A New Normal

Havas Chicago is recruiting the next crop of winter interns. While that may be nothing new, the method of recruitment is.

Potential internship candidates are prompted to ditch the traditional resume and cover letter, and pitch themselves via social media. Using the hashtag #winternshipiscoming, students will compete "Game of Thrones" style with Instagram content and Snapchat pictures. The recruitment process is meant to give candidates creative freedom and use the platforms that are already second-nature to them. And it's a win-win, as Havas is more recently designated as a socially savvy agency. It's only right that the new recruits be at the top of the social game.

The first round consisted of applicants submitting content on Instagram with the corresponding hashtag. The assignment was to post unique photos and equally as compelling captions explaining why and how the applicant possesses certain traits paramount to a successful intern. One applicant went so far to prove his loyalty that he got a tattoo. Needless to say, competition is fierce.

The Instagram round narrowed the applicant pool to approximately 75 candidates, where the process now jumps to Snapchat. Applicants will have 24 hours to prove their worth however they deem necessary. Submissions will be judged on November 18, and the winning interns will be announced on the 24th.

Social media is awesome way to recruit interns. Not only is it a more honest and transparent picture of who the candidate is, it's good incentive for these candidates and future applicants to remain cognizant of what they are putting out there on the web. The candidates are also optimizing the content they post and learning what companies like Havas look for in entry-level positions, as well as how the company is growing toward social media. Candidates are putting in the extra effort to present themselves in a competitive light, and that will transfer to other positions they apply for in the future.

Havas presented applicants with a good exercise that is similar to what they'll be asked to do as young professionals in the industry. There is no doubt that within agencies the younger employees are included in almost any conversation about social media strategy. Following the success of Havas' social media recruitment last summer (with the hashtag #Imheretotakeyourjob) and this latest installment, it's likely social media accounts will play an increasingly larger role for both parties involved in the job search.




Digiday article here.

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