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Thea

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Feb 29th

2012

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Four Cheers for L.E.A.P. Day

Every four years, time and space stretch themselves sideways until something amazing happens: A full 24 hours slip free to pad February’s descent into March.Suddenly, babies born last Feb. 29 are taller and can fit more cereal into their noses. Elections and the Olympics switch bodies, bolstering the number of trampolinists in office and adding filibuster events to the summer games. Deals take on an adventurous sheen.

To help you make the most of this transformative extra day, we’ve scoured the country for exciting deals to lay at your eyes’ feet:

L.E.A.P. Day offers the chance to make an imaginary day into a living, breathing adventure. Discover Lots of Exciting Adventures to in which to Partake by visiting Groupon.com/Occasions.

 

Dustin C

on

Feb 28th

2012

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Cover Letters? Yes, I Read Them

I’ve spoken to a few colleagues recently in recruiting, and there is some confusion about cover letters and whether or not corporate recruiters read them. Some people see it as a good way to showcase personality, writing skills, or knowledge of the company. Still others see it as bulky and a waste of time because recruiters aren’t going to read it anyway. I’m not sure who is correct, but I can give you some tips to increase your cover letter’s visibility. Keep in mind that the resume is still the first thing that we review, but a good cover letter can supplement your experience and personality. Some ideas to keep in mind:

  • Apply only to relevant roles. If you are qualified for a job, the recruiter will know and will want to look at a cover letter. Use this opportunity to highlight a few points from the job description that closely match your background.
  • Show some personality. You don’t have to fill your cover letter with jokes or witty sayings, but you should give us an insight into who you are not just what you can do. Don’t just list random things for the sake of being irreverent; rather connect a hobby or interest to a quality that would make you a good employee.
  • Demonstrate your knowledge of the company and  the role. Recruiters can spot a generic cover letter within a few seconds. Add a few sentences that show your knowledge of the company or ability to do the job. Bullet points are fine, and the more concise you can be the better.
  • Don’t worry about formatting. At Groupon, and other large companies, all your materials will be stored in our resume database, so don’t worry about fancy formatting or colors. Different recruiters work on different roles, and multiple people will have access to your resume. Don’t waste time trying to figure out a specific contact, because it really doesn’t matter to us. But if you do have a personal connection at the company, then let us know.

I hope this info will help you when applying to Groupon or any other company. Cover letters are a nice supplement to your experience and a good way to show your personality and enthusiasm for the role. Including a cover letter doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get an interview.  But it’s definitely not going to hurt you to take the extra time to tailor a cover letter for a specific company.

Dustin, Recruiting @GrouponJobs

Thea

on

Feb 27th

2012

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Women 2.0 PITCH Conference

Today’s post is guest-authored by Groupon employees, Emily in Product Development, and Kathleen in Merchant Services:

Last week, we visited the Computer History Museum in Mountain View for the fifth annual Women 2.0 PITCH Conference. PITCH is a conference for women in tech to gather and mingle and learn from one another. As Groupon employees we were excited to spend the day schmoozing with developers, designers, and start-up mavens and learning from some of the most influential women in the tech world.

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cat

on

Feb 22nd

2012

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Cineman’s Guide to Critiquing Film

Listen deeply, adventure lovers. The one known as Cineman, which is I, has just returned from my annual two-day self-actualization retreat in wildest Manitoba. There I learned that to get the most out of something, you can’t just enjoy it—you also have to critique it.

In honor of the great film deals we’re offering, these are the elements that cinema critics know to look out for:

Characters: Film critics love characters whose actions are heroic, such as a detective who falls in love with a stolen necklace or an asteroid that’s going to destroy Earth but for its own good.

Plot: Now that there are characters, they must be sent on a jet-setting chase through Venice’s sexiest canals. If the story makes this impossible, at least have the characters talk about the sexy canals.

Score: The film’s score should ideally just consist of the sound of gasping to signal to audiences that something shocking is happening.

Cinematography: This is not something movie critics care about because, like you, they do not know what this is.

Theme: To be truly great, a film must have one of the three following uplifting themes: be yourself, be yourself but also sometimes be a werewolf, or crime doesn’t pay—it pays well.

Nicholas H

on

Feb 21st

2012

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Featured Merchant: The Cellar Door

Suburban Chicago Business Owner Finds Audience with Groupon

As a small business owner in a metropolitan area of almost 9.5 million people, Sean Chaudhry had to find a cost-effective, creative, effective, and efficient way to market his two suburban Chicago businesses to his potential customer bases. He found it through Groupon.

Both of Chaudhry’s businesses, The Cellar Door located in Downer’s Grove, Ill. and Hinsdale Wine Shop located in Hinsdale, Ill., experienced great successes with reaching new customers and growing sales through the running of Groupon deals.

The Cellar Door, a by-the-glass wine bar with a limited food menu, recently saw a considerable uptick in sales and new customers after running a $15 for $30 worth of food and drinks Groupon deal. “I would estimate that about 85 percent of Groupon customers spent more than the face value of the offer,” Chaudhry said. “In fact, one table using the deal spent $270.”

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cat

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Feb 20th

2012

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Cineman’s Guide to Being a Cinematic Hero

Film-Focused Deals Selected by the Cineman

Annnnnd…action. Hark, reader! It is I, Cineman, Groupon’s in-house film expert! I’m the hero not of any particular movie, but a hero made from the magic of cinema itself. To celebrate the climax of the movie awards season, I have handpicked great movie deals, which you can find here.

Be a cinematic hero in your daily life with these tips:

  • Action movie characters end all conversations with a cool catchphrase. You can borrow mine: “Now that’s what I call an ironic turn of events.”
  • In romantic movies, main characters are always meeting in the cutest possible way. Be sure to hang out in the vintage section of your town’s scarf-and-puppy store to start a film-worthy love affair.
  • Western movie stars take action by riding around on the cars of their day—horses. Ride around on the horse of our generation—tandem rollerblades.
  • In horror movies, the killer is the most interesting character. Draw your own conclusions.
  • Characters in documentaries prove that real people are just as exciting as any movie character. Create your own real-world documentary by screaming your dates of birth and death in strangers’ faces.

cat

on

Feb 15th

2012

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Behind the Deals: Employee Competitions

At noon every Wednesday at Groupon HQ, a bone-rattling gong signals the end of the workday, and employees are pitted against each other in no-holds-barred competitions to determine one thing: who can have the most fun! Here’s a look at some of our most recent employee contests:

  • Hula-Hoop Hullaballoo
  • Poetry Slam-Off
  • Full-Size American Gladiators “Eliminator” run-throughs
  • “Groupon Idol” singing competition (not to be confused with our demolished, currently subject to litigation “Groupon Idol” mandatory worship icon)
  • Batting-cage contest
  • Bat-caging contest
  • Ulysses Speed-Reading and Comprehension Salary-Determination Quiz
  • Pie-eating contest followed by eating-related shame-expressing contest
  • Tennis matches against our black-market, slightly misshapen Andre Agassi clone
  • Real, live whack-a-mole

Thea

on

Feb 14th

2012

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Groupon Loves Love

It’s a great Valentine’s Day treat when we hear stories of people incorporating Groupon into their most special day. There have been romantic dinner proposals, Groupon employees blessed by Patrick Stewart, and Kelli sent us this great note about creatively using a Groupon at her wedding:

Everyone knows (especially my husband, Chris) how addicted I am to Groupon, so we decided to include Groupon in our wedding ceremony. It was a surprise to everyone except me, my husband, and our Officiant, and it was absolutely hilarious. When it was time for the kiss, our Officiant pronounced us husband and wife and then said, “And Chris, if you have a Groupon, you may kiss the bride.” He pulled a homemade Groupon certificate out of his pocket, proudly showed the guests, and then gave me the kiss of my life. It was an awesome moment and helped to make our ceremony personal and memorable.

We also followed up with our “Grouposal” couple, Dana and Greg, whose personalized Groupon on our site made for a great story:

After five years of dating I knew a proposal was imminent, but with Groupon’s help he was able to pull off a proposal that both surprised me and created amazing memories.

Greg told me to look online. After pulling up the correct screen, I began to read about “marital bliss” but still didn’t really know what was going on until he told me to turn around. There he was on one knee with a beautiful ring and a smile on his face. We tied the knot in September and have been happily married since then. Thanks for making our “Grouposal” so special!!

We’re flattered to be included in such special occasions. Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

Thea

on

Feb 13th

2012

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Handpicked by Cupid

Valentine’s Day gives people an opportunity to express feelings of fondness via floral arrangements, sky-written sonnets, or heart-shaped confectionery stationary. Whether you’re satiating your sweetheart’s sweet tooth or whisking them away for a romantic night on the town, we’re exited to feature some deals sure to warm the heart of any valentine. Here are some of our favorites:

Sometimes the heartfelt macaroni valentine can’t stand the test of time–especially if you’re hungry for glitter-dusted pasta. Giving the gift of experience will create memories for years to come. You can check out more last-minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas by visiting Groupon.com/Occasions.

 

cat

on

Feb 7th

2012

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Behind the Deals: Working from Home

Groupon employees of a certain tenure or fragrance are sometimes encouraged to get a fresh perspective by working from the only location where they spend even more time than the office—their own homes?! Workplace psychology experts agree that sometimes the most innovative ideas can come from menial tasks around the house. For instance, a possibly apocryphal tale suggests that the idea of the automated dishwasher suddenly entered the mind of an inventor who was tired of washing dishes and, also, desired money.

Working from home also allows employees to recharge their mental health and take a brief reprieve from workplace stresses such as noisy cubicle mates, a strict diet of vending-machine onion chips, and skull-rattling hourly fire drills. Though most employees write out all of their work by hand and send it into Groupon’s offices in twine-bound packages via a trusted courier or ably trained Clydesdale, some Groupon employees have begun experimenting with remote “Productivity Terminals”—essentially a hybrid of your typewriter and your television that sends completed work via radio signals and telephone wires and eliminates all distraction.

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