The Zhu Zhu Pets event at the ballpark was a success! The kids loved these interactive Hamsters. They love them so much, in fact, that they're sold out in most stores!

Check out some of the pictures from the event. Even Abe couldn't resist!

I'm partnering with a PR firm in Arizona to put together some promotional events here in the DC area. To fill the need for a few helping hands to set up the events, hand out product and put on a happy face, I turned to Craigslist hoping to attract a few friendly folks looking to make some extra cash.

The ad was simple.

"Help needed to staff promotional events at the ballpark. Job will include arriving prior to the game (Sunday games) to help set-up and hand out giveaways as fans walk in. Pay is $50 for 4-5 hours of work beginning at 11am. Please be friendly, personable, and comfortable around children.

Send an email describing yourself and your experience with other similar events."

As I reviewed the responses that came in, I was at first amused, then confused, and finally very concerned. Out of over 100 responses, there were only six that didn't make me cringe. Sure, I expected to get some goofballs and spam, but this was ridiculous. For those of you responding to similar job postings, here are a few tips. (All of the examples used here are from actual, serious, non-spam responses sent to me)

Use a professional email address.
Sure, your friends think your stinkylovedoodoo email address is funny, but your prospective employer won't be so amused. Email accounts are free. Go ahead and register firstname.lastname@gmail.com. It's easy. The same goes for you 4REALZ and I.P.Weiner.

Keep your tone casual but professional.
Unless you're Joey Tribiani, beginning your response with "How you doing?" will not charm anyone. (Yes, this was real. No, it wasn't a typo) The same goes with being too formal. Postings like this are looking for fun and outgoing people. Cut and pasting a cover letter geared for your IT job search just makes my eyes glaze over. Keep it short, simple, and relevant.

Provide the details that the employer asked for.
If the ad asks for you to tell a little about yourself or your experience, do it. Simply responding with your name and phone number (as 18 responders did), will not only get you ignored, but make the reviewer wonder if they posted their ad in the casual encounters section by mistake.

Don't provide details irrelevant to the job.
I don't care about your physical stats, your gym habits, and your favorite hangout spots. By responding this way, you're telling me that you'll spend the event hitting on the hot moms rather than interacting with the kids we're having the event for.

Please, please, please spell check.
Please.


Be honest if you're not going to show up.
After all was said and done, I found three seemingly qualified people to work the event. I only needed two, so why did I hire three? Because there's always a chance that one won't show up. And that's exactly what happened. If after talking to the employer about the event you realize it's not for you, tell them. They won't be offended, I promise. By taking the job and not showing up, you're taking cash out of the pocket of someone who wanted to be there. You're also ensuring that you'll never get considered for a gig again. Those of us who do events, do them often. And the people who do good work for us are the ones we call first when the next event comes around.

Weighing in on the Plaxico Burress case for the Washington Post.

His Age May Cost Him More Than His Stupidity