Sleeping On the Job

man sleeping at his desk

The Finnish have made it possible—you can get paid to sleep.  And I don’t mean for a one-time psychological study.  There’s a (temporary) position out there, if a much sought after one.  Hotel Finn in Helsinki is hiring a ‘professional sleeper’ for 35 days to test out all of their rooms and write about their experience staying in them.

Essentially, Hotel Finn is looking for a live-in blogger for the duration of a little over a month.  After a recent renovation, hotel manager Tio Tikka came up with the idea and thought it was genius for promotional purposes.  The position is advertised on the hotel’s website and Facebook page; it requires a “dynamic person to write a quality blog” about their daily experiences in this basic hotel.

The job advertisement has gone viral.  On Hotel Finn’s Facebook timeline, they have linked several newspapers from around the world who have gotten wind of the unusual employment vacancy.  Who wouldn’t want it?  The requirements are sleeping and writing.  Oh—and English and Finnish fluency, with Russian proficiency being a plus.

What may deter you from wasting time on an application yourself is the fact that as of March 27, over 600 people have already applied—and they’re going to accept applications until the end of April.

Before you assume this job is a walk in the park, consider the fact that there is no hotel bar or restaurant.  I’m wondering how one would “share his thoughts, adventures & experiences of living in the best summery spot of Helsinki,” by only writing about the actually sleeping experience itself?  What stories would you have to tell, if not about run-ins with foreigners or fascinating locals in the hotel bar?

Not only that, but much of a tourist’s stay in a hotel and new city revolves around eating.  What is the ‘live-in blogger’ writing about their stay at Hotel Finn if they’re perpetually leaving the hotel to satisfy hunger pains?  Probably nothing positive in that respect.  Most successful hotels and even hostels have at least a breakfast area.  This hotel needs to modernize itself quick.

I’m skeptical about this hotel manager believing a live-in blogger will bring business to this establishment.  The concept of ‘live-in’ means you can physically live somewhere for a period of time without seeking your basic needs elsewhere.  This won’t stop the applications from flooding in however, as they have been for Hotel Finn.

Who knows—perhaps this marketing concept will work for the Helsinki hotel and others will follow suit.  I’m sure they wouldn’t have trouble acquiring applicants!

Dr. Sam Sadati is the owner and practitioner of The Sadati Center of Aesthetic Dentistry in West Palm Beach and a leader in the world of cosmetic dentistry and smile design. He is the only accredited cosmetic dentist in all of South Florida and is one of only forty dentists in the world to receive an Accredited Fellow honor from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).  Apart from creating beautiful smiles, Dr. Sadati enjoys photography, travel, and the opportunity to tell a good joke.  If you have a question or comment, dental-related or otherwise, connect with us on Facebook orTwitter. We always reply to our fans and followers!