What companies to go in this economic downturn?

The recent economic downturn in our economy may affect so may lives and can cause each employee to lose their jobs, but companies on this year’s list of the Best Companies to Work For showed us that culture continues to be the most important aspect of what makes a company great.

The tough economy took a toll on many corporations and these are no exception. Many told us about layoffs, but we wanted to know how outgoing employees were treated: the size of severance packages, additional benefits options, etc. Some companies facing the financial crisis were able to keep employees happy with reduced bonuses, extra vacation days, and discounted gift cards.

Not all companies are presented as bad employers. A lot of the companies remain high in the rankings this year. Companies like Goldman Sachs, Boston Consulting Group, Edward Jones.

The first school to make it on the list, Vanderbilt University, appeared surprisingly together with 10 hospitals. DreamWorks, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. They all offer great pay and a variety of great perks and unique benefits.

Let this recession be an eye opener for a lot of companies to shape up their Human Resources or the next time around that the economy turn around they will still be able to get quality employees.

1. Edward Jones
St. Louis, MO; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
What they're looking for: Financial advisors and branch office administrators.

2. Google
Mountain View, CA; New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA
What they're looking for: Engineering, marketing, product management, people operations, legal, sales.

3. Wegmans Food Markets
Rochester, NY; Buffalo, NY; Syracuse, NY
What they're looking for: Store positions. In addition, three new stores are scheduled to open this year (in Fredericksburg, Va.; Collegeville, Pa.; and Leesburg, Va.).

4. Cisco Systems
San Jose, CA; Research Triangle Park, NC; Boxborough, MA
What they're looking for: People in engineering disciplines and customer advocacy.

5. Genentech
South San Francisco, CA; Vacaville, CA; Oceanside, CA
What they're looking for: Commercial, product development, manufacturing, CFO group and legal.

6. Methodist Hospital System
Houston, TX; Baytown, TX;
What they're looking for: Management, nursing, clinical professionals, non-clinical professionals (such as IT and HR), entry level support services (such as housekeeping and dietary) and administrative/clerical jobs.

7. Whole Foods Market
New York, NY; Austin, TX; Chicago, IL
What they're looking for: Retail and non-retail. Positions range from administrative jobs like accounting and IT to store-specific jobs in all departments.

8. Microsoft
Redmond, WA; Issaquah, WA; Mountain View, CA
What they're looking for: Microsoft announced Jan. 22 that it would be cutting up to 5,000 jobs in the next year and a half. But it's still looking for software design engineers, financial analysts, human resources, administrative and marketing and sales talent, particularly in online ad sales.

9. Burns & McDonnell
Kansas City, MO; Downers Grove, IL; Houston, TX
What they're looking for: Engineering, architecture, construction management.

10. Ernst & Young
New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX
What they're looking for: The firm plans to hire around 2,400 experienced professionals and nearly 5,000 students from campus for opportunities in the U.S. and Canada (roughly 2,800 full-time staff hires and 2,100 interns) for fiscal year 2009. Openings are in assurance, tax, and several of the advisory practices.

11. Booz Allen Hamilton
McLean, VA; Herndon, VA; Arlington, VA
What they're looking for: Software and systems engineers, information assurance and security engineers, and intelligence analysts with access to classified information.

12. KPMG
New York, NY; Montvale, NJ; Chicago, IL
What they're looking for: Positions in a wide range of areas, from administrative assistants to IT associates to tax and audit managers.

13. PricewaterhouseCoopers
New York, NY; Boston, MA; Tampa, Fla.
What they're looking for: Talent in assurance, tax and advisory. In the process of hiring 2,000 students on campus for winter and summer '09 internships in firm's three core business units. Also PricewaterhouseCoopers' goal is to hire approximately 3,000 undergraduates this year.

14. Scripps Health
La Jolla, CA; San Diego, CA; San Diego County, CA
What they're looking for: Executives, managers, staff nurses (RN), imaging techs, pharmacists, IT, and service and support people.

15. Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN; Jacksonville, FL; Phoenix, AZ
What they're looking for: Nursing, laboratories (e.g., research and lab technicians), health-care professionals (e.g., pharmacists and therapists).

16. Baptist Health South Florida
Miami, FL; South Miami, FL; Coral Gables, FL
What they're looking for: Talent in all areas.

17. Bright Horizons
Atlanta, GA; Washington, DC; Watertown, MA
What they're looking for: Center and school staff, center and school leadership positions, benefits, client services (sales), payroll, property management, information technology, marketing.

18. Publix Super Markets
Lakeland, FL; Miami, FL; Jacksonville, FL
What they're looking for: People for retail grocery stores, information systems, manufacturing, distribution and other support offices.

19. T-Mobile
Bellevue, WA; Houston, TX; Austin, TX
What they're looking for: Retail sales, customer service, sales, engineering & operations, EIT, finance, product development, legal affairs, business operations, human resources, marketing, integrated customer experience, corporate communications.

20. Accenture
Chicago, IL; Reston, VA; New York, NY
What they're looking for: Specific IT skills, such as Java, J2EE, industry expertise and government secured clearances. Also hiring for corporate roles that include finance and sales development.

Important Components about Internet Marketing Optimizations

Many clients and prospects ask Search Engine Optimization (SEO) professionals to prioritize their organic optimization strategies. What’s the most important component of an SEO campaign? Is it keyword selection and placement? Is it through building multimedia design? Link development is certainly essential. But where does it fall in the list of SEO priorities?

For all the new technology that’s emerged, building good design or layouts will give the best hit to reach the higher page rank for your site. Creating video, audio, and other multimedia will give best hit for search optimization.

These are important things to know about building good designs for internet marketing.

Company Logo
First impressions are often made after viewing a company logo. Is your logo something your customers will remember? Is it cookie-cutter or custom designed?

Make sure your logo stands out, represents your brand and is memorable. SEO professionals should make a great first impression with customers.

Website Design
Your website is your customers’ window into your business. Customers seeking information about your company will likely check out your website first and make a purchase decision based on what they see. Your website may be the most visible piece of business and marketing material you have and needs to be easy to use, visually appealing and updated with current products and information.

Impress your customers and turn page views into sales by keeping your website up-to-date. Find a balance between great design and simplicity and win your customers over by giving them something great to look at while keeping it easy to navigate.

Company Image
How do customers view your business? Does your company have the image needed to reach your target market?

If you feel like your company image needs a boost, it may be time for a visual audit. A designer has capable to create a unique company’s overall image and corporate collateral and propose new marketing materials and designs based on your ideas and company goals.

Business Cards and Thank You Cards
Business cards and thank you cards go a long way in solidifying the relationships you have with your customers. If you’re sending thank you notes on generic thank you cards and stuffing them with uninspiring business cards – your brand could get lost among the crowd.

Don’t hesitate to get a second opinion about your business cards and thank you cards – internet marketing should have designed great concept of the materials to meet your standards. With a new, redesigned look – you will instill confidence in your customers.

Sales Materials
It goes without saying that the information you send to clients should be up-to-date, but it’s also important to take a step back and review the overall visual design. You may send out brochures, emails, and flyers, to hundreds of customers a week – and each piece they receive from you should be eye catching and easy to read and understand.

So, you need to address the needs of your prospects right now or be in danger of not growing your business. Thanks..See you in comment…