Attention bacon lovers of the world: Fast casual burger chain Farmer Boys is hiring a “bacon intern” to work for one glorious day, taste testing current and upcoming menu items and reveling in all things bacon. You’ll also get paid $1,000 for that single day’s work, and, uh… let’s just say I am extremely interested. Anyone else? Yes? Come. Let us explore this incredibly-sounding opportunity together.
If you’ve never heard of Farmer Boys, there’s a reason for that: It’s an extremely regional fast casual chain that exists only in California and Nevada. The very first location opened up in the town of Perris in 1981; now, almost 40 years later, Farmer Boys operates more than 90 restaurants spread throughout California and Nevada, with the signature Farmer’s Burger remaining a constant favorite. Also, they serve their breakfast menu all day, every day, so if you’re in the mood for all-day breakfast, Farmer Boys has you covered.
And if you really, really love Farmer Boys — or burgers, or, y’know, just bacon — the chain’s “bacon internship” might be for you. For one day, your job will consist of taste testing both existing Farmer Boys menu items, rating each one for things like bacon flavor and thickness, as well as trying out some new items that currently in development. You’ll earn $1,000 for your services, as well.
The goal of the “internship” is to involve Farmer Boys’ customers directly with the restaurant’s menu development and services. Said Farmer Boys Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Larry Rusinko in a press release, “At Farmer Boys, we’re firm believers in customer feedback and listening to our guests, and we felt that hiring our first ever Bacon Intern would add another layer to that philosophy and help make our food as pork-tacular as it can be.”
Applications, however, are being accepted in a slightly unusual fashion: Through Instagram. According to the press release, hopefuls can apply for the job between Aug. 6 and Aug. 20, 2019 “by posting a fun and engaging photo or video on their personal Instagram account explaining why they would be the best Bacon Intern for Farmer Boys.” You’ll also be required to tag @FarmerBoysFoods in the post, as well as use the hashtag #FarmerBoysBaconIntern in the caption for your photo or video. The winner of the whole shebang will be announced on Farmer Boys’ Instagram page on Aug. 27.
(Note, too, that applicants must be at least 18 years old and have their Instagram account set to public in order to qualify. Additionally, the position is based in Southern California, “so applicants must be willing to commute for the internship,” states the press release — that is, your travel won’t be taken care of. The fine print and other rules for the “bacon internship” can be found here.)
Of course, calling it an “internship” is a gimmick — one that’s become increasingly common in recent years. (The fact that the “application process” is being conducted on Instagram is probably the biggest tip-off that that’s the case; that's also why I've been referring to it as an "internship," with quotation marks.) A wide array of companies and brands have conducted similar campaigns, positioning the prizes for what are ultimately more like sweepstakes or contests as “jobs” or “internships.” Typically, these “positions” are extremely short-term — usually not much more than a few days, or even just one day, as in the case of the bacon “internship” — and mostly involve getting a fun experience plus a lump sum of cash. Rosé All Day’s “rosé influencer” is one such “position” (also, here’s your reminder that you can still throw your hat in the ring for that one until Sept. 2); that “chicken nugget connoisseur” position at a UK-based grocery retailer that went viral early in 2018 was another.
Occasionally, though, some pretty fantastical part-time or temporary positions do open up. For example, Mars Wrigley has offered an actual internship annually for the past several years which involves everything from “the ideation, planning, and execution of smile-spreading activities throughout Chicago” to “[tasting] and [developing] a deep appreciation for confectionary products from around the world,” according to 2019’s listing; the internship typically runs for eight to 12 weeks and is fully paid. Cadbury also regularly hires part-time chocolate tasters, offering “in return for your commitment, drive, and enthusiasm… an attractive benefits package within a highly successful international business that offers financial rewards and resources, including bonus scheme, contributory pension, life assurance, generous holiday allowance, and a flexible benefits programme,” per a past listing. And in 2018, Mattress Firm launched a search for a “snoozetern” — a part-time, paid intern whose job duties included testing mattresses.
Ultimately, Farmer Boys’ bacon “internship” may not be a steady gig that will help you pay your bills — but it does sound like a fun opportunity for the bacon enthusiasts among us. And hey, there are also a lot of actual positions currently open at Farmer Boys; you can find out more at the chain’s Careers page on their website.
Check out the full rules for the “internship” here. Good luck, my bacon-loving friends!
