It might just be ‘the best job in the world’
January 14, 2009 by Fred HosierPosted in: Fun stuff on the Web, In this week's e-newsletter, Isn't it ironic, Latest News & Views, That's how they do it in ______
How many times has it been claimed that a company is offering “the best job in the world”? This time, an Australian state may have a legitimate claim.
Queensland’s state government has announced a contest that will award one lucky person $150,000 Australian (about $105,000 U.S.) to live as caretaker on a beautiful tropical island for six months.
The caretaker’s duties: Stroll the beach, snorkel the reef, maybe clean the pool and report to a global audience the wonders of taking a vacation in Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef region.
Qualifications: must be an excellent communicator — and be good at relaxing.
The chosen applicant will stay rent-free in a multi-million dollar three-bedroom beach home complete with pool and golf cart.
The campaign is part of a drive to protect the state’s $18 billion tourism industry during the current tough economic times.
The application is online at www.Islandreefjob.com.
Tags: Australia, best job in the world, contest
January 16th, 2009 at 11:07 am
How do I apply?
January 16th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Sounds like ‘Paradise’ until you remember that one of the things Australia is know for is that is has the most poisonous spiders, snakes and marine life in the entire world….!!! I’d have to weigh the pros and cons on that decision… it may be thanks, but no thanks…
January 16th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
We would try that here in Iowa, but the temperature dipped to 29 below zero the other night. Not many takers.
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:45 am
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.