It all started on March 7, 2011 when actor Charlie Sheen- known for his Goddess harem and drug shenanigans, as well as his role on Two and a Half Men- sent out a tweet:
“I’m looking to hire a #winning INTERN with #TigerBlood. Apply here – http://bit.ly/hykQQF #TigerBloodIntern #internship #ad”
Amy Mariani, who graduated from the University of South Florida last December, joked with her roommate about applying for the social median internship and then her roommate convinced her.
What’s the worst that could happen?
She submitted her name, email and why she’d be a good social media intern (in 75 characters or less) and thentweeted this on March 9:
“I applied 2 http://bit.ly/dJsTRF 2 be the #TigerBloodInternbcuz I grew up with REAL TIGERS #tigerblood #winning“
Later in the game, she had to make a video outlining a social media campaign. Now, Mariani is in the top 250 finalists after beating out 74,000 other people.
But what if Sheen is just looking for another trophy girlfriend? Though the question has been posed to her numerous times, Her Campus USF just had to ask:
What exactly WILL you do if he makes a move?
“I don’t think Sheen is looking for a new goddess, at least not through this internship competition,” Mariani said. “I like Charlie Sheen, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not my type. I’d nicely and professionally turn him down. But I took a self-defense course and I’ll use it if he gets fresh!”
All joking and jabs at Sheen aside, Mariani can walk the talk. She started her journalism career at USF’s award-winning newspaper, The Oracle, and went on to intern for the Orlando Sentinel, work for the St. Petersburg Times and intern for Channel 10 News. She’s currently working as a videographer for USF Health and USF News.
“As a journalism student, I learned how to write tight and to the point,” Mariani said. “This is perfect for social media where you have to grab the readers attention quickly! I maintain my own website, blog, twitter and facebook pages. I also engage my audience through social media at my jobs with USF News and USF Health. But beyond all my tech skills, I’m a social and friendly person! That (hopefully!) comes across in my online presence.”
Mariani assumes that working with Charlie Sheen will be a “whirlwind of excitement and opportunity.” She knows how social media works now but like any other form of media, it’s constantly evolving and Sheen’s use is helping to change the landscape. As Mariana pointed out, the entire internship competition, with its more than 74,000 applicants, started on twitter.
“This experience will allow me to be apart of this ever growing and every changing thing,” Mariani said. “I can be a part of history. I want to be one of the hands that shapes the new mold for social media. This internship will give me that chance. It will further my career in a few ways. The association with Charlie Sheen will help me to be recognizable and get my foot in the door.”
“My ultimate, pie-in-the-sky career goal is to be a videojournalist. I want to share information, I want to help people and help inform the masses. It’s easier to reach more people with video and I want to use it as my medium to disseminate important information.”
Mariani not only currently informs the masses at USF but she’s pimping this internship opportunity like it’s her last. She built a blog to showcase her interviews with the MJ Morning Show and AM Tampa Bay, as well as write-up’s about her internship status on Fox 13, The Juice and tbt*.
“Take every opportunity you can!” Mariani said. “Being told ‘no’ for something is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Just keep yourself and your mind open to different opportunities because you’ll never know where they’ll take you!”