My Failed Bid for the Best Job in the World

It's being dubbed the best job in the world and it has captured the world's attention.

How would you like to snorkel, scuba dive, explore an Australian paradise and get paid six figures for six months of doing it? See the opportunity? See the opportunity pass you by? There it goes!

In January, Tourism Queensland launched an explosive campaign which hit all those who possess an adventurous spirit and who heard the pitch like a tonne of happy bricks. TQ wanted to find a perfect candidate; someone who would devote 6 months of their lives to becoming a glorified tourist and discovering all that there is to discover in Queensland. A grueling six months, no doubt.

Evidently, the whole thing is a brilliant marketing scheme and not some charitable attempt to fulfill the nomadic dreams of those who cared enough to apply- a fact which has left several applicants feeling cold and discarded now that the 35 000 has been narrowed to 50 (and the top 10 will be announced tomorrow). But honestly, even after considering that TQ did not create this position out of the goodness of their collective hearts, how can we be overly surprised or outraged? I have my doubts that the person who scores this job is going to be taking endless cold showers in an effort to shake the "dirty" feeling that comes along with being used for the sole purpose of drumming up interest in Queensland. Hey, Queensland! Please, feel free to take advantage of me anytime! Call me!

The sheer number of applicants involved in this campaign was astonishing and incredibly daunting to all of us who were busy trying to create application videos that would stand out amongst the masses. For many of us, the whole thing was eerily reminiscent of trying to find a single ant on a football field, or trying to spot a pebble from outer space. We got lost in the crowds.

Yet, several others really upped the ante and managed to get noticed despite the fact that the odds of actually attaining the position (or winning the contest/lottery, depending on how you look at it) were quickly stacking up against them.

Seven Canadians pulled off that grand achievement. Yes, more Canadians made the coveted top 50 from our nation than from any other nation in the world. I'd like to accredit that to the great Canadian spirit of adventure coupled with high-caliber Canadian charisma, but since I did not make it to the top 50, I can't spend too much time talking about that. :)

I will, however, say that the Canadians who did make it to the top 50 have some of the most fantastic, creative and engaging applications that I have watched to date. As a failed applicant it is hard to be bitter for too long when you see what you would have been up against had you made it. Perhaps my low-budget/zero-budget iMovie application is better off fading into obscurity than it would be if pitted against HD and professional videographers anyway. Sometimes you just have to let go and embrace the loss.

On the very bright side, I have a feeling that being a loser is actually less lonely than being a winner. There are loads of other losers at the bottom with me. In fact, there is an online community created for the "Best Job in the World" here: http://islandreefjob.ning.com 

The community exists mostly of candidates who have long been cut out of the process, but there are several top 50ers lurking around on the site as well. At the very least, most of those potentials will also join us at the bottom tomorrow!

Another good thing about being a loser is that I can criticize those who have not yet lost. As losers we can say whatever we want about their application videos but they can't really throw much criticism back our way and run the risk of coming across as confrontational - people won't support them. Us losers can stir up some controversy and throw out the virtual punches without being penalized for it. (Not that many of us do, but we could if we wanted to!) Winners, you must tread lightly. See! It's a win-win situation for the losers!

So to all my fellow losers out there, fear not. Once other marketing agencies catch wind of the unprecedented response linked to this job we'll start seeing clones which means more opportunities for us! Until then, keep your stick on the ice and your snorkel in the closet!