Pursuing the best job in the world

A couple of months ago, a news item caught the world by storm. Headlines trumpeted by almost every major news organization in the world included the phrase “the best job in the world”, and the stories outlined how Queensland in Australia was looking for a “caretaker” to watch over its islands on the Great Barrier Reef. The job would last for a few months, and would pay thousands of dollars to simply live on the islands, blog about it, go snorkelling or diving, lounge on the beach, and basically enjoy living in paradise.

Many of my friends urged me to apply for the job, and I promised I would, even though getting this one job would be very much akin to winning the lotto. After the story broke out, the site where one could apply for the job crashed. It was obviously a very attractive job, and it was open to the whole wide world, so there were bound to be thousands if not millions trying to get it.

I resolved to apply for it, since the process was not very complicated. All you had to do was make a one-minute (or less) video showing why you are the one who deserves to get the job, and submit it online. The deadline was Feb. 22nd, and I was determined to meet it. However, being the procrastinator that I am, I postponed making my video until (guess when) Feb. 22nd. I crammed making my video, which was just actually a slideshow of pictures, and submitted it online. I barely made the deadline, but I still beat it. I gave myself a pat on the back.

After I filled up the online form, I was sent an email saying that they would review my application and that they would email me again to tell me whether it was to be accepted.

A few days after my submission, I got the email, and horror of horrors, I was told that my application was rejected, because “it was JUST over a minute”. I felt terrible. I got rejected because of a technicality. I thought I had timed the video to last exactly a minute, and apparently, it was a few milliseconds longer than that. There went my chances to lounge on the beach and go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef (while being paid at that).

Of course this disappointment stems from my procrastination. If I had submitted the video earlier, I would have had time to edit it and resubmit a shorter version. I didn’t really think I’d get the job. As I said, I had as much chances of getting it as much as winning the lotto. However, because I didn’t even get my application in, it was like hoping to win the lottery without buying a ticket. If my application had not been rejected, I could’ve dreamt of winning the job until July, which is when they will announce the winner.

Anyway, I’m putting my application here, since I didn’t even get the chance to have it voted for. (One component of this job application was the “wild card”, where they will consider an applicant whose video gets the most votes.) I didn’t get the panel and youtube addicts to view it, but at least my friends can.