This security agency is offering lessons in finding the right talent. Its approach might be ingenious, or just utterly confusing - either way you need to see this.
We’ve all seen some well-done social media recruiting campaigns by now, but have you ever seen something quite this brilliant?
These tweets were posted early this month to the NSA's official Twitter feed and intially cause significant confusion, but it turns out they're all part of a serious recruiting drive.
Confused? So were many people, until somebody (literally) deciphered the NSA’s strange communication. That’s right, they’re not butt tweets, but coded messages targeted at specific candidates. While no one’s quite worked out this week’s code, the first message reads as follows:
“Want to know what it takes to work at NSA? Check back each Monday in May as we explore careers essential to protecting our nation.”
The campaign harks back to an equally cryptic billboard Google put up in 2004. It simply read: "{first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com." Mathematics forums flared with activity as scientists tried to figure out the answer, which turned out to be 7427466391.com. Upon visiting the site, they discovered an equally difficult puzzle – but after that was cracked, visitors were invited to submit their resume to Google.
These tweets were posted early this month to the NSA's official Twitter feed and intially cause significant confusion, but it turns out they're all part of a serious recruiting drive.
tpfccdlfdtte pcaccplircdt dklpcfrp?qeiq lhpqlipqeodf gpwafopwprti izxndkiqpkii krirrifcapnc dxkdciqcafmd vkfpcadf. #MissionMonday #NSA #news
— NSA (@NSACareers) May 5, 2014
Rimfinnpeqcnvqauuagcrdokvdisndrdcrpigaisacpsdffaicvhakcfdqfpqdetrkilfaecnpqacakqisacpfampoacfimannicfakdumfalddnraprf #MissionMonday #NSA
— NSA (@NSACareers) May 12, 2014
Confused? So were many people, until somebody (literally) deciphered the NSA’s strange communication. That’s right, they’re not butt tweets, but coded messages targeted at specific candidates. While no one’s quite worked out this week’s code, the first message reads as follows:
“Want to know what it takes to work at NSA? Check back each Monday in May as we explore careers essential to protecting our nation.”
The campaign harks back to an equally cryptic billboard Google put up in 2004. It simply read: "{first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com." Mathematics forums flared with activity as scientists tried to figure out the answer, which turned out to be 7427466391.com. Upon visiting the site, they discovered an equally difficult puzzle – but after that was cracked, visitors were invited to submit their resume to Google.