Is it any surprise Under Armor’s interview process for summer internships is as grueling as the workouts depicted in its commercials? Labeled the “Ultimate Intern” program, the maker of sports apparel announced the opening of two positions for social media interns. Given the tight market for jobs, as well as the excitement of working for a company that rivals Nike in its marketing aspirations, however, the hiring process for these positions will definitely live up to the job’s label as “ultimate.”
The social media combine
Forget the resume drop. Under Armor’s first round of interviews will consist of a variety of social media challenges meant to separate the top 10 finalists from the rest. Just like the football combine, the social media tasks will measure a variety of different skills that being a social media intern would require. Applicants need to complete Twitter drills, interview an athlete, make a 40-second video about themselves, create a Tumblr page, and produce a video documentary.
The rationale
Asking the potential hires to show, not tell, makes sense for both Under Armor’s company culture as well as the job’s requirements. Sports require that competitors to forget the smack-talk and lay it on the line. And, being a social media intern for a company in an industry with this mentality requires a similar ability to perform. Additionally, being able to successfully manage social media is something that is difficult to enumerate on a resume. The relative novelty of social media marketing means that one’s skills are relatively new as well, so separating the casual from the talented Tweeter is much more difficult. For those of you who feel up to the challenge of Under Armor’s combine-style interview process, the deadline is May 3rd. So lace up your shoes and stretch your thumbs, it looks like competition is about to heat up.
