When it comes to jobs in this day and age, there are some pretty amazing opportunities, no matter what you may be into. Not only is working remotely (aka at home in your pajamas) becoming commonplace, but dream titles like paid world traveler, being a chocolate taster at Cadbury and mermaid are actual professions!
But Netflix might have just announced the best job ever, because the person hired will literally be getting paid to watch Netflix—something you’d like to do all day anyway, right?!
Do You Have What It Takes To Be An Editorial Analyst?
The actual job title is that of Editorial Analyst, Originals, also known as a Netflix Tagger. Simply put, that’s the person who tags each show, movie or special with metadata, which make it easier for users to find new things to watch based on things they’ve already watched on Netflix.
So, if you’ve watched “Stranger Things,” it might suggest “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” or “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” If you’ve watched “Breaking Bad,” it might steer you toward “Orange Is The New Black” or “House of Cards.”
Netflix Looking For People Who Can Juggle ‘Hundreds Of Categories’
This Netflix job was profiled by Fast Company, where Sherrie Gulmahamad, a senior member of the Netflix tagging team, said not only are they responsible for tags like “zombies” or “evil kids,” but they also have to dig a bit deeper for some categories, like “unrequited love” or “sci-fi thrillers about technology gone wrong.”
Netflix spokesperson Betsy Sund told Time magazine the same thing, saying they have a “couple hundred different categories” when it comes to tags.
Who Knew Binge Watching TV Was So Much Work?
Breaking shows and movies down into categories that specific can mean some pretty intense work, like watching “a 60-hour Colombian crime drama about Pablo Escobar’s hitman,” Gulmahamad said. She said she even has to take breaks away from the “screen time,” as it takes a toll on her body and eyes.
“Our job is very much like being a librarian and making sure things are classified accurately, but you also have the broad knowledge base of how TV shows or movies are related, and if they look good together in a row on our site,” she told Fast Company. “Netflix looks for someone who has both skill sets, plus a passion for innovation.”
That innovation would likely come in handy when brainstorming about Netflix’s user experience and creating new tags.
‘It Blows My Mind That This Is Actually My Job’
Gulmahamad said she knows she’s lucky to literally get paid to watch Netflix.
“Even when I am watching really long pieces of content, it always blows my mind that this is actually my job,” she told Fast Company.
Interested in being a Netflix Tagger? The company is hiring for the position right now on its website! The ideal candidate will live in the Los Angeles area and not only love TV and movies, but have five or more years experience with them, an education in the film and/or television industry and know a second language.
Now, excuse me while I start another episode of “Queer Eye” … on my own dime.
About the Author
Kaitlin is a freelance multimedia journalist with a degree in journalism and psychology. Along with Don't Waste Your Money, she also writes for Simplemost, where she covers new product and food launches and overall general news. You can email her at kaitlingateswrites@gmail.com or find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/KaitlinGatesWrites. More.
