How to Become a Product Manager at Reebok Andi Archer#8217;s Story

How to Become a Product Manager at Reebok Andi Archer8217s Story Reebok is one of the worlds leading fitness brands. Have you ever wondered what it is like to work there? I spoke withAndi Archer, a product manager at Reebok, about her career jurney at the brands headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts.Bruce HarphamWhat did you study in college?Andi ArcherI studied design at the Rhode Island School of Design and started at Reebok shortly after graduating with a MFA in apparel design in 2009.BH Whoare some of your favorite designers?AAIn my work, I take inspiration from street wear what people are wearing every day. I also follow a few designers with interest. Alexander Wang, Dion Lee, Cynthia Rowley, and Thom Browne are some of the fashion designers I follow.BHWhat strategies help you to stay productive and engaged in your work?AAMy outside activities in coaching and athletics inform my outlook and keep me connected. In addition, I aim to focus on one a ctivity at a time. Otherwise, its easy to become overwhelmed.BHWhats the best career advice you ever received?AAAdopt the flexibility attitude when you go through transitions. There welches a lot to learn when I moved from a designer job to a product manager job at Reebok. I had to adjust my mindset and professional identity after working in design for a number of years.BHHow did you land your first job at Reebok?AAI had talked with a recruiter who introduced me to the right person. I was fortunate to join Reeboks apprentice program. This program aligned well with my college interests, where I had an interest in fitness and active wear.The apprenticeship is a one-year program for post-grads that gives you real life experience and eases graduatesinto the workforce. The goal is to train them up and hire them after the one-year apprenticeship. I believe there were about 15 of us across design in apparel, graphics, and footwear.BHHow did you land your role as a product manager?AAIn Dece mber 2015, I accepted the product manager role. The managers Ive worked with at Reebok have been highly supportive of career development. I was able to explore different departments and learn about them. Prior to starting the role, I had some exposure to product team as a designer, and that helped me through the transition.BHWhats it like working on Reeboks CrossFit products?AAIts exciting Im a groupie of CrossFit, so this is a great set of products to work on. I also appreciate the fact that Reeboks commitment to CrossFit runs deep. At our Canton offices, theres a Reebok CrossFit club that has hundreds of members. Many people regularly go for a workout during the lunch hour and other times during the day.I plan product launches and seasonal strategy and direction for our line, and I work with design and development to drive innovation. We are responsible for briefing our design team on product strategy and direction. We alsobrief our brand communications team, which is responsible for producing the marketing materials for the markets. We do factory travel, trend-research trips, and trade show visits. We meet a lot with athletes and attend larger events like the CrossFit Games, regionals, and open workouts. We also meet with our global markets and set up and execute high-end retail showrooms.Outside of work, Im active as an athlete and coach in CrossFit, so its an area that Im constantly thinking about.BHWalk us through what a typical workdaylooks like for you.AAI usually arrive around 830 AM and go for a workout during the noon class or the 530 PM CrossFit class. I tend to wrap up and head home by about 6 PM.I work very closely with design and development in the early stages of the season. As the season progresses, we work with our markets (globally) and brand communications team.In terms of software, I mainly used Illustrator when I was in design. Today, I use PowerPoint, Excel, and various internal databases.I also test out new CrossFit products as they are produced. One of the key things we say in CrossFit is that it is designed for CrossFitters by CrossFitters. Sometimes, you need to know for yourself how something feels or works. Its great we can be so close to our products and really use them ourselves.Over the course of the year, I also work on other activities, such as- analyzing market forecasting and buying per style and color- noting trends and understanding the demands of thebusiness- briefing design onthe strategy and direction for the season, and partnering with them throughout the season to develop innovations and land consumer-relevant product- conducting focus groups,diving into the consumer insights, talking to athletes, and getting to know who our consumer is inside and out- creating seasonal stories to present to markets and global accounts- and being part of the fitness community. Becauseour brand is driven and focused on this it is vital for us to be a part of it Yoga, CrossFit, running, boxing, spin, dance whatev er it may beBHHow have you grown your career through stretch assignments?AAIn 2015, I pitched an idea to do something special for female athletes competing at the CrossFit Games in Carson, California. I thought it would be a great idea to produce a custom makeup kit for the athletes so they would have them available to look and feel great around the event. After I pitched the idea, it took a few months to organize. Fortunately, I was able to work with FACE, a Swedish cosmetics company, to put the project together.This project helped my career growth because it involved creativity, working with new organizations, and having an impact on athletes. This project benefited about 300women athletes at the event.BHWhat is something that surprised you about Reebok after you started working there?AAIt was great to learn about the pro-fitness culture. Most people are highly interested in athletics and fitness. There are fitness facilities at the office, and people actually use themQuick HitsBH What is your favorite travel destination?The Cayman Islands. While Im there, I like to go for scuba diving, snorkeling, reading on the beach, and always hitting up a CrossFit workout at CrossFit Seven MileBHWhat is your favorite book?AA The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The book makes me want to pursue more and better myself. I found it to be an entrancing and liberating book.BHWhat Olympic sport did youfollowmost closely?AAI was interested in weightlifting because I recently got involved with it.BHWhat career tips do you have for other designers?AA As you work on a product, I recommend focusing on one area at a time. For example, focus on design and then turn to the launch stage later.BHHow can readers get in touch with you on social media?AAReaders can connect with me onInstagram.Bruce Harpham is a writer and the founder of ProjectManagementHacks.com.

ASME Convenes Open Research Forum on Digital Manufacturing

ASME Convenes Open Research Forum on Digital Manufacturing ASME Convenes Open Research Forum on Digital Manufacturing ASME Convenes Open Research Forum on Digital ManufacturingThe 94,000 square-foot Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute opened its doors at UI Labs in Chicago last month.On June 3, ASME conducted a virtual workshop, the Open Research Forum Workshop on Digital Manufacturing Challenges and Opportunities from the Perspective of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII). Thirty-two advanced manufacturing experts from academia, government and industry participated in the online forum, which focused on how ASME could support the institute in developing digital technologies for U.S. factories.The DMDII, recently launched at the Chicago-based UI Labs, is a federally funded research and development organization that encourages factories across America to deploy digital manufacturing and plan technologies in order to become more efficient and cost-competitive. In a recent brochure, the institute outlined a summary of the needs and challenges in this area. Among the most pressing issues, according to the institute, was the need to advance the digital thread that integrates and drives modern konzept, manufacturing and product support processes can be exploited to reduce cycle time and achieve first pass success, and is the only feasible way to deal with constantly increasing complexity in products and manufacturing enterprises. The DMDII will be focused on maturing the digital thread for applications in manufacturing and design of electros include power train, propulsion and structural components, as well as control subsystems and systems. The Open Research Forums program concentrated on how ASME could best assist as DMDII manufacturers try to integrate 3D product design information with manufacturing, product usage and end-of-use processes to create the digital thread. George Barnych, director of research and devel opment at DMDII, presented an overview of the institutes activities, which was followed by a facilitated discussion led by ASME member Marriner Merrill of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. During the discussion, participants were asked to identify relevant challenges and to identify solutions in the digital thread area that could be effectively addressed by the interdisciplinary knowledge and expertise of mechanical engineers and scientists. The forum further explored how ASME could contribute to advancing these digital thread-related technologies to the global engineering community via research, education, knowledge dissemination, and the development of new codes and standards and guidelines. Participants discussed ways that ASME can help move digital manufacturing forward. Some of the ideas included developing workshops and industrial competitions developing a marketing campaign to help create a positive image for young people to pursue a manufacturing career increasing commun ication by convening groups with related interests and publishing articles or organizing sessions to inform small- and medium-sized businesses of the tools currently available in digital manufacturing. For more information on the Digital Manufacturing Challenges and Opportunities from the Perspective of the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute workshop, visit http//dmdii.uilabs.org.

Are Credit Checks on Job Seekers Really Necessary

Are Credit Checks on Job Seekers Really NecessaryAre Credit Checks on Job Seekers Really Necessary?Are Credit Checks on Job Seekers Really NecessaryFinding a job is tough enough today. Unfortunately, some employers make it even tougher by asking to look at your credit history. As if that should make a difference when youre applying for a job in, say, teaching or nursing, or if you want to oversee computer networks or umm even write for a web site.Certainly, checking your credit is justifiable if the job is in accounting or finance, or in the financial services industry. Companies, after all, dont want people with financial problems watching over their assets. But is it really necessary to base a hiring decision on how much credit card debt the job applicants have, or whether they were late with a mortgage payment, or fell behind on medical payments because they had no health insurance - since they have no jobs?Some employers will argue that running a credit check gives them an idea of the candidates honesty and sense of responsibility. Really?? They could find out that and even more by calling references and doing a web search. Or is that just too hard and time-consuming?

Managing Career Expectations in the Internet Economy

Managing Career Expectations in the Internet EconomyManaging Career Expectations in the Internet EconomyYoure overworked and underpaid. Your boss is a source of constant aggravation. The headhunters are at the door. Get a new job. Everybody is doing it. Things are much better elsewhere. Just before you jump, consider a few things How long have you been at this job? Less than a year?Was your previous job a similarly short stint?Why are you are leaving? What are you are looking for?In the Internet economys unprecedented wealth and job creation, the next great opportunity is always around the corner. mora money more options a better title. So why is getting hired in this sector easier by the day while keeping a job is increasingly challenging?One reason is the greater business awareness of young knowledge workers, resulting in heightened, sometimes unrealistic, expectations. Its a candidates market and everyone knows what theyre worth (or at least what they can get). New compani es are popping up like weeds as every freshly minted MBA seems to come with a dot-com b-plan in tow. Opportunities abound.So whats the problem? Its a matter of what is important. Careers are not just about more money, more options, or moving into management. Success measured by those metrics is missing the point. More job failures are associated with bad cultural/personality fits than with low pay, long hours, and limited advancement combined. So here are some tips on how to find the right fit1) Ask yourself the important questions What did you accomplish? Where did you bring value? What experience did you gain? Why did the company succeed or fail? What did you like and not like? then pick the situation best suited to your interests and capabilities.2) Check your ego at the door. Companies succeed when the President makes the coffee and the secretary thinks like an owner.3) Focus on a 3-year commitment. It might turn out to be less, but if 3 years sounds scary, its prob ably not the right thing.4) Temper your ambition with reality. Two years of work experience does not often make for a savvy veteran capable of building and running a department, even in the Internet sector. 5) Dont develop a situational ethic. Just because theres a better job every few months doesnt mean you should take it. Loyalty will pay-off when the market tightens-up.And finally, the most accurate statement I have ever heard in this business do your job well, and either your company will reward you or your industry will.

Using Social Media to Find an Online Job

Using Social Media to Find an Online JobUsing Social Media to Find an Online JobIn your job search, have you considered using social media networks to find an online job and get the word out that you are looking for an online opportunity?Take it from successful marketers, who will tell you that the key to getting attention in this very competitive world is to get yourself out there and involved with as many social media networks as possible. The major social media networks are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Myspace. There are many other social and professional networks you can join for free to let others know you are looking for a telecommuting job.The truth about trying to find an online job is that sometimes its a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Oftentimes, this means knowing someone who knows of a company thats hiring, or some other opportunity posted on a site like . If you want to increase the chances of finding that perfect telecommuting job, then you nee d to be actively involved with these social media networks and communities.Youve already taken the first step by being a part of the terrific community here and setting up a personal profile at . However, you may want to be open to letting your other social media networks know more about you on a professional level, to increase the chances that you will land the perfect online job for you.Be sure to find out more about how to use social media networks to find a great new online job by signing up for our FREE in-depth live webinar on Wednesday, May 6th at Noon EST.Job Search 2.0 Using Social Media to Find an Online JobLearn how to use social media tools to assist in your job search. This free 60-minute live webinar will cover the following topicsIntro to social mediaPersonal blogsUsing Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to maximize your searchJob skills 101

How to Self-Publish Childrens Books or eBooks

How to Self-Publish Childrens Books or eBooksHow to Self-Publish Childrens Books or eBooksHave you thought about self-publishing a childrens book or childrens e-book or app? If so, learn from this QA with Nicole and Damir Fonovich, the co-creators of Luca Lashes, a line of multilingual childrens e-books and apps, who decided to forego contacting any agents or publishers and, instead, launched the entire series themselves. Self-Publishing A Childrens Book A Business Decision Nicole and Damir, you didnt even attempt to find a traditional publisher for Luca Lashes series. What made you decide to go the full-on self-publishing route?We came to the decision to self-publish when we researched what other authors were saying, and learned what the common practices are in the traditional world of publishing. It seemed that in childrens publishing, its very uncommon for a publishing company to work with a writer who doesnt have an agent, or who havent published previously. We were also hea ring that publishers frequently rely on their authors to do fruchtwein of their marketing, and we knew that whatever royalties we made- minus the agents percentage- wouldnt add up to the profits we could potentially make by doing it urselves.It just didnt seem like the right business decision to wait years to get noticed by a publisher and then run the risk of not being able to make any discernible income. Given the marketplace shift to digital content, we decided to forego contacting any agents or publishers and to do it all urselves. Knowledge of the Childrens Book Market from Teaching and Bookstores Childrens books coming onto the market are vetted heavily by gatekeepers such as educators and childrens librarians, as well as childrens book editors. What made you feel you were qualified to publish your own childrens books and apps into that demanding marketplace?We embarked on the project of publishing Luca Lashes with 17 years of experience in education, in both teaching and administration, which gave us a lot of insight into what we were doing. Damir had had some experience working in bookstores, and so we came to the project with a good knowledge of what was typically in the kids section - we knew there was a limited amount of books in different languages available. Were also committed book-buyers ourselvesand wanted our son to inherit the love of books.Anyway, with all the exposure to kids book marketplace, we knew there was a demand for the content of our series, which is specifically designed to help young children turn fear of firsts into fun. Things like fear of the first dentist visit are something so many parents encounter with their children, and there was less on the kids shelf than youd think. Were also fortunate to have a facility with multiple languages and knowledge of a number of global cultures. Knowing that childhood development stages are pretty universal, we figured we could find a niche for our creative content in the digital glo bal marketplace.So how long did it take you to develop the series?It took a year for our team to write, edit, and translate nine books and apps, and to beta test seven of them. There are two more coming. Sales Statistics Give Insights to Distributors and Markets Your ebooks are being sold through the big retail booksellers - Amazon.com, Barnes Noble, etc. How are you distributing the Luca Lashes apps? What sales trends are you seeing?iTunes most visible gold voreingestellt for apps and initially we saw more traction for apps there, but Amazon.com has also done well. Since Luca Lashes are currently digital-only, sales are generally higher in more technologically developed countries- like France. And some of the trends are interesting - one surprising statistic is that our haircut story in Spanish outperforms the English language version. And we know that a good number of our 25,0000 Facebook likes come from Spanish-speaking countries. How to Market Your Books How are you bringing people to your website and your series?Weve done a bit of Facebook promotion and some book PR, but weve worked really hard on our online discoverability through by giving our books appropriate metadata (which happens at the back end of the e-book coding) which helps people find them when theyre searching. Weve attended conferences and seminars to learn as much as possible about things like metadata strategy to increase the likelihood that Luca Lashes will be found when people are searching for our types of books.? Advice What would you tell those who are thinking of self-publishing a childrens book or e-book? If book quality and sales are your goals, self-publishing childrens books is a lot harder and a longer process than you might assume. That said, were really pleased with the great consumer reception for Luca Lashes. We entered the project with a lot of research and passion and hard work and dedication to finding an audience for the series. Years ago, we heard an author say his philosophy was to Do a little good, have a little fun, make a little money. Weve adopted that.?Nicole and Damir Fonovich live in the Chicago area with their son Lucas. The couple created Luca Lashes, a line of multilingual e-books and apps designed to help kids (0-4) turn fear of firsts into fun. Learn more at www.lucalashes.com.

The Awful Side of Resume Templates Download

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