, and it will yield a ton of results if you select “Internships” for Job Category. Right now they have opportunities in Food Technology, Industrial Engineering, Information Services, Internal Audit, Trade Promotion Compliance, Voice/Data Networking Technologies, Software Development, Client Technologies, Manufacturing Applications, Marketing Finance Planning, Microbiology & Research, and Packaging Systems. All are located at their headquarters in Hershey, and you can apply online. Oh yeah, and although there’s no mention, we’re going to venture that these internships are paid.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite Hershey’s candy?

One Day, One Internship » trade

TransFair USA

Fair Trade Certified Internships

The Hershey Company

The Secret Ingredient in Hershey’s Chocolate Is You