Getting in on the Ground Floor at Groupon and Living Social

The daily deal business has grown rapidly in its relatively short lifespan, with

valuations of startups such as Groupon and Living Social reaching billions. Along

with venture backing has come hiring as companies rush to build revenue through

sales.

Getting a job with a daily deal site, however, is no easy feat. The industry has

attracted many applicants anxious to get in on the ground floor of something new

that could one day make them rich. Successful job seekers need to have a thorough

understanding of an industry with virtually no history as well as the tenacity to

develop long-term relationships with customers.

We talked with hiring managers and executives with a few of the biggest sites in the

daily-deal, preferred-pricing, and private flash-sale spaces to find out what stands

out among the hundreds of job applications they receive every day.


Using a daily coupon site isn't enough to want and get a job at one -- that's a

little like saying you want to be a chef because you like eating out at restaurants.

Instead, you need to understand the business, which is as much about offering

coupons to consumers as it is about enticing vendors to offer discounts.

"The reps that really seem to get it are the ones who have seen a merchant light up

with excitement when [they go] in with that business's coupon," says Patrick Albus,

CEO of KGB Deals USA, "and then come to us with that same passion and excitement,

and say 'How do I go about joining your team?'"

It's also important to understand the business of a particular site. Competition has

led sites to try to distinguish themselves, so assuming all sites are alike is a

quick way to end an interview. Do the legwork that it takes to find out where the

industry itself has been, where it's going, and what has proven to be successful in

terms of establishing -- and strengthening -- a business in the space.



Have Some Experience

A college education is a must-have for most sites as is sales experience. "We're not

hiring a ton of entry-levels," says Dan Jessup, vice president of human resources at

Chicago-based Groupon. "Those that are coming in with relevant experience are

typically doing better."

Valued traits include previous business-to-business sales experience, an ability to

articulate a value proposition, a history of opening new client accounts, and above

all, an understanding of how and why small, local merchants want to advertise.

The same goes for jobs with fashion flash-sale site Ideeli, which also has a daily

deal component. "We're looking for some experience," says Joel Greengrass, vice

president of talent with the New York-based company. "We're probably not going to

hire people right out of school because the risk is too high."

Likewise, risk is a factor when considering candidates with no business experience,

he says. "We value when people are a student of retail or e-commerce," says

Greengrass.

Entry-level applicants can make it at some sites in if they have passion for what

they're selling. "Think of your friends who know all of the places to go on the

weekend," says Claire Noonan, senior manager of recruiting for Gilt City, a

subsidiary of flash-sale site Gilt Groupe. "Those are our curators."



Focus Your Resume and Cover Letter

People with years of sales experience in more mature industries are competing for

these jobs, so make sure your resume is action-and-results-oriented, say hiring

managers. "We like to see proven success in numbers," says Noonan of Gilt City. The

industry also wants people willing to help companies grow over the long term. "We

look for retention, and how someone has grown with the same company over time," says

Noonan.

An absolute must? "The ability to work independently," says Julien Vernet, VP of

sales at VillageVines, which partners with restaurants in cities like New York,

Chicago, and Los Angeles, among others, to offer long-term preferred pricing and

discounts, rather than one-day-only offers. "They need to be self-starters because

they're going to be out in the field," he says.

Also, highlight any startup experience, and be sure your cover letter is short and

sweet. "In the field, you have a limited amount of time, so you have to grab their

attention and get them to listen to you pretty quickly," says Albus of KGB Deals.

Focus on your people skills. "If someone tells us they have cultural or humanitarian

pursuits, a food blog, involvement in a philanthropy," says Noonan, it shows that

they would be a good fit.



The Interview: Go in for the Right Reasons

You will struggle in the interview if you're not passionate about the social-

couponing industry; the hiring manager will sense it if you're there just to have a

buzz-worthy company name on your resume to help you land your next job.

You'll start with a phone-screen, and move on to meetings with sales reps, managers,

and company execs. You may have to act out some mock scenarios where you try to

pitch the site to a business. While specific questions will vary, every company will

probably ask you to justify why you want to work there.

"The most basic question can make or break the interview," says Greengrass: "Why

ideeli?" He suggests you answer with reasons that show your knowledge of and

interest in the company and its mission -- not with the fact that you "like to shop

there."

At Groupon, Jessup notes that it's a common practice to call up applicants before

bringing them in for an interview to gauge the candidate's interest in working for

the company. "The interest has to go both ways," he says.

"We're looking for the person getting into the job for the right reasons," says

Jeremy Thiesen, a regional sales manager with KGB deals, who oversees two city

managers and 16 sales reps in Chicago and New York City, "which means they're not

getting into it because this is a fad job and it's in the news."