Are you ready to be the president's social media guru?

I follow Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick on Twitter. One day about 18 months ago, after observing some pretty pedestrian tweets, and in a flippant mood, I tweeted to the governor that I thought his tweets were boring and I would be happy to be his Secretary of Social Media. Within a few moments, I received an email from a representative of the governor that his digital media coordinator wanted to talk to me. I connected with him on the phone a day or two later, and while he joked he wasn't ready to offer me a cabinet-level position, we did talk about social media strategy for a half hour or so.

This week, the president of the United States let it be known he was looking for a Social Networks Manager. [1] Again, it's not cabinet level, but it's probably the best social media job in you'll ever come across, and it's up for grabs.

Do you have what it takes?

I'm guessing it would take a special person to be the president's social media mouthpiece on the web. You would have to be engaging and charming and ready to answer any challenge. I'm trying to picture the interview.

Part 1 would take place in 140 characters. The DM interview would consist of a series of direct message questions. Your job: To respond succinctly in 140 characters and dazzle the president's social media team--talk about pressure.

Next you would be asked to write a haiku to post to Twitter in response to Sarah Palin's recent speech to the Tea Party convention:

Sarah Palin speaks
Mocks the hope-ee change-ee thing
Our mouths are agape

Nice Job. 

Part 3, you have to find five jokes about Dick Cheney and Joe Biden, and post them to the president's Facebook Fan page. Piece of cake. The jokes are found and posted. You're feeling good.

Your final test; it's 3 am, your cell phone rings. Some guy named @SenBrownMA is on Twitter complaining about the cost of healthcare. You need to respond. Your palms are sweating. The president's agenda hangs in the balance. What do you write?

No easy task

The job description says that there's pressure and the hours are horrible, but think about your position in two years. If you can represent the president and do the job well, you can work anywhere for anyone. You will be a social media god. Sure, it's no easy task, but someone's got to do it. Look inside yourself and ask yourself, do you have what it takes to be the POTUS's Social Networks Manager. Well, do ya? - Ron [2]