Chicago Ad Company Takes Job Fair To New Heights
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Havas Worldwide Chicago chief creative officer Jason Peterson is on his seventh go around on the Career Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier.
"Hi, how are you? Where you from? Is this the weirdest interview you've ever done?" he asks two women candidates who hopped into the red gondola for their go around.
"Are you afraid of heights? I am afraid of heights! Just focus, it'll be fine," Peterson reassures the candidates.
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The pair are two of about 100 who registered for Havas Chicago's first ever Career Ferris Wheel job fair.
"The Ferris Wheel was invented here in Chicago, it's an icon in the city. It's being replaced by a new, more modern Ferris Wheel so picking things that actually show that we don't just talk about being different, we put actions behind it," said Celia Jones, group brand director, Havas Worldwide Chicago.
Each candidate had two go-arounds in the gondola, a total of 15 minutes, to make their pitch.
"Doing it in a way gets people relaxed, have some fun in our beautiful city, great views but also you only have seven and a half minutes around, so you have to get it out pretty quickly and try and learn if that person wants to work at our company and if we want them on our team as well," said CEO Paul Marobella.
"This in nothing like I've ever done before," said candidate Naomi Cao, who is applying for a strategic planning position. "It is more relaxing. I liked it. It's more flexible like you're talking to a friend, I like it."
"I think it's a fun, really unique experience for them. They are legitimate candidates so I think having access to these executives, which is really unprecedented, I think fir a first point of contact, has been awesome," said Jones.
Havas Worldwide Chicago is looking for candidates for everything from interns, to content creators to managing and creative directors.
