Queensland Tourism Authority: I didn't Make the Final Cut.

Last month I applied for what would be a fun and challenging job. The Queensland Tourism Authority of Australia is hiring a media spokesperson for advertising tourism on the Great Barrier Reef. Blogging, videos, stills, twitter. This is a six-month employment contract. Remuneration being $100,000.00 USD.

The reef is not just underwater reefs, the Great Barrier Reef includes over 600 small islands. Expensive to get to and expensive to stay on; but build they did. Mind you, these are absolutely jaw-dropping relaxation spots. Just the same, it often takes either a great deal of time on the water or a great deal of money in the air to get to these islands from Australia. Upon arrival to many of these up-market, micro-paradise locations, one can count on $300+USD for entry-level accommodations.

Even though I am a fellow in my 50's, I thought I had a very good shot for this job. My thinking was, young folks simply can't afford room rates Queensland's government is attempting to attract. People my age and older (more likely to have money) seemed to me to be their target market. And who better to sell moneyed, middle-age folks...than me?

Well, I was wrong. Now, 35,000+ applicants later, I didn't make the short-list of 50 folks under consideration today. Those that did make the short-list appear to be 25 to 30 years-old. Take a look at the one-minute video's of short-listed finalists at http://www.islandreefjob.com/. Some of these applicants really did a good job of expressing themselves. I commend them for their creativity and spirit. The one chosen is likely to have an experience of a lifetime. Not only that, once they successfully complete the contract, they are very likely to be exposed to yet further interesting career opportunities never before fathomed.