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The Coca-Cola Unbottled team just shared our first blog post on a cool job opening at Coca-Cola: Green Biz Careers: Why Coca-Cola Should Be Part of Your Job Search. Do you want more posts like this? We want Unbottled to be a blog filled with content that you, our reader, is interested in. We are curious if job postings is on top of your list, so let us know by choosing yes or no.Whether you're interested in Coca-Cola jobs or not, let us know what you want to hear more about in the comments.

Coca-Cola is grooming 26 executives from 17 countries through an immersive learning experience modeled after the legacy of one of the most respected leaders in the company's nearly 127-year history. The six-week program carries the namesake of Donald R. Keough, who served as president and chief operating officer of The Coca-Cola Company from 1981 to 1993, and who will retire later this month from the company’s board of directors. A perpetually curious leader who humbly balanced the roles of teacher and student during his tenure, he stewarded the company through the “cola wars” of the 1980s and led the continued expansion of Coke’s international operations. Keough also is revered for his ability to connect and cultivate relationships with everyone who came in contact with Coca-Cola. Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent called him the “consummate Coca-Cola leader.” “Don knows our business like few have ever dreamed of knowing it, and he has a passion for the specialness of Coca-Cola that’s unmatched,” Kent said. “In other words, he has all the ‘head’ knowledge and all the ‘heart’ knowledge.” Developed in partnership with Duke University’s Corporate Education program, the Donald R. Keough System Leadership Academy aims to strike this same balance. Participants will visit a diverse set of markets to develop an end-to-end understanding of the Coca-Cola system, which consists of The Coca-Cola Company and more than 250 bottling partners worldwide. The curriculum will challenge the leaders – who represent all corners of the system, from manufacturing and finance to advertising and sales – with complex business cases designed to inspire critical thinking and unconventional approaches to solving problems and seizing opportunities. They will interact with senior executives at both the global and local level to learn about leadership, legacy and the importance of collaboration – while embracing Keough’s inclusive management style and insatiable thirst for knowledge. ‘Constant Stimulus and Constant Input’ Keough expected candor from his team, surrounding himself with people who were not afraid to challenge him. In fact, he was known to routinely share lunch or a Coke with employees he didn’t know just to hear directly from them about their work and their perspectives. He traveled to more than 140 countries during his years at the helm to keep his finger on the pulse of the business.  “Every time I went anywhere, I came back to Atlanta knowing more than I knew when I left,” Keough told the class last week during a special kickoff event at Coke's global headquarters. Keough’s Coca-Cola history dates to 1950 when he joined Butter-Nut Coffee, which was first acquired by Duncan Foods, then by The Coca-Cola Company in 1960. He served as head of The Coca-Cola Foods Division from 1971 to 1973, as chairman of the board of Coca-Cola Enterprises from 1986 to 1993, and as chairman of Columbia Pictures Inc. from 1982 to 1989. After retiring as president, chief operating officer and a director of the company in April 1993, he was again elected as a director in 2004. Keough, 86, used a vivid analogy to encourage the inaugural class to remain curious and to “learn more every day” during their six-week journey.   “The brain is like a sponge,” he said. “When you have a sponge in your hand, if you let it get dry, you can peel it off, bit by bit, into millions of little pieces. And that's the way the brain is, too… in order for you to be able to have output, you have to have constant stimulus and constant input.” After spending a few days in Atlanta, the team traveled to Chicago to learn about bottler and customer partnerships. From there, it’s on to Mexico City for a crash course on brand love and shopper marketing. The program concludes with stops in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, India, where participants will be immersed in the culture of a developing market and study systems integration. “Only when you are immersed in a program like this can you fully understand and begin to absorb the heritage, responsibility and opportunity within our system," Jason Marshall, vice president of finance for Coca-Cola Enterprises in the United Kingdom, said about week one. "This once-in-a-lifetime experience has fueled my curiosity… with breadth of experience comes diversity of thought.”Samia Bouchareb, general manager, Morocco, added, "This experience is creating a unique link between our past and our future. Over the last 127 years, generations have built our company around the values of love for the brand, relationships, passion and excellence in execution. We are now responsible with creating the business foundation for the next 127 years." More Business Stories:Talking Immigration Reform at the Council on Foreign RelationsCoca-Cola No. 4 on Fortune's Most Admired Companies ListCoca-Cola Reports Solid 4% Global Volume Growth in First Quarter (Updated with Quotes)

American universities graduate more women than men, and women comprise just under half the U.S. workforce. Yet women remain largely missing from the top echelons of corporate America. Fewer than 25 of Fortune 500 corporations are headed by women, and no Fortune 500 company in Georgia is headed by a woman CEO. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution brought together some of metro Atlanta’s top-ranking women to discuss this key issue in the wake of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s new book, “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.” The book has provoked controversy, with competing views about the challenges women face. Panelists will share their perspectives over the next three weeks in print and online. Below, they talk about barriers in the workplace.More Women in the Workplace Articles:Women in the Workplace: A Catalyst for ChangeWomen in the Workplace: Do Women Need More Career Support Than Men?Why We Think Women Are the Vital Voices to Hear

By Journey Staff | April 4, 2013 To celebrate the inspirational storytelling taking place at The Daily Beast / Newsweek Women in the World Summit this week, The Coca-Cola Company is proud to spotlight the success of 5by20 entrepreneur, Regina Maria Silva Gomes, an artisan and single caretaker of five grandchildren living in Rio de Janeiro. Leveraging business skills she received through The Coca-Cola Company’s 5by20 initiative, she grew her business from one to eleven employees, purchased a home and now positively impacts more than 700 families in her community. Regina’s success is just one of the stories Coca-Cola hopes to share in the years to come as 5by20 continues its journey to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women entrepreneurs in the Coca-Cola value chain by 2020. More 5by20 Stories:Coke Brings 5by20 Initiative to China to Empower WomenThe Coca-Cola Company Expands 5by20 Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative5by20 Success Stories var do_async_gigya_comments = function (){ var templates = { commentBox: '' + ' ' + ' ' + ' $loginCanvas' + ' ' + ' $closeIcon' + ' ' + ' ' + ' ' + ' $addComment' + ' ' + ' ' + '' + '', comment: '' + ' ' + ' $photoDiv' + ' ' + ' ' + ' ' + ' ' + ' ' + ' $username' + ' ' + ' $vote' + ' ' + ' $body' + ' ' + ' ' + ' $dateString' + ' ' + ' ' + ' $replyButton' + ' - ' + ' $flag ' + ' ' + ' $repliesCountPlaceholder' + ' ' + ' ' + '' + '', loginCanvas_loggedIn: '$photoDiv Post a comment $loginDropdown', loginCanvas_loggedIn_guest: 'GUEST?', loginCanvas_loggedOut: '$photoDiv Sign in to post a comment $loginDropdown' }; var params = { categoryID: 'article-comments', containerID: 'gigya-comments-container', streamID: 'Building-Stronger-Businesses-Families-and-Communities-One-Woman-at-a-Time', // optional enabledShareProviders: 'facebook,twitter,yahoo,linkedin', templates: templates, // //events onLoad: function() { $("section.comments-widget").show(); } }; gigya.socialize.showCommentsUI(params); $("div.comments-container").on("click", "a.gig-comments-button-post", function() { try { window._gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'Commenting Events', "Comment or Reply"]); } catch (ex){} }); }; if (tccc.global.gigya_available){ do_async_gigya_comments(); } else { $(tccc.global).bind(tccc.global.events.ON_GIGYA_READY, function(evt){ //console.warn("(info) The Gigya request was slow to respond"); do_async_gigya_comments(); }); }

It has been a week of firsts for Malehlonoholo Moleko. She boarded an airplane for the first time in her life, and traveled for the first time beyond her native South Africa to the United States. And if this wasn’t enough, last Friday, Moleko, who has turned her small, struggling bakery into a successful restaurant and local shop, addressed the TEDxWomen conference  in Washington, D.C., which highlighted extraordinary women in far-from-ordinary circumstances. In miles and milestones, she has come a very long way from her dirt-road village outside Johannesburg. Helping Women to Help Themselves Two years ago Moleko was struggling to make ends meet as the owner of a bakery in her hometown, Boipatong Vanderbjilpark, South Africa, when she was accepted as a student in a business skills workshop offered as part of The Coca-Cola Company's 5by20 initiative, Coca-Cola’s ambitious goal to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women by 2020. “I learned hard work and passion were not enough. I needed the right education to run a successful business, and I had nobody to teach this to me,” says Moleko. “Finding the business skills workshop I took two years ago changed my entire life. I did not need someone to give me money or a handout. What I needed was a hand up.” Working Smarter to Build a Business Moleko, 38, rises at 3:30 a.m., six days a week, to begin baking and cooking for the nearby factory workers who make up her clientele. “I love to cook and try new recipes,” says Moleko. “It's my passion. I've always dreamed of owning a restaurant, and I work very hard to realize this dream,” says the entrepreneur and mother. Moleko’s 20-year-old son Mpho helps fuel her passion. She is using her income for his schooling. “His future is the most important thing to me,” says Moleko. “He’s so proud of me, and he is thankful that I am working hard so that he can find an easier path to success.”  Moleko opened her bakery in 2006, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her father, who was a chef. She borrowed money to finance her dream, but soon found she knew nothing about running a business. “I often did not have the money I needed to buy flour and baking supplies,” she says. “Several times I had to turn to my brother and ask him to lend me money.” Embarrassed, Moleko worked even harder, putting in more than 15 hours a day. But still she couldn't make ends meet or balance her books.  The Breakthrough Workshop Then she heard about Coca-Cola's workshop for women entrepreneurs in her area. She was accepted with 40 other businesswomen, and she spent months taking classes in time management, finance skills, dealing with customers and how to lead employees. “I was clueless about what it took to run a business,” she says. “But after the classes I knew how to budget properly and that I needed to separate my personal finances from the business finances.” Inspiring Other Women Moleko likes to work hard and finds satisfaction in providing for herself and her son. Other women in the community, who don’t always understand her nontraditional approach to supporting herself, sometimes ask her why she does not let a man provide for her. Moleko would not have it any other way. As she says, “I love knowing that everything I have, I accomplished on my own.” And while the path she has chosen may not be the right one for every woman, she hopes she can show other young women in her community that they have a choice about their future. She now spends time mentoring and sharing the knowledge she learned in the Coca-Cola workshop. “I want young girls and women in South Africa to feel they can be independent and financially stable,” says Moleko. “I tell them that when you are determined to work hard — and wise enough to seek help from others who have been in business or been in their shoes — anything is possible.” In front of the TEDxWomen audience Friday, Moleko shared her journey with thousands of people both live and streaming online. She left the audience with a message of inspiration and encouragement: “…I am not alone. I know there are hundreds of millions of women like me throughout the developing world who can achieve what I have achieved. We have the passion. We have the determination. Bring forth more partners and mentors like I received, and you’ll see a world where that gap between poverty and plenty closes more and more each day.”    Coca-Cola's Journey to Reach 5 Million Women Moleko’s story is one of many examples of success resulting from the 5by20 initiative. By the end of this year, 300,000 women will have been reached by the programs Coca-Cola has developed to address the barriers that prevent women entrepreneurs from succeeding in the marketplace. 5by20 is doing this by increasing access to 1) business skills training courses, 2) financial services and assets, and 3) networks of peers or mentors. The company works with key partners to build on best practices in the Coca-Cola business system worldwide and on the valuable insights and programs our partners bring to the table, encouraging innovation, scale-up and replication.  The goal to reach 5 million women by 2020 is an ambitious one, but the initiative is well on its way. Coca-Cola announced this week that the 5by20 empowerment initiative would expand from pilot programs in four countries, including South Africa, to a total of 12 nations. Among them are China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Haiti and India. "Women entrepreneurs around the world are faced with numerous barriers to success," says Charlotte Oades, Coca-Cola's global director for women's economic empowerment. "We believe providing access to training, finance and support networks is the best way to help women overcome barriers, unlock their untapped potential and build their business in a sustainable way." To learn more about 5by20, visit 5by20.com.

Kate White, the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, serves up frank advice for pleasing tough bosses, dealing with competitive coworkers, and much more in her fourth career book, “I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know.”  Here, White sits down with Coca-Cola Journey to share insights into getting ahead. Q. With the explosion of social media and people "friending" and "following" their bosses, do you think the professional lines have blurred? If so, is there a danger in that? Definitely! Unless you’re in a field that has more of a casual vibe, like sports or show business, its smart to keep your Facebook and Twitter pages professionally focused. Post and tweet about a great article you read or a talk you heard that’s related to your profession. Trust me. Even if your boss doesn’t seem like the type who would be bothered by updates on your partying or dating life, on some level, she will find it unprofessional and that alters her view of you. Q. Negotiating a salary is one of the toughest things to do. What do you recommend? I suggest people use a technique called “ZOPA,” which stands for “zone of possible agreement.” That’s the salary range you need to determine before negotiating a job offer or raise. So rather than just come up with an amount you hope your employer will pay you, do some research. Check out professional sites or talk with others in your industry to give you a sense of what the going rate is for the position. Once you have an idea of the highest and lowest you may be offered, you’ll be less likely to settle. And no matter what the first offer is, be aware that most employers low-ball initially. So nicely say: “I’d love to work here. It sounds like a great opportunity, but I was hoping for more.” Then throw out a figure that’s closer to the high end of the ZOPA range. Q. You also write about "sudden promotion syndrome." Why does it happen and how do you avoid it? When you get a promotion, you’re role officially changes. Yet, you’re usually in the same exact work setting. That can make it challenging to shift your identity from your previous role. Also, since chances are good you were exposed to the person who had the job before you, your boss may not totally articulate everything she is expecting. Instead, she will assume you already know. So to avoid flubbing your new gig, it’s important to buy some promotion clothes that help put begin shifting into a new mindset. Also, talk to your boss about her expectations. Find out if there is anything she wants you to do differently from the previous person in the job. Chances are, she will have some changes in mind. Q. What's the best way to impress a new boss? The best thing you can do with all bosses is to find out their hot spots and sweets spots. For example, I once had a boss who acted very casual. For that reason, when he made requests people didn’t jump on them. It turned out he got annoyed by their sluggishness — that was his hot spot! So whether it’s getting in a little late each day or taking long lunches, figure out what bugs your boss and avoid the behavior at all costs. As for sweet spots, I had another boss who loved hand-written notes, so I made sure to send them to her quite often. Now most bosses aren’t going to come out and tell you their pet peeves or little things they love, but pay attention to what they say and you’re bound to figure it out. Q. How do you nail a job interview? I tell people three things: Understand that the decision not to hire is made within the first five to fifteen minutes. That means, your body language, your outfit, and your sense of enthusiasm must all work to your advantage the second you walk in the door. You need to “show the love.” That means, coming across as passionate and engaged. Ask questions that show you’ve done your homework and that reflect your desire to do a good job. Rather than badger the interviewer with queries about flex time or the 401K plan, instead ask where she sees the big growth in the field or things that show how much you want to be part of the company. Finally, you have to “ask for the business.” That means, when the interview is coming to a close, be direct and say, “This job sounds interesting and I’d love to work here.” Q. You mention that bosses like it when people kiss up. But can that backfire? Kissing up can definitely backfire if it seems inauthentic or over the top. The best way to do it, though, is to let your boss know you are aligned with her goals. If she’s excited about social media, for example, say something like, “I love these objectives you set. It is terrific you had the foresight.” That shows you respect her thinking and actions in an authentic way. Q. You talk about "the importance of slaying the alligators while draining the swamp." What does that mean? The slaying of the alligators is the day-to-day stuff we all do at work: reviewing reports, attending meetings. The draining of the swamp is the big picture stuff that works toward long-term goals. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day that we neglect the other. That’s why it’s critical to set aside time each week to think about the big picture. During this time, ask yourself if your business is shifting, if the competition is sneaking up on you, and if you’re going to have to make adjustments. Then figure out your game plan. And this advice also applies to your career too. Regularly set aside time to ask yourself if you are working toward your larger goals. Q. You talk about the importance of “leaning in" during meetings. How does this work?  Maybe it’s because they’re nervous, but one thing I've noticed in my years working with women is that many have a tendency to sit back from the table rather than lean in. On top of that, they are tentative about expressing their ideas. As a result, no one pays attention to what they say. Five minutes later, when someone else says the same thing, everyone thinks it is great. So here’s what I suggest: sit on the first third of your chair and belly up to the table. Rather than just spit out your idea, preface your comment with something that draws attention to you first, like, “Here’s a way we might do that.” That way you’re sure you’ve got everyone’s attention and they hear you. Q. How do you handle a competitive coworker? For the most part, it’s best to ignore the person and focus on your work and the ways you can excel. Let him sink into a hole by allowing him to act in ways that may seem desperate. However, if that person steals an idea or backstabs you, then it’s time to take action! Confront him in a very unemotional and professional way without being too accusatory. Try something like, “I am sure you probably didn’t remember this, but the idea you brought up in the meeting is the one I mentioned to you at lunch. Going forward, when we talk about ideas let’s keep track of who suggests what.” By doing it this way, you give him the chance to save face but you also make it clear you will not tolerate his behavior. Q.  Because you were the editor of Cosmopolitan you have particular insight into young women. What do you think is the biggest mistake young women make in the workplace today? Women are so gutsy and incredibly impressive nowadays — they’re not the same “good girls” who were out in the workforce 20 years ago. For that reason, I don’t think women make different mistakes than men. But the biggest blunder both sexes make is that they do only what they’re told and nothing more. Say, for example, your boss asks you to pull together sales data from the last quarter, don’t just give her the numbers! It’s much more impressive to take things a step further by actually reviewing the info and pointing out any patterns. Imagine how thrilled your boss will be if you give her what she asks plus a memo that points out something like, “I noticed exciting growth in the south that we’ve not seen before.”

If any more evidence were needed of the growing significance of youth entrepreneurship in the Middle East, it was provided in the shape of President Barack Obama at the recent Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Dubai, UAE.In his video address to the 2000 delegates in attendance, the President linked the entrepreneurship movement – especially among young people and women – to his vision of increased peace, prosperity and cooperation between East and West:“Let’s keep creating the next generation of dreamers, creators and builders…let’s keep doing everything we can to help that aspiring entrepreneur turn her idea into a business that could change her neighborhood, her city or her country.”The need to grow and diversify the economies of the Middle East is clear. Youth unemployment runs at 25%. Labor force participation among young people is just 35%, compared to a global average of 52%. And with roughly two-thirds of the population of the Middle East under the age of 29, the need for new business and job creation is stark.Start-up culture: past, present & futureThe entrepreneurial spirit runs strong here in the Middle East. At the Summit, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, “Entrepreneurship is not new to the Arab region, where man invented the alphabet, writing, algebra, arithmetic and built the first university. From our region came pioneers in medicine, astronomy, mathematics and chemistry.”But spirit alone is not enough, for entrepreneurs to flourish you need education programs, easy access to capital, incubators, a supportive regulatory environment and reliable distribution networks.  In addition, there is a need to turn ideas to products and services that can realize impact and meet the needs of the community.  2012 has seen the initiation or accelerated growth of a dizzying array of institutions to build this enterprise culture. From the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to the hit TV show, The Entrepreneur; from the pioneering education efforts of the youth charity, INJAZ al-Arab, to the network opportunities created by Wamda; an organic infrastructure that binds government, private sector, academia and NGOs is emerging. Visible success stories with great role models are emerging as well. Fadi Ghandour, who built the region’s leading transportation and logistics firm, Aramex. Samih Toukan, whose Maktoob business was sold to Yahoo! for $164m, and Jabbar whose Internet group is now a globally-renowned consumer eCommerce conglomerate; and Loulou Khazen Baz, whose start-up website nabbesh.com connects businesses to freelance creative talent.One key organization in the region that is putting entrepreneurial education and lifelong learning at the core of its mission is the School of Business at the American University in Cairo.  The school launched its Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (EIP) in October 2010 with a vision that entrepreneurship will change the future of Egypt capitalizing on the nation’s most precious resource, its human capital.  In a country of 85 million citizens with a growth rate of 1.9% annually, a young population with 58% under the age of 25 and 800 thousand jobs that need to be created every year, the world of small-sized enterprises and start-ups presents a unique opportunity for socioeconomic transformation.  Since its early days, EIP has been offering seminars, workshops, networking events, mentorship programs, and business boot camps to over 4500 young passionate Egyptians representing potential successful entrepreneurs and future leaders.  In 2011, EIP launched its business plan competitions “Fekrety”; an opportunity for Egyptians across the nation’s governorates to take their innovative ideas to the next level.  Fekrety (my idea in Arabic) helps tomorrow’s leaders and entrepreneurs generate ideas for business, provide them with mentoring, training opportunities, and connect the most viable startups with venture capitalists, angel investors, and other sources of seed funding. EIP’s events and services are open to students’ at all local universities and to all potential young entrepreneurs across the nation.  This is an educational program that extends its offerings beyond the university boundaries reaching out to the different parts of Egypt with an objective to realize an impact across the different segments in society.Entrepreneurial education will change how people think, generate ideas, perceive opportunities, promote innovation, develop alternative solutions, become impact-driven and more.  Some people claim that entrepreneurship cannot be taught; others believe that some are born gifted with entrepreneurial skills while others are not.  However, there is no doubt that everyone has a chance to contribute positively to socioeconomic development by capitalizing on his/her skills and capacities and by developing themselves through lifelong learning.Clearly, much more than education and lifelong learning needs to be done. Access to capital is still severely restricted. The basic costs of registering a business are still prohibitively high for many; and business education is still not integrated well enough into school curricula. But the green shoots of entrepreneurship growth are there. Now is the time to let thousands of flowers bloom.  It is a 10000-piece puzzle that needs to start somewhere with a solid base, strong momentum and a clear vision.Now is the time for an entrepreneurial uprising across the region.  An uprising driven by young passionate and innovative citizens that will help create jobs, contribute to building a robust and competitive private sector and move in the direction of a stronger economy that can transform the lives of millions of people in the region. Sherif Kamel is founding Dean of the school of business at the American University in Cairo and Professor of management information systems at the school’s department of management.