International Work – TECH/SCIENCE

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

Posted in International Internships, International Internships, International Work, Job & Internships, Job Search | Comments Off

International Work – SOCIAL SERVICES

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS-approved organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Action International*+
Africa Inland Mission*
Agape Adventures*+
Amizade
Amor Ministries*+
Cafe 1040*+
Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI)
Child Evangelism Fellowship*
CMF International*+
Connect-123
Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS)
Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)*+
Experiential Learning International (ELI)
Food for the Hungry*+
Frontiers*+
Global Service Corps
Go Abroad
Hope For Aids*+
IICD*+
International Foundation for Education and Self-Help
Living & Learning*
Medair*
Mercy Ships*
Mission to the World*
Navigators*
New Haven City Project
New Tribes Mission (NTM)*
Oasis Global*+
Operation Crossroads Africa
Operation Mobilization (OM)*+
Orchard Africa*+
Pioneer Bible Translators*
Pioneers*+
Projects Abroad
Rafiki Foundation*+
The Refuge Foundation*+
Samaritan’s Purse*
Serving In Mission (SIM)*+
Team Serve*+
Training In Ministry Outreach (TIMO)*+
UFM*+
WEP International*
Word Made Flesh*
World Relief*+
Wycliffe*+
Xtreme Missions*+

Americas

Action International*+
Adventure in Missions*+
Agape Adventures*+
Agua Viva*+
All Nations International Church*+
Amizade
Amor Ministries*+
Arizona Reservation Ministries (US)*+
Avant Ministries*+
Bay Area Rescue Mission (US)*+
Biblical Literature Fellowship*+
Bresee Foundation (US)*+
Cadence International*+
Camino Global*+
Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI)
Central City Community Outreach (US)*+
Child Evangelism Fellowship*
Child Evangelism Fellowship*+
Chosen People Ministries (US)*+
Christ for the City*+
Christ Our Redeemer African Methodist Church (US)*+
Church Planting International*+
CIS Abroad
CMF International*+
Concern America
Connect-123
CrossWorld*
Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS)
Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)*+
Experiential Learning International (ELI)
Food for the Hungry*+
Fred Jordan Mission (US)*+
Go Abroad
Hillside Missions*+
IICD*+
Inner City Impact (USA)*+
InterAct Ministries*+
International Education Programs (IEP)
International Orphanage Union*+
International Youth Initiative*+
Intervarsity*
Kidworks (US)*+
Kingdom Causes Bellflower (US)*+
Living & Learning*
Long Beach Rescue Mission (US)*+
Medair*
Missionary Gospel Fellowship (MGF) (US)*+
Mission to the World*
North America Indian Ministries (US)*+
Mexican Medical Ministries*+
North America Indigenous Ministries*+
Next Generation Mission*+
Network of InterCultural Exchange (NICE)
New Tribes Mission (NTM)*
Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos*
Operation Mobilization (OM)*+
Pioneers*+
Projects Abroad
Prolades
Reach Missions*+
Royal Servants*+
Send International*+
Serving In Mission (SIM)*+
Team Serve*+
UFM*+
Uncharted Waters Sports Program*+
Union Rescue Mission (USA)*+
Word Made Flesh*
World Harvest*+
World Impact*+
World Relief*+
World Team*+
Wycliffe*+
Xtreme Missions*+
Youthworks*+

Asia

Action International*+
Adventure in Missions*+
Agape Adventures*+
Avant Ministries*+
Cafe 1040*+
Care Corner Orphanage*
Baan Immanuel*+
Cadence International*+
CEO International*+
Child Evangelism Fellowship*
Child Haven International
Children to Love*+
CIS Abroad
CLC Ministries*+
CMF International*+
Connect-123
Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS)
CrossWorld*
Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
eChinaCities (Job Board)
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)*+
Experiential Learning International (ELI)
Food for the Hungry*+
Frontiers*+
Global Service Corps
Go Abroad
Hillside Missions*+
Hope For Aids*+
IICD*+
International Education Programs (IEP)
Interserve*+
Maharashtra Fellowship*+
Mission Society*+
Navigators*
New Tribes Mission (NTM)*
Nikki’s Place
NYC International Project (US)*+
OMF International*+
Operation Mobilization (OM)*+
People International*+
Pioneer Bible Translators*
Pioneers*+
Royal Servants*+
Samaritan’s Purse*
Send International*+
Serving In Mission (SIM)*+
Succat Hallel (Hebrew: Tabernacle of Praise)*+
Team Serve*+
UFM*+
Water of Life*+
Word Made Flesh*
World Harvest*+
World Relief*+
Wycliffe*+
Xtreme Missions*+

Europe

Action International*+
Agape Adventures*+
American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) (Work Permits)
An Tobar Nua Cafe & Coffee House*+
Avant Ministries*+
Best Programs
Biblical Literature Fellowship*+
Bluecare
Camino Global*+
Child Evangelism Fellowship*
Children to Love*+
CIS Abroad
CMF International*+
Connect-123
Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS)
CrossWorld*
Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)*+
Experiential Learning International (ELI)
Food for the Hungry*+
Frontiers*+
Greater Europe Mission*+
Hays UK (Job Board)
Hillside Missions*+
InterAct Ministries*+
Intervarsity*
Irish Jobs (Job Board)
Josiah Venture*+
Mission to the World*
Navigators*
Next Generation Mission*+
Nordic Harvest Mission*+
Oasis Global*+
Operation Mobilization (OM)*+
People International*+
Pioneer Bible Translators*
Pioneers*+
Reach Missions*+
Royal Servants*+
Send International*+
Team Serve*+
UFM*+
WEP International*
World Harvest*+
Wycliffe*+
Xtreme Missions*+

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

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International Work – RECREATION

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

Posted in International Internships, International Internships, International Work, Job & Internships, Job Search | Comments Off

International Work – POLITICS

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
eChinaCities (Job Board)

Europe

American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) (Work Permits)
Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
Hays UK (Job Board)
Irish Jobs (Job Board)

Middle East

Oceania

AustraLearn
Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
Jobs Plus (Australian Job Board)

Worldwide

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International Work – HEALTHCARE

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

Posted in International Internships, International Internships, International Work, Job & Internships, Job Search | Comments Off

International Work – EDUCATION

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Action International*+
Adventure in Missions*+
Amizade
Bresee Foundation (US)*+
Camino Global*+
Central City Community Outreach (US)*+
Child Evangelism Fellowship*+
Christ for the City*+
CIEE Teach Abroad
CIS Abroad
Child Evangelism Fellowship*+
CMF International*+
Concern America
Connect-123
CrossWorld*
Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS)
Dave’s ESL Cafe (Job Board)
Experiential Learning International (ELI)
Go Abroad
Hillside Missions*+
IICD*+
International Education Programs (IEP)
International School Honduras*
International Youth Initiative*+
Intervarsity*
Institute for Central American Development Studies
Kidworks (USA)*+
Living & Learning*
Mission to the World*
North America Indigenous Ministries*+
Navigators*
Network of InterCultural Exchange (NICE)
New Tribes Mission (NTM)*
NTM*+
Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos*
Operation Mobilization (OM)*+
Pioneers*+
Projects Abroad
Serving In Mission (SIM)*
UFM*+
Uncharted Waters Sports Program*+
World Harvest*+
World Teach
World Team*+
Wycliffe*+
Youthworks*+

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

Posted in International Internships, International Internships, International Work, Job & Internships, Job Search | Comments Off

International Work – COMMUNICATIONS

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

Posted in International Internships, International Internships, International Work, Job & Internships, Job Search | Comments Off

International Work – BUSINESS

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

Posted in International Internships, International Internships, International Work, Job & Internships, Job Search | Comments Off

International Work – ARTS

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Mark Matthes

Below is a mix of private companies, government agencies, non-profits, 3rd party providers, and mission/ministry organizations that offer work opportunities in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania. Christian organizations are designated with a red “*“, SICS or SMU recognized organizations are designated with a green “+“, and all other organizations are unmarked. Please meet with a faculty advisor prior to accepting an international internship if you wish to earn academic credit for it.

Africa

Americas

Asia

Europe

Middle East

Oceania

Worldwide

Posted in International Internships, International Internships, International Work, Job & Internships, Job Search | Comments Off

Never Stop Looking for a Job

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Alex Sparks

I have worked for the Career Development Department for a little over a year. I really enjoy the job I have and the work I do. As a college student, I spent most of my time on the internet anyways so it wasn’t a huge shift for me. Now I just focus my attention on the internet and I get paid for it.Its a solid gig. Besides the obvious benefit of gas money, I have taken a lot from this job. My position has forced me to become more familiar with both Career Development and Social Media. Two knowledge-sets that are invaluable as a young adult preparing to enter the real world. In short, I really enjoy my job and it is perfect for me in this season.

However, I have not stopped looking for a new one since the day I got hired. But why?

Why would I look for a new job if I love the one I have? As I mentioned, it is perfect for this season, but I do not know when this season will end. I know for certain that it is a short lived position. I graduate in May and a new, bright-faced student will take over the reins. I also know that this is not where I want to be forever. I love Social Media, but it is not my calling. It is a means to an end and has already given me valuable skills in my desired field.

Jobs are meant to serve your career. Career development is about progressing your career for the long-term. Every job you have, temporary or permanent, expands your reach and prepares you for the next step.

I still spend 30-60 minutes a day job hunting online. Part of the benefit of my job and desired field (Film Production) is that it allows me to work short or temporary jobs, as well as working from home. My unending job search, has landed me Social Media work for two companies other than Biola, weekend jobs on Film sets, and a handful of consultations and interviews.

Jobs come and go, which is why it is important to always be on the lookout. You would hate to miss an incredible opportunity because you took a month off from the search.

It is important to be loyal to your employer. Do not hop from job to job every couple of months because something better comes up. But if you work hard and pay attention to the market, an opportunity may present itself that is worth the switch. If you are working in retail or food service, but really want a job in marketing, you would hate to miss an entry-level position or internship because you stopped looking.

There is definitely a balance between being content in your work environment and looking for the next step. Enter every work day with the intention to give it your all and never see any work as “unimportant because it is temporary.” At this stage in our lives, every job is temporary. We are preparing for our careers. Work hard in whatever you do and always be looking for doors to open. God has a way of guiding our paths through college and then through our careers. Stay faithful to him in knowing that his timing does not always align with ours. Sometimes it is when we need a job the most, sometimes it is when we already have two or three.

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Top 10 Gaming Companies of 2012

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Alex Sparks

These gaming companies are doing it right. Creating inspiring products in an innovative way. This list is compiled from Fast Company.

01 || Tapjoy

For fueling mobile app growth through the use of in-app advertisements. Its 280 million users select which ads to engage with in exchange for receiving virtual currency that they can later use in their favorite apps. Its turnkey in-app advertising platform has monetized more than 11,000 apps across Apple’s iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, and HTML5 platforms. “For thousands of developers around the world, their apps wouldn’t see the light of day without us,” says CEO Mihir Shah. “We’re in the business of discovery. We pair user interests with great mobile apps.”Last November, Tapjoy branched out from mobile advertising with the beta launch of its personal app marketplace, which delivers customized app recommendations based on users’ current apps, as well as those of their friends.

02 || Recyclebank

For incentivizing people to recycle via gamification–and saving cities millions in the process. Since launching a pilot program in Philadelphia in 2005, Recyclebank has helped more than 300 communities across 31 states and the U.K. double or triple their recycling rates by offering participants points for engaging in eco-friendly activities. Customers can redeem their points–worth an average of $133 per year–at local or national retailers, restaurants, and grocery stores. In 2011, Recyclebank expanded its digital presence with the addition of games like the Green Your Home Challenge. “The concept of leveling and badging and leaderboards and basic game dynamics are very powerful concepts because it speaks to the underlying psychological and behavioral needs of individuals,” says CEO Jonathan Hsu. Since building out its digital platform, online users now comprise more than 25% of Recyclebank’s more than 3 million membership, and average time on the site has increased three times.

03 || Zynga

For making inroads into gaming platforms outside of Facebook. Its first major foray into mobile gaming, its acquisition of Words With Friends (which it helped advance into a cultural phenomenon), has led to much more, including FarmVille Express and Dream Zoo, adding almost 2 million mobile daily active users in the process. The company has also made tentative announcements of Project Z, which will allow users to play Zynga games independently from Facebook.

04 || EA

For expanding into online and casual gaming while maintaining an arsenal of bestselling console titles. Last year, EA beat out Zynga in a bid for Bejeweled developer PopCap and debuted Sims Social on Facebook, vaulting past FarmVille to collect 36 million users less than a month after launch. With the release of several much anticipated sequels–Battlefield 3 and BioWare’s The Old Republic[/i] and [i]Mass Effect 3–EA is also taking the opportunity to hype Origin, its new online gaming platform and intended rival to Valve’s Steam.

05 || Foldit

For using crowdsourced gaming to decipher–in three weeks–a structural enigma of the AIDS virus that stumped doctors for a decade. In Foldit, a multiplayer computer game developed by researchers at the University of Washington, players compete to find the best way to fold a protein or design new proteins, and it turns out they’re better than the experts. “We’re seeing the players starting to actually direct the protein experiments going out to the labs,” says Seth Cooper, Foldit’s lead designer.

06 || Valve

For promoting free-to-play and indie games while simultaneously crafting a string of massively profitable hits. Last April, prior to the much hyped release of Portal 2, the developer initiated an addictively complex viral marketing campaign for the game, enticing players to engage with a bundle of 13 underrated indie titles by embedding a series of hidden clues in them. It was a win-win for the indies and Valve. Portal 2 sales topped 3 million just two months after its launch.

07 || Bunchball

For anticipating the gamification explosion before anyone knew what gamification was. Bunchball implements game mechanics across websites and mobile apps to increase customer loyalty with the 125 million users it now reaches. In the last year, Bunchball’s client base–which includes Playboy, USA Network, and Comcast–doubled to 100, with many of the new business clients seeking ways to motivate their employees. “Sales managers have been doing rewards contests for years by hand” says founder Rajat Paharia. “Now we give them an application that allows them to incentivize employees to sell more using game mechanics.”

08 || Warner Bros. Interactive

For succeeding where other entertainment companies like Disney and Viacom have failed. By choosing to forgo direct game adaptations of films like Batman Begins, the studio has been able to expand franchises with original storylines rather than merely duplicate existing ones. In October, the studio released Batman-inspired Arkham City to stellar reviews, shipping 4.6 million copies within a week.

09 || Bethesda Game Studios

For creating a massive, complex, nonlinear role-playing universe. Released in November, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim proved an impressive, if not superior, follow-up to 2006’s Oblivion. With more than 70 voice actors and 60,000 lines of dialogue, Skyrim generates an infinite number of quests for players via its Radiant Storytelling engine, which records character actions and adjusts the storyline accordingly. The game shipped more than 7 million copies its first week and became the fastest selling title in Steam’s history.

10 || Deep Silver

For hyping Techland’s game, Dead Island, via an unforgettable cinematic trailer. The three minute trailer–which depicts a family’s (failed) attempts to escape hordes of zombies–sparked more than 12 million views and talks of a potential Lionsgate spin-off film. Even though the game debuted to tepid reviews, it shipped 2 million units in its first week thanks largely to Deep Silver’s marketing. “Deep Silver as a publisher has never had a number one product,” says Aubrey Norris, PR manager for the company. “We’ve gone from pretty much nothing to millions and millions and millions, and we don’t plan on being a one hit wonder.”

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Top 10 Retail Companies of 2012

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Top Ten Retail Companies of 2012 is compiled from a list by Fast Company.

1. Amazon

For creating a virtuous cycle of commerce interwoven into its technology. The Kindle Fire is the purest expression of tablet as consumption engine. It deftly uses free TV shows and movies to drive Prime memberships that in turn fuel greater retail sales. It also invented a market for 10,000-25,000 word stories that didn’t previously exist with its Singles program. The Fire also represents the purest expression of Amazon’s vision: For customers to acquire or consume any content, physical or digital, in as seamless a fashion as possible. In that, the Fire is undeniably a triumph of instant or almost instant gratification.

2. Square

For creating a new kind of mobile, social, and local retailer and streamlining point-of-sale payments. When Square launched in October 2010, it was a mere dongle that plugged into iPhones, enabling anyone–especially small businesses–to accept credit card payments. No more. Square has since set out to transform the entire payments process, launching an iPad app designed to replace the cash register and point of sale credit card equipment and processing and its Card Case app brings the future of the digital wallet to smartphones today without having to wait for a tap-and-pay system of embedded chips and readers.

3. Patagonia

For its aggressive pursuit of sustainability. As part of its unprecedented Common Threads initiative, the outdoor-apparel company launched an eBay storefront where Patagonia owners can sell secondhand clothing. It’s also expanded into music downloads that benefit environmental charities and even a sustainable salmon jerky in an effort to promote sustainable causes. These initiatives themselves don’t make Patagonia any money, but the resulting brand burnishing improves sales every time.

4. Kiva Systems

For powering faster e-commerce shipments thanks to its autonomous robots. Kiva’s order-fulfillment wizards are now roaming the warehouses of such retailers as Toys ‘R’ Us and Timberland, two of the 24 new customers Kiva picked up in 2011 on its way to doubling revenue for the second year in a row. The machines intelligently organize warehouses to be more efficient–even stacking shelves vertically–enabling more accurate orders and less expensive shipping, even for common grocery or drugstore items. “Low-margin goods are the next wave in ecommerce,” says CEO Mick Mountz. “For that to happen, you need efficient pick, pack, and ship like Kiva offers.”

5. UPS

For letting customers tap directly into UPS’ sophisticated logistics system and control where and when packages get delivered. Its new service My Choice gives customers who’ve signed up a heads-up when a package arrival is imminent the next day. That alone (there are also premium services) helps UPS avoid missed deliveries, saving them money, yes, but also driving greater loyalty both to the end user and the retailer shipping the package. My Choice, then, is UPS’ nod to its e-commerce business. Acknowledges Geoff Light, UPS’ vice president of new product development, “Our business has shifted in correlation with what’s happening in retail, toward e-commerce.” More than 30% of UPS packages now ship to consumers.

6. OpenSky

For converting shopping into a social star trip. Users of this shopping platform follow “curators” like Padma Lakshmi, Molly Sims, and Shaquille O’Neal to populate a Twitter-like feed of recommended products. “Why don’t we build a network where people can connect to people who inspire them?” says OpenSky CEO John Caplan. “Tom Colicchio for food, Cynthia Rowley for clothes. People who live in their passions. Those people would every day be recommending new products to you–daily bolts of inspiration.” When OpenSky started, users were connected to 6 curators on average. Now it’s 18.

7. Fast Retailing

For fashioning Uniqlo into America’s Next Big Retailer. The new $450 million, 90,000-square-foot global flagship store–which is actually the largest retail outlet ever opened in New York–is just the beginning: Uniqlo’s goal is to have 200 stores in the United States and U.S. sales of $10 billion by 2020.

8. RelayRides

For building a business out of “underutilized assets” and dragging the car companies along with it. The peer-to-peer car-sharing market made a landmark deal with GM to let millions of GM owners with OnStar rent out their idle cars. RelayRides claims the average vehicle generates $250 in rental fees a month, with an owner keeping 65% of the total.

9. Shopify

For democratizing and automating ecommerce tools. Shopify offers pre-made templates that allow people to quickly and easily set up an online store without needing to know how to code a website. Shopify creates tools and templates to power online storefronts. (Notable clients include Rovio, Angry Birds’ parent company, and GE.) Shopify has grown to almost 20,000 storefronts in 88 countries, which did a combined $275 million in online sales, up from $120 million in 2010. Up next: Making it as easy to buy sell to mobile customers.

10. Warby Parker

For doing the seemingly impossible: making possible online prescription glasses sales. How? High design and Zappos-style customer service. The New York-based team designs its own glasses, selling them for $95, and it recently expanded into sunglasses ($150). The company keeps prices low by ordering from manufacturers and selling directly to consumers, avoiding expenses like brand licensing fees and retail markups (a la LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, and others). So far, it has sold more than 100,000 pairs of glasses and says it’s profitable.

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Internship Advisory Council

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Mark Matthes

This Council was formed to advise Biola’s Center for Career Development on activities related to internships and work experience. The second annual meeting is slated for August 2013. The Council is comprises alumni professionals, faculty, student leaders, and Career Development staff representing a wide spectrum of job functions, industries, and work experience.

- – - – - – - – - – -

2012-2013 ACTION ITEMS, 6/27/12 MEETING

  1. Obtain a place on agenda at the Council of Instructional Deans Meeting (basis is Biola’s Aspiration #4: Produce graduates well prepared for their professional careers). Discuss integration of career preparation in each major. (Lead: Jeanie Jang – conversation with June Hetzel, Larry Strand & Doretha O’Quinn)

    • Are faculty incentivized/compensated to advise interns in every major? How should Biola approach advising internships in a more far-reaching way? How can we create a systematic process for building internships into all academic programs? On the one hand, some faculty are compensated for an 8 hour a week student advising requirement, which could be used for internship advising; on the other hand, some faculty are not required to have 8 hours a week of student advising. And some faculty, such as in Sociology, have no incentive whatsoever to invest their time on students’ career development.
    • Career development workshops are currently optional. Propose that courses or programs require attendance at, say, 2-3 career development workshops/events.
    • Incorporate resume writing, networking, mock interviews, etc. into curriculum of each major.
    • Debrief internship experiences more formally, and document them in a systematic way.

  2. Job shadowing alumni. (Lead: Jeanie Jang – conversation with Rick Bee in Alumni Relations)

  3. Create database of employers with internship opportunities. (Fulfilled through Biolalink. However, Career Development is expanding its reach to alumni, parents, faculty [& internship coordinators] to increase opportunities & point more users to Biolalink; Lead: Jeanie Jang)

  4. Publish reviews of employers and internships – similar to Glassdoor.com. (Leads: Mark Matthes, Tiffany Lee, Tim Brandon)

  5. Publish stories of students/alumni with good intern experiences. (Leads: TBA. Ask internship coordinators to provide lists of students – Sandy Harden & Tiffany)

    • Market stories on websites, through UCM, etc.

  6. Visit intro level major classes with sophomores/juniors to announce specific internships in relevant major; job shadowing; demo Biolalink; highlight job list widgets by dept (Biolalink branded); this may replace FYS visits. (Leads: Sandy Harden & Tiffany Lee)

- – - – - – - – - – -

CHARTER

Purpose

To advise Biola’s Center for Career Development on activities related to internships and work experience.

Objectives

• To address opportunities that can impact students’ career preparation.
• To identify curricular and co-curricular improvement opportunities that will better prepare graduates for the real world of work.
• To build relationships between Biola and organizations that may lead to internship and employment opportunities.

Relationship of the Internship Advisory Council to Biola’s Center for Career Development

It is the role of the Center for Career Development to enact policy and make suggestions to other departments within Biola University. The Advisory Council offers recommendations to the Center and provides information relevant to improving the quality of career preparation so that students are well equipped to enter their chosen careers. The Council members serve as a bridge between outside organizations and Biola University to promote constructive change.

Membership Composition

The Advisory Council will consist of a cross-section of employer representatives as well as students, alumni professionals, and faculty. The Director and Associate Director of the Center for Career Development will serve as members also. Members are volunteers who possess expertise in various areas of the career spectrum.

Term

Term of membership is yet to be decided, but it will likely last anywhere from one to three years.

Moderator and Recorder

The Associate Director of the Center for Career Development will serve as the moderator; the Administrative Assistant of the Center will serve as the recording secretary for each meeting.

Meetings

The Council will meet one or two times per year. An agenda will be used and minutes of each meeting will be kept. Recommendations passed by a majority vote and reports from the Council will be submitted to the moderator for dissemination to relevant University parties. Members who are absent from meetings without reasonable cause from two successive meetings will be considered to have resigned their seats.

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Top 10 Education Companies of 2012

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Top Ten Education Companies of 2012 is compiled from a list by Fast Company.

1. Southern New Hampshire University
For relentlessly reinventing higher education, online and off. The private, not-for-profit and nonselective university is a favorite of innovation guru Clay Christensen thanks to the hotbed of ideas for reimagining higher learning. President Paul LeBlanc is constantly looking to pilot models that provide the benefits of an SNHU education in different combinations to different people. SNHU Advantage, for example, is a streamlined satellite program conducted at an offsite office park where 45 “less confident” students complete their first two years of general ed requirements in four hours a day. Its College Unbound program, which started this fall, is a learning community of first-generation students who design individualized learning plans around jobs and internships, spending as much time in the world as in class. SNHU’s success has attracted potential partners around the region and around the world. Rhode Island wants to offer a free public higher education option; local high schools and community colleges are exploring dual enrollment with SNHU; and a member of SNHU’s Innovation Lab team was dispatched to New Zealand last fall to make SNHU the second U.S. “anchor” for the Open Educational Resources University, an international effort to create paths to degrees for people studying open resources in online networks. Read More

2. Knewton
For learning as you learn online. Five years in the making, the company debuted its software that helps students go at their own pace and personalizes content to how they’re most comfortable learning (making it more gameline, for example). Knewton launched with a college readiness program in math at Arizona State University last summer, helping incoming first-year students improve their proficiency so they could handle college-level courses in the fall. It lined up UNLV, Washington State, Mount St. Mary’s, and Penn State to do the same. It raised another $33 million, reputedly making it the best-capitalized education startup in history, and to cap off its year, it signed a deal with Pearson Education, the world’s largest educational publisher, to power Pearson’s math, science, and humanities tutoring software used by nine million higher-education students. Read More

3. Skillshare
For making it easy to let any doer teach. The community marketplace for offline classes launched last April, and the Airbnb-like platform promises to turn any city into a distributed campus. Fun and useful courses–San Franscisco has Settlers of Catan and digital curation, New Orleans offers modern dinner party etiquette and business model generation–are available for typically less than $50, of which Skillshare takes a 15% cut. More than 15,000 hours of classes have been taught thus far.

4. Chegg
For becoming a social hub for homework help, course selection, note taking, and finding scholarships. Chegg began as “Netflix for textbooks,” but it has expanded its mission to being more of a student-centric network of useful services. Chegg has added online course scheduling; a college-admissions service that includes scholarship matching for high-school students; a web tutoring platform; and a lecture notes service to build out what it calls the “student graph.” The company has also built an HTML 5 e-textbook reader to anticipate the reduced use of physical volumes, and it claims more than one-million pageviews in its first two weeks.

5. Pearson
For launching a free online learning platform to complement its textbook business. The largest publisher in the world has become “the largest learning company.” Nearly 50% of U.S. schools use at least one of its student curriculums, instructional management, or financial software packages. It’s also the largest provider of educational assessment services and solutions. Internationally, it’s ahead of the trend towards independent accreditation via EdExcel, the UK’s largest body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning. And in India, it runs Tutorvista, a network of English Language coaching centers for Indian students that also provides remote tutoring to 10,000 students around the world–the call-center version of help with your homework.

6. Datawind
For making the world’s cheapest tablet computer ($35) for Indian students. This small British tech company makes Aaakash, an Android device with a 7-inch touchscreen, 3-hour battery life, and 32 GB of storage that will be available starting at $35 for students. The Indian government also plans to purchase and give away 100,000 to schoolchildren and hopes to have millions in use within a few years. Aakash comes pre-loaded with a few apps, but it’s not an app platform since it can’t access the Android Marketplace. The tablet has been extensively tested in 118 degree Fahrenheit conditions to replicate summers in northern India.

7. Fidelis
For designing an online coaching platform to help vets graduate. An online community and platform that coaches veterans through the process of preparing for college and the workforce, Fidelis provides technological solutions (gamification, badges) to the tough problem of student retention for a demographic that struggles in the transition back to school and work. Fidelis will serve as virtual counselors for vets, from GED tests through their first jobs. They’re in discussions with Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among others.

8. 2tor
For bringing live online video teaching to non-profit schools. The full-service live video teaching platform, first announced in 2008, is expanding from its original offering, an online master’s degree for teachers, to social work, nursing (Georgetown) and MBAs. Its impact is profound: USC’s Rossier School of Education, for example, historically ranked in the 30′s in the U.S. News rankings. Since its partnership with 2tor began, its rank has risen to number 14 and its enrollment has risen from 100 students to more than 2,000.

9. Root-1
For finding the fun in building vocabulary. This games startup has created such educational titles as xWords, which includes a variety of crossword puzzles, and Word Joust, a vocabulary-building game that students can play solo or in competition. This first Word Joust is built around 3,000 SAT-type words. Ten thousand students in Singapore (soon rising to 40,000) are playing an experimental, browser-only version called Word Kungfu based on elementary school word lists.

10. MacArthur Foundation
For creating a $2 million competition to merge games and real-world learning. Its annual Digital Media and Learning Competition focused in 2011 on badges–transparent, game-like, modular rewards for real-world learning–one of the most exciting concepts going in the world of education technology. The first winners will be announced in March 2012.

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Top 10 Advertising Companies of 2012

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Top Ten Advertising Companies of 2012 is compiled from a list by Fast Company.

1. 72andSunny
For creating collaborative three-way branded entertainment that works. The L.A.-based ad shop has demonstrated a knack for working beyond conventional ad frameworks and in the spaces where Hollywood and Madison Avenue intersect. That approach has resulted in an eclectic and impressive body of work: a line of baby mattresses and bedding created from the ground up at 72 and buzz-magnets like its ongoing K-Swiss work in conjunction with HBO’s Eastbound and Down character Kenny Powers and “The Vet and the N00b,” the recent campaign for Activision’s record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The launch film, directed by Peter Berg (Hancock, The Kingdom) starred Sam Worthington and Jonah Hill in the titular roles and racked up 13 million views in its first week online. “The mandate is simple–get our clients in a cultural conversation,” partner Matt Jarvis says of the agency’s MO. Read More


2. Chipotle
For making fast-casual dining sustainable and marketing it like no other fast food, to the tune of $1.84 billion last year. The burrito hub increased its use of local produce in 2011 to more than 10 million pounds, double its 2010 goal. Read More


3. Networked Insights
For using data analytics to make more effective ad, media buying & original content decisions. MillerCoors, MTV, Samsung, Kraft, EA Games, Gawker Media, Charles Schwab, Microsoft, GroupM, MediaBrands, and Universal McCann have all hired Networked Insights in the past year to in some fashion apply web analytics to their content-making decisions. The Madison, Wisconsin-based company, which informed $5 billion in media spending last year, uses complex mathematical formulas to tap into Internet conversations for data that helps marketers make better decisions. Read More


4. Boo-box
For building a burgeoning Internet advertising giant in Latin America. The ad network, which dominates social-media advertising in Brazil, has now partnered with the Argentinean social analytics firm Popego to combine forces and offer targeted, social-media powered advertising across the continent. Read More

5. Buddy Media
For becoming “the” arbiter between brands and Facebook. The software that Buddy Media sells to advertisers can be used for other social media sites; however, the bulk of its business comes from those who want to manage their Facebook presence, including buying ads from Facebook. The company added close to 200 new customers in 2011, including some of the world’s most recognizable global brands, retailers, and media companies such as Ford Motor Company, Hanes, ESPN, Hearst Corporation, and Virgin Mobile USA.

6. Dentsu Network West
For conquering the U.S. advertising market from Japan. The venerable Japanese advertising holding company has succeeding where no Asian outfit has before thanks to its unique approach. Rather than acquiring every hot agency, it makes bets on a single agency within a particular discipline. The plan is to become an actual network of partners rather than a conglomerate of scale. Traditional agency McGarry Bowen, interactive powerhouse 360i, and boutique digital production house FirstBorn are some of its holdings that have helped it organically grow business 32%.

7. Klout
For evolving the art of “the influencer” into a science. For decades companies have spent big money to try to identify and nurture word-of-mouth influencers. Klout is finding the people who are experts at creating, aggregating, and sharing content that moves online, and measuring influence for marketers, based on that. Some of the biggest and brightest marketers and brands such as Disney, Audi, Starbucks, and Nike have incorporated Klout influencers into their traditional marketing efforts. And it is working. According to Klout, each influencer in one of their Perk programs generates an average of 30 pieces of content and millions of possible impressions. The cost per thousand impressions is incredibly low compared to other forms of advertising and it is organic since it is being generated by people who already love the brands.

8. Target
For building Apple-like buzz around a new product line. Last September, Target unveiled its exclusive 400-piece limited edition Missoni for Target line to greater demand than you’d expect on a typical Black Friday. It deftly stoked demand through chronicling the line’s every development on one of its Facebook pages to using a 25-foot robo doll dressed in head-to-toe Missoni named Marina to “blog” about the collection during Fashion Week. On the day of launch, Target’s website crashed several times throughout the day and hundreds of shoppers lined up at stores early in the morning the day that the limited offerings of bikes, luggage, clothes and housewares went on sale. Everything was gone within six hours.

9. Wieden+Kennedy
For proving that iconic TV advertising can still captivate, provoke, and get people buzzing, even on the heels of its postmodern Old Spice campaign juggernaut. The Portland agency scored touchdowns for client Chrysler in two consecutive Super Bowls, first with its 2011 Emmy winning Eminem-does-Detroit spot, and then with its two-minute Clint Eastwood-narrated “It’s Halftime in America.” The indie network also helped finance nine startups through its Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) arm, which not only connects entrepreneurs to the agency’s creative braintrust but also gets them access to clients like Coca Cola and Google.

10. Big Spaceship
For being a crack team of digital inventors. Its What Do You Love? campaign for Google is a metasearch tool designed to help users utilize and explore the endless possibilities of Google by inviting them to learn something new about their favorite things while interacting with Google’s broad range of services. Big Spaceship also created “The Expressive Web” for Adobe to help designers and developers maximize the capabilities of HTML5 and CSS3 to design the modern web. And Taco Finder has been called “the app I never knew I needed,” a unique compass that directs iPhone and iPod touch users to the nearest taco using GPS technology–part of its growing portfolio of creative digital intellectual property.

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Impact the World, No Matter Your Job

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Article written by Margot Starbuck and first posted on Relevant Magazine.

Everyone knows the best place to foster relationships with the poor is on the church’s annual week-long mission trip or within the specified hours we’re doing “volunteer” work in the community. Or, reluctantly, when we can’t quite zip through a red light in time to avoid the sign-holding stranger who wants a bite to eat. Where we don’t always encounter the poor is at work.

Except that we do.

Though our temptation is to designate relating to people who are poor as being something special we do outside of our job, Jesus had a whole other plan.

Who’s to say the Samaritan who aided a bloody mugging victim wasn’t on his way to Starbucks to discuss a possible business merger? And how do we know the one Jesus praises for visiting prisoners wasn’t a manager at the Burger King where the prisoner was employed? There’s simply no good reason to assume we shouldn’t be engaging with the poor—materially and otherwise—where we work. It may take a little creativity, but it’s worth the effort.

Working as a barista, bartender or waiter?

Know the names of the customers you serve. Though you won’t be able to know each one, identify a few regulars and be open to new ways to know and care for them. It might be as simple as remembering what they’ve shared with you and following up the next time you see them.

Does your coffee shop or restaurant get rid of food at the end of the day? See if you can donate leftovers to a local shelter or a homeless person you pass on your commute.

Working in health care?

If you work in health care, your work is holy. You, quite literally, are God’s hands and feet in the lives of the ones God loves. As you care for the poor, be open to discover how Jesus wants to use you in their lives—and vice versa. Expect these routine encounters to be the place where Jesus is at work.

Working as a creative (artist, performer, writer, speaker)?

Author Henri Nouwen spent a season of his life among people with disabilities as a member of a L’Arche community. When he traveled to lecture, he’d bring one of these friends along. As you develop friendships with those who are poor, find creative ways for them to share your platform. Rather than telling a story about them, find a unique way for them to tell their own story. You can also donate your time to providing creative assets for organizations or groups that could benefit from this expression.

Working in IT?

You’ve got mad computer skills, so don’t be afraid to use them. Consider contacting a congregation or nonprofit with whom you have some connection—your housekeeper’s church? local teen outreach?—and offering to share your skills. If they don’t have a site online, they need your help! Offer to mentor a teen or adult who can continue to update the site.

Working in social services?

If you work in social services, you’ve hit the jackpot. No doubt a world in need files past your door, rides in your car and calls your phone every day. Counselor Michelle K. tells clients: “You are God’s beloved. You are made in the image of God and God wants good things for you.” The announcement has brought clients to tears. Find creative ways to communicate this truth.

Working a desk job?

Though a desk, an office door or a cubicle might naturally separate you from groups who are demographically different than you, keep your eyes peeled. Who vacuums the office you use? Who cleans the bathrooms? Who fills the vending machines? Seize opportunities to know these forgotten coworkers, as well as ways your business could benefit those beyond your office doors.

Working as a student?

There are a lot of people who work to make your experience possible, and many you might overlook are worth knowing. Who’s cooking in the cafeteria? Who’s cleaning the classrooms? Use the flexibility your schedule allows to know and learn the stories of these important and often unrecognized people.

Working as a pastor?

Though many of our churches are fairly ethnically and socioeconomically homogenous, partner with a sister congregation across demographic lines of income, race or—truly revolutionary—even denomination. Invite their men to join your congregation’s men’s group, or ask if your women can participate in their annual women’s retreat. The goal? Authentic friendship and, eventually, shared mission.

Working as a youth pastor?

Too often, parents and the church keep young people from encountering a world in need in the name of “protecting” them. Challenge young people to identify and discover one new friend at school whose economic circumstances are less privileged than their own. Better yet, make them curious by modeling it with a friend of your own.

Working at home?

Whether you build websites or build earrings to sell on Etsy, you’ve got a tricky challenge. Basically, you’re going to have to leave your home or invite the outside world in. Is there an elderly person in your neighborhood who’s home during the day? Could you make yourself available to pick up the kid of the single mother from daycare when she’s in a bind? Ask God to show you these opportunities. (Looking for other ways to make an impact in your neighborhood? Here are some tips for making a difference in the suburbs.)

Working in education?

From curriculum to field work, let your students encounter a world that’s bigger than the one they inhabit by exposing them to news, stories, history and encounters with those who are materially poor. Think on ways to challenge your students to know and engage with those who are under-resourced.

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How do you impact those around you while at work? Tell us your story in the comment section below!

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Summer Networking Tips

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Alex Sparks

It is almost summer time, which means you can turn your career brain off and relax for three months, right? Nope. Summer is a great time to network because we have more free time,  we meet new people and experience new places, and generally we are much more relaxed.

Use the next few months off of school to make lasting relationships and establish professional connections that can help you in the coming school year.

Here are a few simple tips to help out with networking:

1)     Know who you don’t know. Is there a specific person or type of person you need to meet?  Maybe an industry expert who works in the field you hope to?  Or a creative partner to assist your business mindset?

2)     Do your homework. Find opportunities to meet with people. This can be an event specific to networking, a guest speaker at school, or a church function. Do a little background research and see if anyone you want to meet is speaking at a local event.

3)     Know yourself and your audience.  Now that you know where you are going and who you want to meet, figure out what you want to say. Don’t practice too much though or it will sound forced. Be sure to know who you are talking to as it should dictate how you handle the conversation. Everyone responds differently.

4)     Don’t be too shy to ask. To be successful you have to be willing to ask for help. Everyone starts in the same place and the ones who make are the ones who got a helping hand.  Asking for someone’s advice about a topic they know well is a great way to get a conversation started.  When they respond with specific advice for your situation they become engaged in your success.

5)     Do what you say you will do.  Follow up with your new connections! Simply meeting new people will not progress your career. You have to hold up on your end of the deal. Don’t wait; follow-up promptly.  Be persistent while also being respectful of your new connection’s time.

Networking can be scary at first, but it only gets easier. Take full advantage of the summer and make as many new connections as possible.

Content taken from Inc.com

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Top Ten Mobile Companies of 2012

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Top Ten Mobiles Companies of 2012 is compiled from a list by Fast Company.

  1. Square

    For creating a new kind of mobile, social, and local retailer and streamlining point-of-sale payments. When Square launched in October 2010, it was a mere dongle that plugged into iPhones, enabling anyone–especially small businesses–to accept credit card payments. No more. Square has since set out to transform the entire payments process, launching an iPad app designed to replace the cash register and point of sale credit card equipment and processing and its Card Case app brings the future of the digital wallet to smartphones today without having to wait for a tap-and-pay system of embedded chips and readers.

    Read More

  2. Tapjoy

    For fueling mobile app growth through the use of in-app advertisements. Its 280 million users select which ads to engage with in exchange for receiving virtual currency that they can later use in their favorite apps. Its turnkey in-app advertising platform has monetized more than 11,000 apps across Apple’s iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, and HTML5 platforms. “For thousands of developers around the world, their apps wouldn’t see the light of day without us,” says CEO Mihir Shah. “We’re in the business of discovery. We pair user interests with great mobile apps.”Last November, Tapjoy branched out from mobile advertising with the beta launch of its personal app marketplace, which delivers customized app recommendations based on users’ current apps, as well as those of their friends.

    Read More

  3. Foursquare

    For moving far beyond check-ins and adding services like daily deals, a recommender, and real-time geolocation alerts. Last year, the location-based social network partnered with Groupon, LivingSocial, and Scoutmob to offer live deals within its mobile app. It also rolled out Radar, an opt-in service that knows where you are and alerts you when you’re near a restaurant or store you’ve saved to your to-do list. And in November, it leveraged the mass of data its collected since launching in 2009–from more than 10 million users and over a billion check-ins–to create a kind of personalized city guide for users logging in from a computer or tablet.

  4. Instagram

    For creating a beautiful, free photo-sharing service that lets regular people take professional-looking photos. Instagram’s signature square-shaped photos pay homage to Polaroid’s instant camera, and amateurs can create frame-worthy shots by stylizing their photos with the app’s special custom filters. Users can then share to multiple social networks at once, including Instagram’s own network. The site has grown to more than 15 million users, up from one million last January. Famous users include President Barack Obama, Snoop Dogg, and Justin Bieber.

  5. Flipboard

    For bringing its addictive news- and social-media consumption app to the iPhone and making it even more irresistible. Upon its debut late last year, the iPhone app tripled the typical usage of Flipboard’s iPad app. The addition of the iPhone app grew Flipboard’s page views (which it calls flips) from 650 million to almost 2 billion per month. Smart and timely content guides, to enhance everything from the Presidential election to watching the Super Bowl, go further in making Flipboard an essential tool for consuming content.

  6. Shopkick

    For creating the first instant geo-couponing system that rewards users for stepping into retail stores. Shopkick has redefined the check-in-to-reap-rewards game by eliminating a step: the act of checking in. It works by installing a hardware system in each of its partner stores that picks up signals from smartphones that has installed the app. So users start accumulating “kicks,” or rewards, the moment they walk in. Since launching in 2010, Shopkick has grown to 3 million users who walked in to 5 million stores and interacted with 1 billion products as of January 2012. Last November, Shopkick partnered with Visa to give customers an added incentive to shop after walking in. Users with registered Visa cards get rewards anytime they shop in participating stores including Old Navy, American Eagle Outfitters, and Toys ‘R’ Us. “We’re the only company that gives rewards just for walking in,” says cofounder Cyriac Roeding. “It happens so fast, people think it’s like magic. It’s instant gratification.”

  7. GetGlue

    For turning live TV-watching into a social media appointment with friends and fellow fans. “If you’re watching TV, chances are you’re using social media, too,” says CEO Alex Iskold. “We’re tapping into that market.” GetGlue offers its users three main services: the ability to check in to a TV show, interaction with others watching too, and special loyalty features like retail rewards and profile badges. Last year, its monthly check-ins increased 1,000%, to more than 16 million per month by year’s end. GetGlue has partnerships with more than 70 media companies, including virtually all of the major TV networks. And some, like TNT, have even integrated GetGlue into their own mobile apps. Last year it refined its filters to direct users toward conversations they’re most interested in, based on their TV preferences.

  8. Twilio

    For easing app developers’ headaches by letting them add voice, SMS and VoIP functionality to their apps. Twilio provides easy-to-integrate phone and text services to its 75,000 developers. “The number-one thing we did was create access to telecommunications for developers, when before it was this black box,” says Danielle Morill, Twilio’s director of developer evangelism and the startup’s first hire. In 2011, it quadrupled in size to more than 100 employees and increased its customer base by 400%. Last year it launched Twilio Connect, easing the billing process between developers and their users, and Twilio Client, allowing developers to integrate cloud communications into their apps. They also expanded into Europe.

  9. Lookout

    For securing 15 million smartphones against mobile threats and reuniting lost phones with their owners. The San Francisco-based company is adding new customers at a rate of more than one million per month. After years of providing security services for BlackBerry, Windows 7, and Android phones, in October Lookout launched its free iOS app for securing data that iPhone and iPad users store on their devices. Last June it launched a new feature to protect users from online threats while web browsing on their mobile phones. Lookout’s cloud-based protection system is powered by its Mobile Threat Network, which quickly analyzes threat data worldwide and block threats as soon as they emerge. Last year they unveiled the Lookout API, which gives partners–including Verizon Wireless–access to threat data, ensuring all apps in their app stores are screened against Lookout’s databases. Lookout now comes pre-loaded on T-Mobile devices and just announced a partnership with Telstra, Australia’s biggest mobile operator, to come pre-loaded on Telstra devices as well in 2012.

  10. Bump

    For creating the smartphone’s high-five: Tap devices to share content with a friend. More than 60 million people have downloaded this app, making it the seventh most popular free download of all time. Recent updates have added music and app sharing, as well as being able to “virtually bump” friends even when they aren’t nearby.

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Do You Have a Work-Related Tattoo Story?

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Alex Sparks

To date our most popular blog, by a longshot, is our post on Tattoo-Friendly Employers. We take this to mean that Biola students are greatly interested in finding companies that are okay with tattoos, piercings, etc.

We would like to expand our information on this topic and to do so we are asking for your help.

Do you have a work-related tattoo story? A company that is cool with them? Some companies that aren’t? Did you lose a job because of a tattoo or do have to cover it up at work? We want to hear your experiences so far in the work-world as someone with tattoos. How did you break the stereotype and land the job you wanted?

For a long time Christianity and tattoos were at odds. In an age when that is changing, how do we as Christians represent Christ in the professional world without sacrificing our right to express ourselves through tattoos, fashion, piercings, and hair dye?

Send all of your stories, thoughts, and comments to me at alex.k.sparks@biola.edu or reply in a comment below.

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What I Learned From a Poorly Planned Interview

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Yesterday, I had an unanticipated interview with a marketing company about a potential summer internship. I knew I had a meeting, but was unclear whether or not I was going to be officially interviewed. Some things went really well and others could have gone a lot smoother. Being better prepared would have only made it easier for me.

Take a lesson from my experience and follow these tips on preparing for interviews.

1. Be flexible
As I mentioned, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into yesterday. I didn’t know if I would walk into a board meeting of suits or a loft of bean bag chairs and Xbox 360s. It was somewhere in between. Be prepared for anything. Different companies operate in different ways, you never know what you will find. A rule of thumb that I should have considered is that in this kind of situation, you are always being interviewed. Even if you are just hanging out and playing Wii with a new company, you are being observed. Employers take note of how you interact with the group, how you handle yourself in competition, and how you treat authority.

2. Always have a resume ready.
This was one of my biggest mistakes. I didn’t have a resume printed out and ready to go. Up until the last minute I was emailing my resume to myself, restocking paper, and finally getting it printed. I was almost late and I was flustered. Although, I didn’t end up needing it, you never know when someone will ask for a resume. If possible, buy a binder and keep a few copies of your resume in your backpack or car. This way you won’t have to bend-over-backwards to get one printed before your interview.

3. Dress well.
This was another big mistake of mine. I knew I had the meeting in the afternoon, but my lazy college brain told me I needed 15 more minutes of sleep, so I woke up late for class and threw on a sweatshirt. After class I had to rush back to my dorm and change into something more appropriate for an interview. This only added to the stress from the lack of resume. If you have an interview, no matter what time in the day, when you wake up get ready. You never know what will come up during the day and it is best to be prepared.

4. Do your research.
Always know the company you are interviewing with and come prepared with specific questions. This lets you fill any awkward lulls with a question. This keeps them doing the talking and makes you look genuinely interested in the company. In my case, I was interviewing with a company that focuses in marketing for TV and film. I want to go into film production and currently work in a field of marketing, so I was able to ask questions geared towards these areas. I tried to find out just how involved they were in the film industry by asking questions about the new movies they had signed onto produce. I knew they had started producing films, because I did my research beforehand.

5. Be willing to wait.
Whenever you are interviewing for a position sometimes it is required you wait. Often this means you are waiting on them, but sometimes you have to be willing to ask for more time to think a job through. This was my situation yesterday. The interview went really well, but I have prior commitments that may interfere and I am still weighing my options for this summer, so I had to ask for more time. It is a part of the process and an employer will respect your honesty. Take a couple days from the interview, weigh your options, and then let them know. This of course doesn’t apply if you’re certain when you get there. If you know, you know. Take the job.

When you’re in the market for a new job or internship it is important to always be prepared. You don’t want to lose an opportunity because you didn’t print out a resume or forgot to prepare questions.

PS – Relax. Interviews will go a thousand times smoother if you take a deep breath and chill out. Be yourself, have fun, and stay humble. Now go get a job!

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Top Ten Most Innovative Music Companies of 2012

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Top Ten Music Companies of 2012 is compiled from a list by Fast Company.

1. SoundCloud
For creating a simple, democratic sound-sharing platform embraced by everyone from 50 Cent and Madonna to urban nomads looking to capture an interesting neighborhood sound. More than 10 million users have jumped on SoundCloud’s mission to “unmute the web,” two million of which came in the last two months. In May, it released its API to appbuilders with SoundCloud Labs, where more than 10,000 apps are currently in development. And $50 million from a Kleiner Perkins-led funding round? Well that sounds pretty sweet, too. Read More

2. Spotify
For taking the cake in the battle of the all-you-can-eat on-demand music streaming services (against competitors such as MOG and Rdio). Since its July U.S. launch, Spotify has become Facebook’s default music partner and gained 3 million paying subscribers worldwide, 20% of its active user base. Most surprising? More than half of those paying for the service are under 30.

3. Pandora
For channeling its claim over Internet radio into a $235 million IPO that blew estimates out of the water. A month after the June offering, the service broke its addiction to Flash, launching a beautifully fresh-but-familiar HTML5 redesign. Listener stats continue to rise, even in the wake of Spotify Radio–Pandora saw 13% to 25% listening increases across the top ten U.S. radio markets in the last quarter of 2011.

4. Björk
For creating the world’s first app album. Björk tapped interactive design guru Scott Snibbe to create the phantasmagoric iPad app for Biophilia, her first full-length album in four years, immediately positing it as a new-media model for fellow recording artists.

5. XL Recordings
For being one of the last remaining independent labels to  produce breakout mainstream artists. Adele, M.I.A., and Beck are all on  XL’s enviable current roster, but the label only signs one artist and  releases a half-dozen records a year to maintain its high quality  production. Keeping things small has paid off in big ways, like with  Adele’s album, 21, which has sold more than 17 million copies  since its release last January. In a throwback to the vintage days of  A&R, XL’s handpicked talents speak–and sing–for themselves.

6. Mason Jar Music
For pioneering a new concert model. The Brooklyn-based collective of musicians, artists, and filmmakers eschews large, commercial spaces for nontraditional venues that foster organic collaboration. In October, they partnered with indie darling Feist to stage a 25-piece band for a secret debut of her Metals album at a tiny Harlem crypt. And a recent video for their new Grooveshark series, “Mason Jar Music Presents…,” documents a performance by The Wood Brothers at an abandoned Brooklyn schoolhouse.

7. Ticketmaster
For (finally) putting fans first. The $8 billion company is taking on years of dissatisfied clients and falling sales by revamping the online ticket-buying site to be a destination where fans actually want to be. This year, it’s integrated Facebook with its interactive seat map so friends can buy tickets near each other; partnered with America-approved brands such as Walmart and Groupon on ticket deals; and built an analytics division that lets it mine data about the 26 million monthly visitors to parent company LiveNation’s sites. And the efforts are showing promise: Post-purchase customer satisfaction is at its highest since 2006.

8. Bandcamp
For beating piracy at its own game. Artists on the music distribution platform–once the strict stock of small indie bands–pop up in piraters’ searches for illegal downloads. In turn, fans led to Bandcamp are paying for songs they had no intention of purchasing. Artists on the site have clocked $12.6 million in song and merch sales (of which Bandcamp takes 15%) since the service started up in 2008, and $1 million of that was from December 2011 alone, indicating that paying for digital music is far from dead.

9. The Echo Nest
For launching Echoprint, a completely open-source music identification program that brings the technology of closed systems like Shazam to the masses. Echoprint currently has a catalog of 13 million songs that is designed to grow in tandem with its community. For example, its data license stipulates that you must contribute any new “fingerprints” you discover back to the Echoprint developer community.

10. Turntable.fm
For turning music sharing into a novel social experience. Turntable.fm’s 110,000 active users–about 30,000 of whom are logging 10 to 20 hours a month–can DJ their favorite songs to each other in virtual “rooms,” either from their personal libraries or from the service’s own catalog, supplied by copyright heavyweights ASCAP and BMI. Since its debut last January, the service has inspired several copycats, notably Facebook’s “Listen With” feature which launched this January. In the age of made-for-you personal playlists from the likes of Pandora, Turntable.fm is a breath of fresh air.

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Proper Business Etiquette

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Etiquette is a bit of a dying habit. With the growth of the internet and social networks it is easy to forget what is appropriate and what is not. For new employees entering the work world for the first time it can be an even bigger challenge.

Below are a few tips on how to stay polite in the workplace:

1. Send Thank You Notes

Writing a thank you note after a meeting or interview is the simplest way to set yourself apart from competition. It only takes a couple of minutes and a few cents in stamps, but it works wonders on your reputation. It immediately establishes you as considerate, responsible, and dedicated. More importantly it shows that you are truly interested in the job or contact.

2. Know Everyone’s Name

This takes time and practice, but knowing all of your coworker’s names is one of the first steps to proper business etiquette. This doesn’t just mean memorizing the top tier’s names and favorite colors, or knowing those employees limited to your specific office. Meet the janitor, the guy down the hall, and the lady at the front desk. Everyone inside a business plays an important role in its success. Remember this. If you take the time to really get to know everyone it boosts morale and encourages collaboration. Not to mention that if everyone likes you it will only help to advance your career.

3. The “Elevator Rule”

At school, we might call this the “classroom rule” or the “dorm room rule.” You don’t start talking about a test or a professor until you get out of the classroom and you don’t tell your buddy how your DTR went until you get into the dorm room. It is basic courtesy and it helps prevent any embarrassing eavesdropping. In the business world, you don’t want to talk about how your meeting or interview went until you are out of the elevator and on your way out of the building. The longer you wait the better. Getting the butterflies out isn’t worth potentially damaging your reputation.

4. Put Your Phone Away

It is tempting to rely on the endless updates of your iPhone to fill the brief voids in your busy day. If we are multitasking we feel like we are getting more done, but it just isn’t true. We are distracted and ultimately getting less done in two different tasks. In fact, we’ve already talked about this. If you are in a meeting, put your phone away. Focus on the people you are meeting with. Facebook and Draw Something can wait, the meeting won’t. If you are zoned in and attentive you will stand out and accomplish more.

5. Don’t Judge, Don’t Criticize

It is really easy to poke holes in the way other people do things. Especially, when that other person is a superior or direct competitor. Everyone thinks they have the best way of doing things. But this doesn’t give you the authority to critique and nitpick your coworkers methods. If it doesn’t affect you then don’t worry about it. You are only responsible for your own work and actions. It is not your job to be the workflow police for everyone in the office.

Etiquette is simple. It is positive and encouraging.

If your actions are bringing other people down you are not practicing proper etiquette. Even difficult situations can be handled properly. In the digital age it is a lot easier to get ourselves in trouble. It is so easy to let 140-characters and a quick temper get the better of us. Slow down and think before you tweet.

At the end of the day, did you handle yourself in a manner that lifted others up? This is more than proper etiquette, it is a fulfilling life and it extends far beyond the business world. It is who we are called to be in every aspect of our lives.

Content taken from Eliza Browning’s article on INC.

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Top Ten Innovative Finance Companies in 2012

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Alex Sparks

This year’s Top Ten Finance Companies is compiled from a list by Fast Company.

1. Square
For creating a new kind of mobile, social, and local retailer and streamlining point-of-sale payments. When Square launched in October 2010, it was a mere dongle that plugged into iPhones, enabling anyone–especially small businesses–to accept credit card payments. No more. Square has since set out to transform the entire payments process, launching an iPad app designed to replace the cash register and point of sale credit card equipment and processing and its Card Case app brings the future of the digital wallet to smartphones today without having to wait for a tap-and-pay system of embedded chips and readers. Read More

2. Starbucks
For showing what a struggling powerhouse can do to revitalize its reputation and strengthen its relationship with customers through its own payment system. Starbucks introduced a sophisticated mobile app and payment system that lets patrons load cash onto their mobile phones, which then display a barcode baristas can scan at the register. It did so well in trials last year that Starbucks took it national, and it saw 26 million transactions and more than $100 million in funds loaded onto the app. Starbucks continues to innovate on the beverage front as well, from its new Blonde roast coffee to a new line of healthy juices. Read More

3. Kickstarter
For becoming the default platform for artists, designers, graphic novelists, and filmmakers to fund their passion projects. The online crowd funding platform now sees more than $2 million pledged every week, and there are more than 1.3 million unique financial backers of projects ranging from iPhone accessories to graphic novels (if Kickstarter was considered a publisher, it would be the third-largest in the graphic novel business) to acclaimed Sundance films such as Room 237, Tim Kirk’s exploration of the meaning of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. If you funded that film, you could have received a handwritten thank-you from Kirk, something you’re not going to get anywhere else. More than 17,000 projects have been successfully funded since Kickstarter’s launch. “It’s such a simple, pure idea,” says James Swirsley of the Kickstarter-backed documentary Indie Game. “You have an idea, you want to make it happen, and you just put it out there.” Read More

4. PayPal
For leading the charge on digital money–again. The veteran payment platform boasts 100 million active users; $3.5 billion worth of mobile transactions in 2011; a robust suite of fun, useful smartphone apps; and PayPal Access, a new Facebook Connect-like feature that aims to streamline the entire e-pay process across the Internet. It’s also working on a cloud-based alternative to NFC chips and partnering with physical retailers such as Home Depot to let you use your PayPal account to check out in its stores. Read More

5. Y Combinator
For building a new kind of funding organization that’s completely reinvented the startup game. The startup accelerator attracts the cream of new tech ideas and works to turn them into companies through intense mentoring and a growing, powerful network of alums devoted to supporting each other. Airbnb and Dropbox are but two of its breakout stars. “I remember thinking that first summer, if we funded all these startups, they’d essentially operate like a distributed peer-to-peer replacement for a corporation,” says cofounder Paul Graham. “The employees had most of the upside and weren’t constrained at all. I’ve never said that publicly. Partly because it seemed like it might be a valuable secret, and partly because it’s kind of overreaching to say we were trying to invent a replacement for the traditional corporation.” Read More

6. SecondMarket
For maintaining the largest market for private-company shares. Facebook is the most obvious beneficiary of a private company leveraging the liquidity that SecondMarket can offer a company before it goes public. The market has benefited greatly from Facebook’s involvement–30% of its revenue came from trading in its shares–but the market is working with a couple hundred private companies to manage private stock sales. SecondMarket, which managed $558 million in transactions last year, is hoping to expand beyond startups: Trendy food companies such as In-N-Out Burger and Dogfish Head Brewery are among the non-tech private ventures that SecondMarket investors are most interested in trading.

7. American Express
For iterating like a startup. Last March, AmEx announced Serve, a PayPal-like mobile platform that lets users send and store money, without funneling it through banks. More recently, it launched a new deals platform that automatically credits users’ statements (as opposed to making store clerks take coupons) and offers in-depth analytics to retailers.

8. Dwolla
For creating a payments network that’s completely independent of credit and debit cards. Meaning you can walk into a store, see something you like, and, using its app, buy it by instantly transferring cash from your bank account to that store. It’s a highly disruptive idea, and a hell of a thing to pull off in a payments world controlled by credit-card companies. And yet, Dwolla’s starting to make it happen. The startup has already cut down money transfer wait times; partnered with 7,500 retailers; and linked its API to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It’s now processing more than $1 million a week in transactions from 80,000 users and recently closed another $5 million funding round to fuel its growth.

9. Simple
For launching a bank that doesn’t suck. By shunning fees and physical branches, releasing a super-sleek mobile app, and focusing on customer service, Simple–whose platform went live in beta late last year–has completely reimagined (and improved) the banking experience for the web generation.

10. StockTwits
For building out its stock-picking social network. It added discovery services to find people to follow on the network, and it continues to build out enterprise tools that lets companies communicate information directly to its investing audience.

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What’s More Expensive Than College?

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Not going to college, that’s what!

College is expensive. There is no way around it. Between classes, housing, books, and food the cost starts to stack up pretty quickly. The average student in the United States graduates with about $25,000 worth of debt. That is a pretty good chunk of change for anyone, but can be especially daunting to a prospective student or recent grad. A lot of times it sounds easier to skip the college process in favor of working your way up the totem pole. But the reality is the path to the “American Dream” has changed a lot in recent years and statistics show that you don’t always get to climb as high as you’d like to.

Not going to college can be just as expensive. This is true on an individual level as well as a national level. People without a Bachelor’s degree make 40% less than those with one. If you don’t graduate from High School, statistically you will make 80% less than someone with a 4-year college degree. How does this in turn affect the country’s financial situation? A 2012 study estimated that American youth, between the ages of 15-24, who are not engaged in employment or an education program cost $37,450 a piece, or $4.75 trillion for the 6.7 million American youth in this position. These numbers may sound a bit extreme, but there is no denying that without education American youth will earn less money in their lifetimes. When people earn less money, they spend less money, and the economy naturally suffers.

Other statistics dealing with the issue:

  • A 2009 McKinsey report estimated that if Americans could raise their education performance to the level of Korea, they could improve the US economy by more than $2 trillion.
  • A study from the Hamilton Project found that $100,000 spent on college at age 18 would yield a higher lifetime return than an equal investment in corporate bonds, U.S. government debt, or hot company stocks.
  • Statistics show that the highest-income countries have the highest rates of enrollment in secondary school and the smallest share of informal employment that is vulnerable to an economic downturn.

America’s educational system is not perfect. It is often overpriced and there is heavy importance placed on obtaining  degree rather than mastering a subject. Junior College and Vocational schools deserve a mention as well, because they both raise potential earnings in the same way a standard university does. Despite its flaws, education is important. It equips our youth to be the leaders of tomorrow and benefits all of us on a personal and national level. Education generates a higher cash flow for individuals and pumps money into the nation’s economy.

Information taken from The Atlantic.

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Career Expo Recap

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Alex Sparks


Last Thursday the Center for Career Development hosted their annual Career Expo along the Fluor Fountain walkway. Every spring representatives from businesses, schools, and non-profits connect with students on our campus. This year’s Expo was a huge success with over 50 organizations talking with job seekers about internships and work opportunities.

Lots of great connections were made. Half the battle of landing a new job is getting a face-to-face with someone who has a job to give. The Career Expo helps expedite that process by bringing the employers to Biola students/alumni.

The event was a lot of fun. There was food, candy, jobs, and resumes galore. Hopefully everyone who attended was able to make a solid connection. We can’t wait to see the success of students who were able to arrange meetings.

Enjoy some pictures from the event and let us know what you want to see next year!













Thanks for a great Career Expo! Can’t wait for next year!

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Top 10 Innovative Web/Internet Companies

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Alex Sparks
This year’s Top Ten Web/Internet Companies is compiled from a list by Fast Company.

1. Google
For breaking through in more than just search. YouTube dominates online video, and its lineup of premium original channels represents the most dramatic advance for the medium since YouTube’s debut. Its Chrome browser has surpassed Firefox and arguably delivers the best browsing experience. And display advertising is a legitimate second gusher of revenue. Read More

2. Tencent
For fueling China’s Internet boom–and boldly moving West. Chinese Internet giant with Facebook-like numbers–more than 700 million users, $3 billion in revenue, and $1 billion in profits–is pushing QQ mobile onto western platforms such as the Apple App store and European application store GetJar. It’s leading the pack in imperializing the U.S. social gaming market, as evidenced by a recent partnership with Zynga and a purchase of California-based Riot Games that represents one of the largest acquisitions of an American company by a Chinese company. Read More

3. Airbnb
 For using the web to enable real-world sharing of apartments and spare rooms. The virtual hotel chain saw 500% growth in the last year, surpassing 5 million nights booked through Airbnb. Its influence is felt widely through all of the other real things people now share via the Internet (cars, parking spaces, and so forth) as well as in the uptick in design-oriented online experiences and designers playing key roles in tech startups. Read More

4. Dropbox
For simplifying web-based storage with its easy-to-use cloud file-sharing and storage system. The platform-agnostic cloud-sharing service boasts 45 million users saving more than 2 billion files each week. In October, it launched a business-specific service called Dropbox for Teams, formally introducing the file-sharing service to the corporate workplace. The company founded by Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi is now valued at more than $4 billion. Its estimated revenue for 2011 is $240 million, though the vast majority of users pay nothing at all with its freemium model. Read More

5. Gogo
For flying high with a slew of web services for air travelers. Of the ten North American airlines that provide Wi-Fi, Gogo works with nine of them. The company has taken its commanding lead of the market–it has 85% share of what’s still a nascent market–and expanded upon mere internet access to build a platform for entertainment, gaming, shopping, and local services that broadens Gogo’s appeal and utility and lets airlines empower economy passengers carrying a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to have a first- or business-class experience. Read More

6. Akamai
For seamlessly routing Internet data from providers’ servers to users’ computers, tablets, and mobile platforms. The web content network delivers 30% of all web traffic, and its complex algorithms are helping big-name clients such as Apple, Facebook, and Netflix deliver content faster and more efficiently. In 2011, Akamai’s peak total traffic increased more than 70% over the previous year, to 8.7 terabits per second. It also focused on optimizing content for live-streaming on mobile devices. And Akamai handles the traffic with grace: Last year’s Royal Wedding broke livestreaming records, and Akamai delivered more live content for that event than any other provider.

7. Zaarly
For creating a proximity-based marketplace services lets sellers outsource tasks and errands. Individuals and businesses name their price to fulfill those needs. Zaarly recently raised $14 million, and in October HP’s Meg Whitman joined the company’s board. Ashton Kutcher, an investor, anonymously hired someone to fetch him coffee. Less than a year after launching in May at LA Startup weekend, the average Zaarly assignment costs around $52 a pop and almost 100% of people who post are repeat users.

8. CloudFlare
For protecting and securing better than anyone has done before. CloudFlare is essentially a security product, protecting companies from web threats that hamper load times. Its Automatic IPv6 Gateway, free to customers, solves a critical problem at a time when IPv4 addresses are running out: site owners won’t have to alter a single line of code to adapt. Just over a year after the service launch, CloudFlare was powering more than 100,000 websites, and at least 5% of those saw more than 1.5 million monthly page views.

9. Pinterest
For turning the universe of internet images into gorgeous dream boards. Pinterest represents a creative form of using images as a means of digital communication as well as giving users a distinctive way of presenting their personality and creativity. The site recently surpassed 10 million monthly unique visitors faster than any other, and it’s easy to see why. Users curate beautiful objects of desire from anywhere across the web into themed sets, transforming its pages into a visual feast. Businesses have started to see the value in showcasing their own goods–or their own good taste–driving even more traffic.

10. Badoo
For creating one of the world’s largest, most functional, and fastest-growing dating network. Growth exploded in 2011: Badoo now boasts 133 million users and is available in 35 languages. It launched in the U.S. in 2011 with fun features like Ice Breaker and Interests, which made it easier for strangers to start conversations around shared interests rather than merely attractive profile photos.

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Internship Courses

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Mark Matthes
  • Anthropology, x5691, sue.russell@biola.edu, 3 req.

    ANTH 450 – Internship in Archaeology
    Students may spend four weeks to a semester in a field learning situation, during which time a student, under supervision, engages in the application of archaeological methods in a current archaeological excavation. (1-3 units)

  • Apologetics (graduate level), x4023, cate.macdonald@biola.edu

    CSAP 698 – Apologetics Internship
    An approved internship with an apologetics organization or an apologetics-related ministry. (1-4 units)

  • Applied Linguistics & TESOL, x4844

    INTE 491 – Field Practicum in TESOL
    Intensive ESL / EFL classroom teaching in a field setting, typically as part of a supervised team working with a voluntary agency. (3 units)

  • Art, x4807, vivian.wilson@biola.edu, barry.krammes@biola.edu, Art 80, 3 req’d credits

    ARTS 450 – Internship
    Apprenticeship program designed to give students first-hand exposure to professional artists, designers and art institutions. Internships individually tailored to meet the needs of the student. Approved internship experiences require student to complete a minimum of 120 hours with one or more mentors or organizations. Junior standing. (3 units)

  • Biological Sciences, x4852, peggy.giboney@biola.edu

    BIOS 480 – Internship
    Professionally supervised participation in a research project at a laboratory facility or an industry. Documentation of the time spent and the activities performed as well as a written paper explaining the project are required. Junior standing. A minimum of 30 hours of involvement. (1 unit)

  • Business, x4770, brenda.abel@biola.edu, Crowell Business Building

    BUSN 460 – Business Internship
    Business work experience related specifically to a field of study. A proposal describing learning objectives, collateral reading and expected benefits must be submitted and accepted by a supervisor / instructor during the semester prior to registration. Click here for more info. (1-3 units)

  • Chemistry

    CHEM 480 – Special Project in Chemistry
    Research or industrial internship. Requires a written report. (1-3 units)

  • Christian Education, x5526, valerie.whetsell@biola.edu, Feinberg 120, 7 req’d units?

    CEED 465 – Internship in Christian Ministries
    Full-time laboratory experience in a local church or parachurch ministry under the direction of a qualified supervising Ministry Mentor and university supervisor. Guided instruction in the skills necessary for effective service as ministry leaders in vocational Christian ministry. These will include, but not be limited to: special event planning, teaching a volunteer leadership training workshop, speaking in front of a ministry audience, observations at church board meetings, special ordinances, etc. (9 units)

  • Cinema & Media Arts, x3608, stacy.mushakian@biola.edu, Perez, 3 req’d & elective

    CNMA 440 – Cinema & Media Arts Internship
    A real-world learning experience beyond the university classroom. The focus is working in a media-related organization such as a production company, network, studio or media ministry. This class will test students’ commitment, aptitude and stamina for work within the entertainment industry. 60 hours of internship is required for each academic unit. Includes on-campus sessions designed to strengthen and expand professional skills. (1-3 units)

  • Communication, x4804, melanie.whitcomb@biola.edu, todd.lewis@biola.edu, req’d, elective

    COMM 440 – Communication Internship
    For students prepared to gain practical experience. Usually off-campus in a work situation. Juniors and seniors. (1-3 units)

  • Communication Disorders, x4741, marty.myers@biola.edu

    CODS 440 – Communication Disorders Internship
    For students prepared to gain practical experience usually off-campus in a work situation. Qualified juniors and seniors. (1-3 units)

  • Education, x5676, flora.herrera@biola.edu

    LEDU 480 – Directed Study
    Subject matter and credit by arrangement. (1-3 units)

  • History, Gov’t, Soc. Sci., x4831, dave.peters@biola.edu, Sutherland 100

    HIST 488 – Internship
    Designed for “public history” experience such as historical preservation, archival research, work in museums, etc., as well as other work-related experience that fits into the student’s planned career track. Proposal describing objectives, collateral reading and anticipated benefits to be approved by faculty advisor and Career Services during semester prior to registration. Units to be counted toward elective credit beyond the 30 units required for history and social science majors. (1-6 units)

  • Intercultural Studies

    INCS 480 – Directed Research (ICS)
    Directed reading, individual work, in-depth investigation of a topic under the guidance of the faculty using standard research procedures. (1-3 units)

  • Journalism, x4569, lily.park@biola.edu, Perez, 3 req’d units

    JOUR 440 – Journalism Internship
    A portfolio-driven, guided learning experience beyond the university classroom via working in a media-related organization. This class will test students’ interest, aptitude and stamina for work within their chosen area of journalism, public relations or media-related ministry. This course is aimed at providing students with a finished portfolio of work suitable for entry to a media career or media-related ministry. 60 hours of internship are required for each academic unit. Includes on-campus sessions designed to strengthen and expand professional skills. Junior status. A total of 3 units of internship are required for the major. (1-3 units)

  • Kinesiology, Health, P.E., x5948, mark.apkarian@biola.edu, Gym

    PEED 480 – Directed Study
    Independent work, reesearch, readings and/or professional experiences in the field. Senior standing with consultation or consent of instructor. Kinesiology majors only. (1-3 units)

  • Mathematics, x4741, joseph.dimuro@biola.edu

    MATH 480 – Research Seminar
    Special studies in mathematics. Senior standing. (1-3 units)

  • Music, x5954, kathy.little@biola.edu

    MUSC 453 – Worship Internship
    A supervised ministry experience limited to junior and seniors. Growth through direct field experience, mentoring, reflection, feedback and evaluation by the local church supervisor and Biola faculty. Prerequisites: 185, 287. Music in Worship majors only. (1-6 units)

  • Nursing (clinicals), x4850, glenda.lord@biola.edu

    NURS 442 – Applied Nursing Research
    Opportunity to critique literature, continue work on research proposal or participate in a research project. Prerequisite: 441. (1 unit)

  • Organizational Leadership, graduate x5638, amy.s.lee@biola.edu

    ORLD 390 – Independent Study
    Portfolio-based assessment of advanced college-level technical and professional training that reflects theory, data collection and analysis, and application such that it advances student mastery of the principles and practices of organizational leadership. (1-8 units)

    CSOL 698 – Organizational Leadership Internship (graduate level)
    An approved leadership internship within an organization setting. (1-3 units)

  • Philosophy, x4824, gregg.ten.elshof@biola.edu

    PHIL 480 – Directed Research
    Directed research in some philosophical topic or problem. (1-3 units)

  • Physical Science, Physics x4862, john.bloom@biola.edu

    PHSC 420 – Special Projects
    Research or industrial internship to provide practical experience in a field of the student’s interest. Designed primarily for students working off campus in a situation where special projects are possible. Junior or senior standing. (1-3 units)

  • Political Science, x4830, carolyn.kemp@biola.edu, dave.peters@biola.edu

    POSC 488 – Internship & Research Project
    Provides an opportunity to complete an internship and a research project in a public agency. Project consists of identification and analysis, with guidance, of a chosen area in public organization. (9 units)

    POSC 490 – Internship in Political Science
    In-service training and internship experience in various government and non-government agencies and organizations. (1-8 units)

  • Psychology, x4867, jennifer.wilkerson@biola.edu, gary.strauss@biola.edu

    PSYC 450 – Directed Field Work in Psychology
    Supervised experience in mental health, education, correctional or related facility. Upper division standing. 3 units of may be used toward the major. (1-6 units)

    CPSY 460 – Directed Internship (Graduate level)
    Psychology work experience related specifically to field of study. A proposal describing learning objectives, collateral reading and expected benefits must be submitted and accepted by the student’s advisor prior to registration. To be counted toward elective units only. (1-4 units)

  • Sociology, x5698, ashly.gonzales@biola.edu, Rose Hall W, 3 req’d & elective credits

    SOCI 365 – Criminal Justice Internship
    Students will work at a 10-hour per week, 15 week internship with a criminal justice related organization. A paper relating their experiences to theories in the discipline of sociology and criminology will be required. (3 units)

    SOCI 367 – Social Work Internship
    Opportunity to integrate classroom learning with actual on-the-job training in a social work agency. Variety of available agency settings with placement based on interest and academic background. (3 units)

  • Spanish, x3252, hugo.garcia@biola.edu, Sutherland 105, 3 req’d, elective

    HUFS 485 – Internship
    Internship in an approved Spanish-speaking institution or setting related to the intended service area of the student. Placement in Spanish classes will be based on a mandatory department assessment. (3 units)

  • Talbot School of Theology (graduate level)

    TTDE 884 – Doctoral Internship (Talbot Educational Studies)
    An opportunity to implement educational theory into practice in an applied setting. Students may emphasize educational leadership or teaching or both. A detailed Growth Contract must be developed and approved by the supervising faculty member, field supervisor and student; the contract must be filed in the doctoral program office prior to receiving a registration signature for the course. Evaluation of the experience will be based on a portfolio of documents, etc., developed by the student during the internship term, as well as formative and summative written evaluations submitted by the field supervisor and additional persons identified from the ministry context. A minimum of 3 units is required for all students. (1-3 units)

    TTMN 801/802/803 – Post Residency Project
    Following each of the 3 residencies, participants will complete a project that relates their D.Min. coursework with their place of ministry. The faculty-mentor will inform the participant about expectations for content, necessary components and matters of form. Proposals for projects and nominations for on-site evaluators must be completed during the 4-6 months following each residency. The final project report must be submitted to the faculty-mentor no later than 7 months after the conclusion of the residency. Both the on-site evaluator and the faculty-mentor evaluate the project. (0 units)

    TTCE 690/691/692 – Practicum in Ministry
    Structured field experience in a C.E. ministry field site with an approved supervisor. Focus on the assessment and development of students’ spiritual gifts and personal skills. Minimum 10 hours per week field involvement in a semester. Required of M.A.C.E. students. (3 units = 1 unit x 3 courses)

    TTCE 790/791/792 – Educational Practicum
    Directed experiences conducted through a local ministry context. Similar content to TTCE 690/691/692, with applications to pastoral ministry. Minimum of 10 hours field involvement per week in a semester. Prerequisites: 591, 592, 691, 692, 48 units of class work; required of, and limited to M.Div. C.E. students. (3 units = 1 unit x 3 courses)

    TTPT 591 – Introduction to Field Education
    Introduction into the practical elements of ministry. Emphasis will be placed on career planning, field experience and preparation for Field Education Internship in the M.Div. program. Required of M.Div. students. (1 unit)

    TTPT 592/691/692 – Field Education
    Weekly involvement in ministry with satisfactory completion of student’s self-evaluation form and supervisor’s evaluation form. Prerequisite: 591. Required of M.Div. students. (0 units)

    TTPT 693 – Pastoral Care & Counseling Internship I
    A series of interviews of interviews of pastors and agency leaders to discover the breadth of ministry approaches, practices, perspectives and goals. Each interview is reported on Blackboard to the professor and to classmates. A proposal near the end of the semester for involvement in a specific ministry is submitted for approval to the pastor or agency leader, and then submitted to the professor for Talbot approval as well. Prerequisite: 707. Required of M.Div. and M.A. Pastoral Care & Counseling students. (1 unit)

    TTPT 694/695 – Pastoral Care & Counseling Internship II
    100 hours per unit of supervised ministry under the mentorship of an approved pastor or agency leader, reported on Blackboard to the professor and to classmates as well as online interaction with classmates and the professor on their reports. Prerequisite: 693. Required of M.Div. and M.A. Pastoral Care & Counseling students. (1-2 units)

    TTPT 696 – Pastoral Care & Counseling Internship
    Directed experience in preparation, enrichment, equipping and remedial ministries in selected churches and agencies. Prerequisite:707. Required of M.Div. and M.A. Pastoral Care & Counseling students entering these programs prior to Fall 2011. (1-2 units)

    TTPT 791/792 – Field Internship
    Integration of all the disciplines of ministry and seminary education. It provides supervised experience in various phases of Christian ministry. 100 hours of field experience each semester are evaluated in classroom interaction. Prerequisite:707. Prerequisites: 591, 592, 691, 692, 48 units of M.Div. class work; required of M.Div. (Pastoral & General Ministries, Evangelism & Discipleship) students. (0-2 units)

    ISCL 791/792 – Field Internship
    Integration of all the disciplines of ministry and seminary education. It provides supervised experience in various phases of Christian ministry. 100 hours of field experience each semester are evaluated in classroom interaction. Prerequisite:707. Prerequisites: 691, 692, 64 units of M.Div. Missions program; required of M.Div. Missions & Intercultural Studies students. (1-2 units)

Biola Main Line: 562-903-6000

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Recap of the Dream Center Tour

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Last week the Career Development team visited the Dream Center in Los Angeles alongside 20+ Biola students. We got a tour around the entire campus and saw first hand what it takes to run a successful outreach organization.

The Dream Center houses over 700 permanent residents ranging from foster kids to full families. Around 2,000 hot meals are served daily at the Dream Center and their outreach programs distribute over 1,000,000 pounds of food and 3,000 articles of clothing monthly. The Dream Center runs programs in adult education and GED certification, high school, middle school, homeless ministries, medical services, and community athletic events. It cost $20,000 a day to keep the company afloat and it runs entirely on donations.

The Dream Center is truly inspiring. They run a beautiful organization and are making a real impact in Los Angeles and ultimately in the Kingdom of God.

For more information on what they are doing please visit them at: www.dreamcenter.org

Below are a few more pictures from our trip. Hopefully you can join us next time!



What other companies would you like to tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Signs of a Great Employee

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Alex Sparks

Great employees are hard to find. There are lots of good employees, but a really great one is a rarity in the work world. Employees have to be reliable, diligent, easy to lead and easy to follow.

If you want to become a great employee try to include these traits into your work ethic.

1. Ignore job descriptions. The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done. When a problem arises a great employee jumps in without being asked, even if it’s not their job.

2. Be eccentric. The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor. People who aren’t afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

3. Know when to dial it back. Someone with an unusual personality has to know their limit. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team. Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious and when to challenge and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.

4. Publicly praise others. Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person. Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

5. Only complain in private. We all want employees to bring issues forward, but most problems are better handled in private. Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could create a problem.

6. Speak up when others won’t. Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately. Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.

7. Prove others wrong. Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.

8. Constantly tweak. Some people are rarely satisfied and are constantly tinkering with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow. Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to, but because they just can’t help it.

What else have you noticed from great employees? Let us know in the comments.

Content taken from Jeff Haden’s blog on Inc.com

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The 10 Most Innovative Companies in Food

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Tim Brandon

Here is Fast Company‘s list of top innovative food companies.

Which companies do you think should or should not make the list and why?

01 / PepsiCo >>
For its ambitious nutrition R&D. Does better nutrition require curbing our appetites for Cheetos and Fritos and Mountain Dew (oh, my!)? Not if PepsiCo can help it. The snack-food giant recently opened a clinical research center charged with making its products healthier–slashing fat, sugar, and sodium by as much as 25% in the next 10 years–without changing their taste.

02 / Trader Joes >>
For vaulting past Whole Foods to become America’s favorite specialty grocer. Though Trader Joe’s masquerades as a neighborhood store, it boasts $8 billion in annual revenue. Its stores carry 4,000 different products, compared to typical grocery stores’ 50,000. This meticulous stocking helps it sell $1,750 per square foot–twice as much as Whole Foods.

03 / Madecasse >>
For building a bean-to-bar chocolate company in one of the poorest countries in the world. Seventy percent of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa, but less than 1% of the world’s chocolate is made there. Instead, farmers sell whole cocoa pods to the first of many middlemen who eventually export the cocoa beans to chocolate makers in Belgium or France. Tim McCollum and Brett Beach founded Madécasse in 2008 to keep more economic benefit within the island nation.

04 / Cargill
For charging into the sweetener market with a plant-based product that’s aims to be eco-aware and health-friendly. The agricultural giant has perfected a process to grow and refine sweet leaf extracts from stevia, a type of South American plant, allowing it to quickly command a sizable slice of the faux-sweetener market.

05 / FoodHub
For creating an online tool to connect local food producers to food buyers big and small. Think of FoodHub as the Match.com for the locavore movement. Wholesale food buyers log on to access thousands of small and regional producers, as well as info on varietals sold, minimum orders, insurance, and delivery options. Launched by environmental not-for-profit Ecotrust, FoodHub has already signed on hundreds of Portland restaurants, grocery stores, and businesses and expanded to neighboring states.

06 / Current Energy
For greening restaurants (and saving them money in the process). Fast food eateries such as Jack in the Box and Qdoba are turning to this Dallas-based energy firm’s smart sensors to majorly slash their energy use (and costs). For instance, sensors can ping restaurant managers with text messages if a walk-in refrigerator is left ajar for too long, or coordinate pizza-oven temperatures based on real-time sales.

07 / Chipotle
For boldly taking advertising in-house. After burning through four ad agencies in five years, the burrito mecca took on its own advertising, including replacing wacky promotions with on-message marketing. For instance, “Boo-rito” giveaways for Halloween were replaced this year by a campaign to promote how truly scary other fast food is, with sales of discounted meals going to support Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

08 / McDonald’s
For changing the way we think about the most iconic restaurant in the world. With a $2.4 billion budget, McDonald’s is launching its first total makeover campaign since the Carter administration, redoing at least 400 domestic outposts, refurbishing 1,600 restaurants abroad, and building another 1,000.

09 / Bolthouse Farms
For its ambitions to double the $1 billion baby-carrot business by using junk food tactics. Jeff Dunn has tapped his past as a Coca-Cola exec to goose baby carrots from a flat industry to a hotly marketed snack food, from adrenaline-fueled ads (think: Mountain Dew) to snazzy grab-and-go bags (think: Doritos).

10 / Max Burger
For being the first carbon-footprint fast-food chain. Calories printed on fast-food menus seems downright quaint compared with Max Burger, which is one of the first burger chains in the world to print the carbon emissions of each sandwich right alongside its cost.

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