Ridiculous-sounding jobs with an international angle are nothing new — they’re an easy way for marketers to drum up interest in a destination or service. Not every tourism board can invite The Bachelor to show up season after season — hello, Finland! — but many have enough in their coffers to splash out for a “salary” to one gifted social media/tech wizard. It’s a win-win: it’s a high-profile job search — that’s all-but guaranteed to garner an exponential number of applicants (and media attention for the brand) after the Internet sinks its collective teeth into the concept.
Witness: this week’s apply-and-get-a-free-vacation Wellington, NZ, tech job search. Also witness: this rather more glamorous post for vacation rental agency Thirdhome, which allows members to swap between properties like proper digital nomads. It’s like a cashless Airbnb for people with really nice second homes — and an interest in checking out other destinations (ergo the name: Thirdhome.)
Here’s the deal: Put in an application, focusing on your skills “social media, writing, blogging, vlogging and tell[ing] a great story and promot[ing] our brand through eloquent words, pictures, videos” — because this is, in the end, a three-month contract for a social media gig. Make a video, further testifying to those skills. Get the job. Pick up $10,000 a month (“contract,” which means you can send about half of that to the IRS more or less immediately.) Win at life.
By the way: According to their brief, the most desirable candidate quality is “the ability to understand and appreciate luxury.” Do with that particular bit of direction as you will. Applications due end of the month.
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