ChooseATL Campaign Names Atlanta-Native Winner Of Ultimate Job Interview Contest

Grassroots Initiative Helps Austin Mueller Begin to Make His Mark on Atlanta

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Jan 07, 2016, 09:30 ET

Kate Atwood, VP Marketing, Choose ATL, presenting $10,000 check to winner, Austin Mueller

Finalists with Judges: (from left) Mike Guhl, Chris Triplett, Michelle Strader, Austin Mueller, Michaeline Roland, Peter Franconi, Karina Liles, Leo Tucker

ATLANTA, Jan. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ChooseATL's most recent effort came to a close yesterday at the Ultimate Job Interview Contest finale event. Judges from The Home Depot, PGI, Spanx, General Assembly and Cardlytics conducted Shark Tank-style interviews with three finalists and ultimately chose Austin Mueller as the winner of the $10,000 grand prize.

"We couldn't be more proud of all of the finalists," said Kate Atwood, Vice President, ChooseATL. "Throughout this entire contest, we have been blown away by the commitment of the contestants and the quality of all the entries. I know the judges had a very tough decision in choosing just one winner. It's amazing to see the passion and excitement that these talented young minds have for our city. We can't wait to do it again next year."

The contest's finale event was held at General Assembly in Ponce City Market. All three finalists — Karina Liles, Austin Mueller and Chris Triplett — pitched themselves to the judges before an invite-only audience. Mueller was awarded a $10,000 cash prize in addition to a potential job offer from one of the judge's companies. Liles came in second and received $5,000, while Triplett placed third and won $2,500.

Mueller first entered the contest in Oct. 2015 by submitting a 90-second video describing how he will make his mark on Atlanta. He became one of ten semifinalists who moved on after a period of public voting which garnered more than 3,900 total votes. A panel of judges selected the finalists Dec. 9, and all three contestants arrived in Atlanta on Jan. 5 to compete in the finale event. Participants enjoyed a personalized experience tailored to their interests on day one of the two-day event. The winner's experience included meeting with Dragon Army's CEO, Jeff Hilimire and a helicopter ride over the city.

Mueller is an Atlanta native finishing his senior year at The University of Georgia. While in school, he heads his design agency, Bravado Branding, and has spoken at numerous conferences on leadership and entrepreneurship.

The Ultimate Job Interview Contest is the latest initiative from Choose ATL — a community driven campaign created to brand Atlanta as the ideal place to live, work and make your mark – focusing on the vast career opportunities available for young talent.

To learn more about the Ultimate Job Interview Contest, visit http://www.chooseatl.com/ultimatejob.

About ChooseATL:
ChooseATL is an initiative focused on telling a comprehensive story about Atlanta to attract and retain top talent and intentionally grow the region's prosperity in the global economy. ChooseATL highlights the abundant opportunity for career growth across the 29-county region, as well as the unique culture and highly ranked livability. To join the movement, visit www.chooseatl.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE ChooseATL