How’s this sound to you: a six-month, $AUD150K contract to live on Hamilton Island and vlog your experience?
I know how it sounds to me: absolutely miserable. That’s because I don’t like beaches, sunshine, or scuba diving or, you know, paradise. Ask anyone here — I’m a generally miserable person.
All kidding aside, though, this is a really great campaign by Tourism Queensland. Pushed out through Twitter and a very pretty banner campaign, The Best Job In The World has already been picked up by mainstream media all over the world.The job requirements are pretty simple: as Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, you get to experience all the GBR has to offer, collect the mail on occasion (via seaplane, of course) and report back to Australia and the world via blog and video.
At the site you can view the latest applicants for the job, get the low-down on the area if you’re unfamiliar and lose yourself in restless abandon whilst pondering exactly what the hell you’re still doing sitting in a cubicle…until you realise what you should be uploading your application for this position.
(For our overseas readers, it’s open to you guys, too — just need to meet the T&C listed on the website.)
Edited to add: my friends in NYC are having a ball with this on Tumblr. Let’s remind them that it’s 72 degrees and sunny here today.
January 13, 2009 at 11:05 pm |
…just watch out for cyclones, sharks and those damn pesky tourists!
January 14, 2009 at 8:58 am |
unfortunately since this was published on some big sites you can’t apply anymore as the site has been down for some time now – lucky I got my application in already
January 15, 2009 at 1:46 pm |
and the snapping turtles, you have to watch for snapping turtles…
March 3, 2009 at 6:26 pm |
For Immediate Release: The Best Job In The World Aussie Job Hunt a SCAM?
PRLog- Miami, Florida March 4, 2009- The Australian tourism board has announced the 50 shortlist candidates for what they deemed ”The Best Job In The World” today even under the scrutiny of most of its candidates.
After the announcement their website was flooded and once again could not handle the internet traffic. It was like déjà vu from last week when in the last two days of the contest over 7000 plus candidates could not upload their videos, which is part of the criteria for the job, and thus were rejected.
These candidates were told they had until midnight on Feb 22 to enter there videos but for close to two days before that deadline, the Aussie website had many problems and just couldn’t handle the traffic. Many people were met with rejection or an email that stated to reduce your video from the allotted 90 MB to 15 MB. Most could not do this at the last minute so they lost out.
One solution was to extend the deadline, after all it was not the possible candidates fault that the Aussie tourism board was ill prepared for this event,
but in the end all the candidates were told was “ It’s a pity” and “no extensions will be granted” by Tourism Minister Desley Boyle. Many candidates are outraged after spending both money and time to create their videos only to be rejected.
Some feel that the whole contest was a sham and at the expense of close to 35,000 candidates. Some also feel that the candidate for the job was picked months ago and all this was to increase the Islands exposure and that the tourism board used the candidates to elevate their publicity.
Well it worked. Over a million people have visited the website and the tourism board took a $1.7 million viral marketing campaign and turned it into than $70 million worth of publicity for the Sunshine State. But at what cost?
One candidate was JK Citizen, an American who portrayed US President Barack Obama in a very clever unique presentation, I spoke with Citizen today who said:
“I have had well over 100,000 people visit my application Video on YouTube in three days. All these people were trying to find me on the Australian website but couldn’t because the system they set up for the candidates to be viewed was complicated and just stupid.
Nothing but first names and not even a listing in alphabetical order to assist those looking for certain candidates. Whom ever is in charge really blew it and if I was a tax paying citizen of Australia I would be upset that such a shabby turn of events occurred. This will hurt them more than it will help them so I guess they are truly “Pound Wise and Penny Foolish “.
We are investigating into these allegations and will bring you more on this “contest” and some interviews with potential candidates about there experiences
All in all it seems that a legitimate contest would have been prepared for this divulge of candidates so it leaves us with the question, Is it really going to bring in tourism?
It is in this reporters opinion that after all is said and done more suppressing facts will be revealed as to exactly this contest was run and I am sure that Tourism Minister Desley Boyle will have a lot of explaining to do. There are also rumors of a class action lawsuit against the Aussie Tourism Board brought on by the candidates will over 10,000 signatures so far to date.
So in the words of the Aussie Tourism Board “It’s a pity” as will be the case when
the board realizes that not “All” publicity is good publicity especially at the cost of others.
October 29, 2009 at 2:15 pm |
Ooh shoot i just wrote a big comment and as soon as i hit reply it came up blank! Please please tell me it worked properly? I dont want to write it again if i do not have to! Either the blog glitced out or i am an idiot, the second option doesnt surprise me lol.
December 24, 2009 at 3:56 am |
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