This Cool School

Brett Favre likes retirement just fine.

Favre said on his website this week that he is not coming back to the NFL, even with injuries to quarterbacks around the league.

The statement said: Im enjoying retirement with my family and have no plans to play football. I havent contacted nor have I been contacted by any teams and all reports are inaccurate.

The 42-year-old Favre retired in the offseason after a 20-year career and lives in Mississippi. The three-time MVP threw for more than 71,000 yards and 500 touchdowns, winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. He retired with the Packers in 2008 and New York Jets in 2009 before deciding on a return with the Vikings.

Even in this today’s economy, there are rapidly expanding companies that have set big hiring targets.

Companies are looking to attract top candidates by, among other things, putting advertisements on buses and combing social networks like LinkedIn to search for people with tech expertise and problem-solving skills.

Executives at these firms say they are looking for people who are selfless and willing to work collaboratively. They will examine a potential employee’s work history as well as test his or her skills and assess smarts.

Virtually all of these companies want to hire employees with passion, who are willing to contribute ideas and energy. The hiring execs could find evidence of passion might in a career accomplishment or even a hobby.

For the second time in as many months, Computerworld is highlighting 10 selected firms that are looking to hire tech workers.

Acquity Group

Acquity Group, which builds websites and other Internet enabled applications, has hired 190 people so far this year and expects to add another 10 employees before the year ends. It currently has 475 employees, and plans to hire many more next year.

“We try to hire people who enjoy working with one another,” said Jim Newman, executive vice president of operations. Some office connections have turned into friendships and “several marriages,” he said.

Acquity clients include General Motors, AT&T, Motorola, Discover Financial, American Medical Association, and Sears.

Chicago-based Acquity seeks back-end and front-end developers, including Java developers who know CSS and HTML, as well as business analysts, application and information architects, visual designers, user experience specialists, and project managers.

The company has a campus recruitment program and about 25% of its hires this year will be recent college graduates, with the rest experienced hires, said Newman.

About 20% are hired though employee referrals, said Newman.

The recruiting process is rigorous, said Newman. It includes an initial screening with a recruiter where skills are assessed with a technical test. There’s a telephone interview with a developer, followed by face-to-face interviews with teams of two people. One team will focus on technical requirements, and another on functional needs.

Acquity assesses the written communication capabilities of candidates with an essay question.

The work environment is “open and collaborative” with few offices and a casual dress code, said Newman.

The company may hire as many as 300 employees next year, said Newman.

Acquity’s career page is here.

Ideeli

Ideeli had an IT staff of 12 a year ago. The Internet flash sale retailer now has more than 60 IT employees, and is searching for more.

“My business partners have an insatiable demand for new features and functionality that we cannot deliver fast enough for them,” said Eduardo Frias, the senior vice president of engineering at the New York City-based company.

It’s likely that a few months into your first semester, your newly independent (but financially dependent) self will have to make that call home explaining how you forgot the necessities that weren’t on the “college necessities” list your mom started slaving over months before sending you off. Who would have thought when you loaded the car with the essential college gear — from new bed sheets and plush mattress toppers to warehouse-sized shampoos and conditioners — you would still have to make that pleading call home asking for more “essential items” you need to live?

Being a college student, I found myself making the exact same call to my parents a couple of months into my first semester. So here are the top 5 items that are necessities, but are not often thought of, when you’re getting ready for the next 4 years of your life.

Mini toolkit
Toolkits seem to be attached to men’s sides, but if you’re a woman, it may not be the first thing on your mind to pack. My dad brought up his tool kit to help me decorate the ugly white walls of my dorm room in an effort to make it more “homey,” but he ended up taking it back home when he left. Chances are you’re going to want to hang up something more than just taping a poster on your wall. This Apollo 39 pink toolkit from Target is the perfect aid to spice up your drab room. Don’t worry: They do come in different colors.

Rubber sandals
If you are living in a dorm with community showers, rubber sandals are a great and cheap way to keep your feet clean while cleaning the rest of their body. Havaianas sandals are comfortable, fairly priced and come in a college series if you want to show your school pride while you shower

Scooters
While a bike is a cheaper alternative than scooters, if you’re living off campus or at a school with lots of hills, riding a bike will actually take longer than walking. Bikes are also the number one stolen item on college campuses. Scooters are a great way for you to easily get around campus and run errands, like go to the gym or the grocery store. Road Rat Motors has a great selection of gas and motor scooters in different colors. They’re also store your scooter for your during winter break or summer when you’re not on campus. While they’re not stolen as often as bikes, it’s still a good idea to invest in a padlock chain system that can’t be cut through. Good insurance is also a must.

Mini Fridge
Even if you have a meal plan, having dorm snacks are a must. You’ll be working up an appetite in the late hours of the night, sometimes, you don’t feel like (nor is it safe) to walk all the way to your car or scooter parked at the freshman lot. Walmart will have the best prices ranging from $69.99 and up, depending on what size and compartments (freezer/fridge combo) you’re looking for. You can also check Craigslist for used ones, as former students who lived in dorms will be looking to part ways with theirs.

Skype Premium
If you get homesick for family and friends or are living too far for a quick trip home on the weekends, Skype Premium is a great investment for live group chat.  You can call and video chat with four of your friends who are in different schools at once or talk to grandparents and parents at the same time. Subscriptions can run by the month, by three months or a whole year.

About The Author
Kelsey Bohannan is a freelance writer who writes for the 352 Media Group, a digital marketing and web design company.

The two area franchises of The Cleaning Authority, in North Royalton and Westlake, are supporting non-perishable food and monetary donations to the Cleveland Food Bank by partnering with several local businesses to serve as collection points.

Donations can be made online at northroyalton.thecleaningauthority.com. The company will collect food from customers homes within their territories; at NorthCoast Nissan, 7168 Pearl Road, Middleburg Heights; Acura and Infinity at the Airport Auto Collection, 13930-13940 Brookpark Road in Cleveland; and from employees at Moen in North Olmsted.

A $50 new customer coupon will be provided to those who donate through these partners and live in either franchises service area. The area for the Westlake Cleaning Authority is Avon, Avon Lake, North Ridgeville, Sheffield, North Olmsted, Lakewood, Rocky River, Fairview Park, Olmsted Falls, Bay Village, Westlake and the west side of Cleveland.

The North Royalton Cleaning Authoritys area is Berea, Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Independence, Middleburg Heights, North Royalton, Northfield, Parma, Sagamore Hills, Seven Hills and Strongsville.