When Elisabeth Daniels graduates with a degree in creative writing from Columbia College this fall, she could compete against other humanities and journalism majors for the shrinking number of teaching and publishing jobs, stalk freelance gigs or wait tables to pay off student loans.
This year she has another option: Groupon.
Since its breakout success as one of the world’s fastest growing internet start-ups, Groupon has created hundreds of editorial jobs in its Chicago offices to produce the humorous write-ups that describe their coupon deals. The company is sending teams of recruiters to universities in search of writers who are graduating into an otherwise poor job market.
Some are wooed by promises of opportunities for quick promotions and a laid-back corporate culture that allows employees to work from home and flexibility in setting their own hours.
“Whenever we mention Groupon, we usually get a bigger crowd,” said Megan Erskine, a job locator for Columbia College in Chicago. “Groupon is an opportunity that students wouldn’t traditionally think of, especially for writing,” she said.
At a networking event in May co-sponsored by Groupon for graduating Columbia College seniors and industry professionals, students chatted up six Groupon recruiters about the firm’s lengthy editorial process, which consists of a researcher, writer, fact-checker, voice editor and copy editor to review each separate offering.
“Groupon is at the top of my list,” said Daniels, 21. “They are a hugely growing company, which I find really attractive.”
Since he left the managing editor position at Crain’s Chicago Business to become Groupon’s managing editor last June, Brandon Copple has hired more than 128 writers. They work on two floors of an East Wacker Drive office building, where the majority of Groupon’s more than 400 editorial staff members are based. Despite the many new positions, the applicant acceptance rate for writing jobs at Groupon is 3 percent, Copple said.
Though the company is recruiting students straight from college, Copple said the the average writer he hires is around 25 years old with a few years of professional experience or a masters degree.
“This spring we made a big push on college campuses for really the first time,” he said. In the past year, recruiters have held information sessions at Sarah Lawrence College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Columbia University, among others.
At the end of a hallway flanked by editorial cubicles, Copple keeps a grid of over 100 photos of smiling Groupon writers on his office wall to help him remember names and faces.
Staff writers do not need a background in the technology industry or business, Copple said, but they must be adept at describing Groupon deals in the company’s offbeat style. He said attention to detail and absurdist humor are essential to setting Groupon apart from its competitors.
That tone often comes in the form of slapstick scenarios, anachronistic comparisons and sweeping statements about human nature. The description of a recent deal for an aerial tour of Chicago, for example, began: “From catapulting flaming soldiers over castle walls to sitting on active geysers, humans have long been fixated on flying through the air.”
“We’re in a business where anyone can copy the basic business model. Having great content gives people a reason to open that email,” Copple said.
“There are 420 people in this department,” he added. “It’s a huge investment for the company in a department that produces no revenue.”
