Editor’s Note:  This post was originally published on the Interns Expose Amway blog.

So what has this former intern been up to in our Talent Acquisition Group?  Social Media!  Since the purpose of this blog is to let outsiders see what Amway insiders see I wanted to let you know about a few additional ways you can interact with us.

Amway Talent Acquisition now has Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts and we will use these accounts to connect with you!  You’ll find articles we think are useful to job seekers, updates on activity within Talent Acquisition, and of course tidbits we find just plain interesting.

BUT the main reason we have these channels is to communicate with you!  So we hope you’ll follow us and participate in the conversation!

If you pop out to our Twitter feed you’ll see articles on interviewing, personal brand, tips on when an interview really starts, and networking advice to name a few.  Visit LinkedIn to comment on articles we post and discuss topics with members of the LinkedIn group.  Find us on Facebook and you can see pictures, video, and helpful articles.

If you want even more interaction with Amway check us out on March 2nd for our inaugural Virtual Corporate Presentation as we stream live from Amway to talk about available internships, our culture, answer your questions, and walk through a typical day in the life of an intern!  Our Virtual Corporate Presentation on March 2nd is targeted to engineers so tune into interact with individuals who live engineering each day at Amway.

Interested? Great!  On Tuesday March 2nd at 5:00p EST, follow the link to watch and interact with Amway. http://www.livestream.com/amwaytalentacquisition

Not only can you interact with us on March 2nd we would love to hear feedback from you on the experience!  Have you ever participated in a virtual presentation? What topics do you find beneficial to be discussed at corporate presentations?

This weekend, women with nicknames like the Irish Invader, Duchess of Doom, and Little Devil Girl are convening on Taipei, Taiwan. We’ll be there, too.

For the 13th year, Amway is sponsoring the World Pool Billiards Association’s (WPBA) Women’s 9-Ball Open. It’s an annual, international tournament with qualifying rounds beginning on February 28 and the final match airing on the Videoland Television Network on March 7.

The Amway Cup tournament has worldwide appeal with a majority of its fans in Japan, Taiwan and the Phillippines.  Top players in this year’s joust include Karen Corr (the aforementioned Irish Invader) and Kelly Fisher of Ireland; Liu Shin-Mei and Chou Chieh-Yu of Taiwan; Jamin Ouschan of Austria; Allison (Duchess of Doom) Fisher of Great Britain; Japan’s Akimi Kajatani; and Pan Xiaoting and Liu Sha Sha of China.

Once dubbed the “noble game of billiards,” because it was originally played by European royalty, pool hit mainstream by the year 1600.

It’s an established sport full of fearless women. But when it comes to this enduring Amway sponsorship, we’re far from scared.

Since the January earthquake that devastated Haiti, Amway and its employees, distributors and customers worldwide have given more than $1 million in aid to help Haiti recover.

We were amazed that the donations to the American Red Cross kept rolling in even after our matching funds were allocated.  We’re  proud to have helped in other ways, like flying  doctors and medical supplies to help thousands of injured and ill Haitians.  Or working with a local agency to transport  newly adopted  Haitian children  to West Michigan to start  lives with their new  families.  

Thanks a million to those who have given to help Haiti.  We’re grateful our distributors and customers continue to open their hearts and wallets and give so  relief agencies can provide aid.   Because even though Haiti is no longer front page news,  funds and support are still desperately needed to help Haiti recover, and eventually rebuild.

They say there are six degrees of separation between each of us and every other person on the planet.

Likewise, there are often unusual connections between organizations and causes. Or in this case, organizations and pancakes.

Today is National Pancake Day. And there’s a real connection between us and this celebration of the griddled breakfast treat.

That’s because for National Pancake Day, every iHop restaurant is giving away pancakes in return for donations to the Children’s Miracle Network. Our connection is that the signature cause for new Miss America Caressa Cameron is the Children’s Miracle Network. Amway Global and Artistry are proud sponsors of the Miss America Organization and Caressa is now an Artistry spokesperson. And the local Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, along with dozens of other children’s hospitals nationwide,  benefits from Children’s Miracle Network support.

And that’s a connection worth celebrating with a short stack.  Pass the syrup!

Our employees and distributors normally wield laptops and smartphones as part of their business tool kits.

But in Thailand, you’re as likely to find them swinging hammers as they build homes for Habitat for Humanity.  Last year Amway Thailand volunteers helped build and repair 82 homes with Habitat.

We’ve made this market our home, or as they say in Thailand, our baan,  since 1987. 

By working with Habitat, we’re proud to help others find a place to call baan.

While the eyes of the world are on Vancouver this week and next, we’re watching one athlete in particular – Yuki Nofuji.

That’s because Yuki is not just a top snowboarder representing Japan – he’s also an Amway distributor.

Yuki competes in the men’s parallel giant slalom on February 27. We’ll be watching to cheer him on, along with his friends at Amway Japan.

The earth’s elements inspired our new beautycycle™ brand, launching this month in Europe. 

Now the skin care and colour cosmetics brand is inspiring headlines after its Russian launch and as beautycycle spreads to other markets.

Interest in a beauty brand that rejuvenates (air), hydrates (water), balances (earth) and energizes (fire) while it illuminates (colour), is natural.

Or in the case of beautycycle, it’s elemental.

William S. Pinckney, managing director and CEO of Amway India Enterprises, opened our business there in 1998 and today is an active leader in some of India’s leading business forums. 

Bill is part of Confederation of Indian Industry national committees on consumer affairs and “fast moving consumer goods” and is former chairman of the Indian Direct Selling Association. He’s also an increasingly prolific writer on business topics, having penned opinion pieces for major Indian newspapers.  

In The Economic Times, India’s leading business and financial newspaper, Bill recently wrote:  

By 2015, India’s consumer market will match that of Italy’s in absolute terms and by 2025 it will trail only those of the U.S., Japan, China and the U.K. Any body who is somebody has opened shop in India.

 Bill’s not only got the dateline for India but the byline as well.

Amway Australia. Amway Distributors. Ambassadors. Athletes. Aid to charity. Artistry product focus.

It all adds up to one full-page advertisement in The Australian and one full-blown bold  move on the part of our colleagues at  Amway Australia.

This “A-team” decided to reallocate its 2010 marketing dollars – wisely, we think – to spread the word about Amway’s family of brands, business opportunity and citizenship efforts. In the past, those dollars were used to publish a monthly distributor magazine. It’s a move that’s received accolades from Amway advocates, prospects and distributors alike.

Every month, a similar insert will appear in Australia’s top newspaper, sure to be a marketing effort that makes the grade.

When Amway launched its One by One Campaign for Children in 2003, it did so to align and focus our efforts on making life better for kids worldwide.

And that little change made a big difference.

Today at the One by One blog we announced total giving and impact since the program’s launch.  And it’s impressive – in seven years we’ve helped seven million children through 200,000 employee and distributor volunteer hours and more than  $112 million in cash donations.  Read the blog post to learn more about how this time and money helps kids in more than 50 countries.

And consider this…every hour was given by an individual distributor or employee who chose to make a difference in a child’s life.

If you’re currently a One by One volunteer, thanks for your efforts.

If you’re thinking about helping, visit www.amwayglobal.com in the U.S. and Canada or your affiliate’s web site in your market.  There are lots of ways to help and children who need you.

After all, as the numbers prove, if we all do a little, it adds up to a lot!