Viral
Harriet Brewis
May 16, 2021
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Details are hugely important in job descriptions – applicants want to know exactly what they’re letting themselves in for.
In some cases they can also throw up some handy red flags, letting people know that the role might not be quite right for them.
That was the case for one Twitter user, who has taken a look back at the nannying position she applied for years ago.
Hollis Jane Andrews, who is now an actress, interviewed for the post advertised by a Scientologist family back in 2013.
Last week she decided to revisit the memory by posting the full description on Twitter, and it soon racked up more than 27,000 likes.
What was so special about it?
Well, for starters it was titled ‘Magical Nanny/Housekeeper Hat’ which gives off major Mary Poppins energy.
It then specified that neither parent wanted to hear “crying, tantrums or headbutting” at home – and it was the new housekeeper’s job to ensure that.
@hollis_jane/Twitter
The ad went on: “If the boys are at all noisy, take them OUT of the house. If they hurt themselves, keep quiet, apply Dianetics and assist tech always.”
In case you didn’t know, Dianetics is a system developed Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, which purports to relieve psychosomatic disorder by cleansing the mind of harmful mental images.
Got it?
The description continued by setting out a precise schedule for the day, starting with a breakfast of eggs and turkey bacon. The nanny was then expected to teach the boys “how to brush [their] teeth.”
She would then spend between 9 and 11am getting them to “throw rocks and RUN”. “Don’t stop them running ever,” the ad stressed.
It carried on to another full side of A4, providing more information on “pool time”, lunches and naps, followed by a list of jobs to transform the successful candidate into a “cleaning nazi”.
It ended: “NO PHONES OF YOUR OWN AT ALL DURING WORK HOURS. YOU NEED TO BE FIT FOR THESE BOYS.”
Andrews described the advert as “bonkers ” and clarified that she knew she didn’t want the job from the “minute [she] saw the word ‘dianetics’”.
In case it wasn’t clear, I did NOT take the job the minute I saw the word “dianetics”— Hollis Jane Andrews (@Hollis Jane Andrews) 1620374454
Fellow Twitter users have shared their delight at the posting, with scores of people sharing their preferred aspects of the role:
"SHUT THE GATE AND HAVE FUN WITH THEM" has such a sinister energy that I cannot handle https://t.co/nD4PtVeOwq— Terence Wiggins (@Terence Wiggins) 1620500504
This is insane??? Like they want you to throw rocks at the kids to keep them running??? https://t.co/SyFZpC4Oot— Elle Woods (@Elle Woods) 1620747480
Steak with ketchup??? Scientology has gone too far. https://t.co/mTgSfuLupK— Jeff Dwyer (@Jeff Dwyer) 1620942110
Even Mary Poppins would be like https://t.co/K9l8UFV6tv https://t.co/emN8nCElEh— David Landon (@David Landon) 1620678316
This is from 2013. I wonder who accepted and is doing this job? https://t.co/Cl79vHOqZc— J (@J) 1620560546
All we can say is, we wonder how those boys, their parents, and the nanny they eventually hired are getting on now…
Top 100
The Conversation (0)
x