Imagine if you were expected to have your GPA increase 10% every semester. That’s like going from a C average to an A average over the course of 4 years in college. It’s been done, but it’s a rare feat. It’s also an impossible feat to show such continued improvement if you’re starting with a good GPA to begin with. These are the kinds of expectations that businesses constantly face. Not only do they need to deliver stellar performance, but they need to improve upon that performance every quarter. If a business isn’t delivering double (or triple) digit growth, they’re not even worth looking at for most investors. Creating such growth is a huge challenge, whether a business is an early stage startup or a mature firm that has been doing the same thing for decades. Jump Associates is a growth strategy firm that helps business overcome the challenge of constant improvement. That means that they “help courageous leaders create new businesses and reinvent existing ones through a hybrid approach integrating empathy, creativity and strategy.”

Give Your Career a Jump(start)

We first heard about Jump Associates on The Wall Street Journal’s List of Top Small Workplaces for 2008. The article noted that at Jump “every morning, all employees meet for a ‘scrum’ — a short get-together where they’re briefed on company news, do yogalike exercises and then play a quick brain-rousing game that forces them to think on their feet.” Jump Associates also has a “no zinger” policy that prohibits saying nasty things about other employees. It sounds like an unbelievably unique workplace, and Jump Associates’ website definitely backs that up. All this positive energy goes towards helping clients accomplish growth by developing 6 channels – New Offerings, New Customers, New Markets, New Ventures, New Directions, and New Capabilities.

Ok, you’re sold. So how do you land a gig at Jump Associates? You have to go through their “Externship Program.” Although the term externship has a lot of meanings, this specific program is for people who have already graduated college and are looking for a permanent, full-time job. The program lasts 4 months, and the intent is that all participants will be taken on permanently. The reason that Jump Associates hires this way is because their culture is so unique, they need to go through a serious feeling out period so that both parties can determine whether the fit is right. Jump Associates goes into great detail about the program on their Careers page, so check that out if you’re interested. This isn’t by definition an entry level hiring program, but it certainly seems entry level friendly. Their major focuses are Social Research, Product Design and Business Strategy, so they want you to have a lot of depth in one of these areas and a strong interest in all three. They’re accepting applications for externships in their San Mateo, CA office now, so you can apply by sending a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and a portfolio/work sample (10 pages or less) to jumpjobs@jumpassociates.com with the subject line “JOB INQUIRY.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• JumpAssociates.com
• Jobs at Jump Associates
• About Jump Associates
• Jump Associates’ FAQ
• Jump Associates’ Culture
• What Jump Does
• Jump Associates’ Ideas
• Jump Associates in the News
• Jump Associates’ Flickr Stream

Have you heard anything about Jump Associates?

We've identified Jump Associates as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• all employers
• business development
• California
• consulting
• design
• product development
• research

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