CRIKEY!!!! I’ve made it to the FINAL ROUND of Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’ competition!!!
It has been a CRAZY 3 weeks since the Shortlist was announced- non-stop campaigns, long nights editing videos, raising HEAPS of money for the Australian Koala Foundation… what an experience!
The next round of the competition will be held IN Australia, so I’ll be headed back DownUnder in the next few weeks… Obviously, I am EXTREMELY excited, and can’t WAIT to get back to my ‘Home away from home.’
A MASSIVE ‘THANK YOU’ to EVERYONE that has backed my campaign in one way or another- NONE of this would’ve been possible without your help and support. You ALL are LEGENDS!!!
Ok, I’ve got to get moving- Yoda’s already got his bags packed, and keeps asking when we’re leaving for the airport…
Thanks again, EVERYONE! I cannot WAIT to see what happens next…
Ok people, it’s time to rally the support and send The Backpack Professor DOWN-UNDER!!!
Here’s the scoop:
A Call to Action- we need ALL HANDS ON DECK!
Nick Tilley, The Backpack Professor, has been selected out of 600,000 applicants as one of 25 finalists for the ‘Wildlife Caretaker’ position in Tourism Australia’s ‘Best Jobs in the World’ competition. For the next phase of the competition, he has planned a HUGE event this Thursday here in Chesterfield, along with a MASSIVE on-line campaign to raise support for both his cause, as well as for the Australian Koala Foundation. Here is a link to the Facebook page:
Here’s all the information you need for the event, and more importantly, how to cast your vote for Nick Tilley as the best man for The Best Job in the World:
EVENT: ‘Send the Thunder Down-Under’
Thurs, May 2, 2013
International Tap House- Chesterfield (161 Long Rd.)
5-9pm
There will be drink specials, games, raffle prizes, good music, great beer, and one lucky winner could win a round-trip ticket to Australia. Food will include the Australian staple of “shrimp on the barbie”, with donations benefiting the AKF, as well as other delicious food supplied by PM BBQ. There is no fee to attend the event.
For those of you who can, come out to iTap on Thursday. It is going to be a lot of fun.
More importantly, here is how YOU can cast your vote for Nick: make a donation to the Australian Koala Foundation, and type ‘NICK TILLEY’ in the ‘Further Instructions’ field at the bottom of the form. $1, $5, $10- it doesn’t matter- just VOTE. Here’s the link:
ALL donations ARE tax deductible, and need to be made by 8pm Sunday, May 5th.
Also, please do us a huge favor- SHARE this- on Facebook, on ‘The Twitter’, through your email networks- send this on to friends, family, coworkers, etc., and ask them to do the same, and then forward it on to their friends. Let’s take this thing VIRAL- it will make an enormous difference in Nick’s campaign to be selected for this amazing opportunity.
Finally, Nick is looking for high-profile support for his campaign, both in the ‘Wildlife’ realm, as well as in main-stream media and entertainment. If you have ANY connections that could possibly help get Nick support from anyone that fits this criteria, please, please, PLEASE get them in touch with Nick- Twitter: @n_tilley; Facebook: ‘Nick Tilley’ and/or ‘Nick Tilley for Wildlife Caretaker’.
So, by now, hopefully you’ve seen the shenanigans that were my submissions for the Best Jobs in the World- if not, check them out here.
Well, apparently the panel loved Yoda, because they put me on the shortlist for the Wildlife Caretaker position!
Yes, you read that right- out of over 600,000 applications submitted, mine was one of only 150 selected for the shortlists- 25 applicants for each of the 6 jobs available.
Wait a second… Let’s read that again- together.
I AM ON THE SHORTLIST FOR ONE OF THE BEST JOBS IN THE W-O-R-L-D!!!!!
I still can’t believe it…
Excited, elated, exhausted- I hardly slept at all last night… I don’t even know how to describe how I feel. Just honored and really happy to have the opportunity to pursue this- it’s gonna be awesome…
There are 24 other applicants that have been named to the shortlist for Wildlife Caretaker- you can view all of the videos here.
We’re still getting the details on the next steps of the selection process- I’ll definitely be passing those along as I learn more.
In the meantime, I’ll be scheming with Yoda and assembling the rest of the Wildlife Braintrust to discuss how to tackle the next stages- getting on the shortlist is a HUGE step, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before I’m back DownUnder…
I guess I had better start brushing up on my SEAL…
Sooo, Tourism Australia is running another round of their famous ‘Best Job in the World’ competition… The previous competition was held in 2009, with the winning applicant assigned to a post on Hamilton Island off the coast of Queensland, Australia, charged with blogging and posting about his experiences and adventures while living on the Great Barrier Reef for a year. Rough gig, right…? SIGN. ME. UP.
I was living in Sydney at the time, and made a hap-hazard video of me running around the city, doing various ‘Aussie’ things in a Speedo. Needless to say, it wasn’t exactly what the selection committee was looking for, and I was not chosen for the job. Alas, that allowed me to continue my trip through Australia, travel to Africa, and pursue the development of BackpackU. Which brings us to 2013…
This time around, there are 6 different positions involved in the competition, each with unique responsibilities and requirements. The positions are:
1) Wildlife Caretaker- South Australia (Wake up the kangaroos, swim with the sea lions, etc.)
2) Taste Master- Western Australia (Eat you way around WA, find the best local produce, explore the best bars and restaurants)
3) Chief Funster- Sydney, Australia (Be a Sydney VIP, attend festivals and events, tweet, post, and # everything)
4) Park Ranger- Queensland, Australia (Patrol the beaches, check the water temps, etc.)
5) Outback Adventurer- Northern Territories (Seek out adventure in the Outback, hang out with the locals, etc.)
6) Lifestyle Photographer- Melbourne, Australia (Interact with local artists, design city and country photo shoots, etc.)
Again- SIGN. ME. UP. NOW!!! If you know me at all, you’ll have already realized that I would be a PERFECT fit for ANY of these positions. It’s a shame they went and split it up into 6- I would do it ALL!
The application for the competition required those interested to create a video, 30 seconds or less, detailing why they were the best fit for the job. That’s it. That’s all I had to go on.
After hours of brainstorming, scripting, poring through THOUSANDS of photos, shooting, re-shooting, re-shooting AGAIN, editing, and producing- all with a half-marathon thrown right in the middle of everything- this is what I came up with… Enjoy!
Here’s my application for the ‘Wildlife Caretaker’ position:
Yoda. He’s so full of wisdom…
Here’s my video for the Taste Master position:
That smoothie could’ve used a LOT more Australia…
Here’s the application for the Chief Funster gig:
I think my mom missed her calling when it comes to acting… She is BRILLIANT.
Here’s the video for the Park Ranger position:
I miss patrolling the beaches… They’re few and FAR between here in the Midwest…
And finally, here’s my application for the Outback Adventurer spot:
Gotta LOVE the ‘locals’… HA!
Anyway, that’s what we ended up with. We had a lot of fun making the videos, regardless of what happens with the competition. I’m working on putting together a blooper reel- my Dad said I should’ve just sent THAT in as my application. It is HILARIOUS. Coming soon…
