Michaela Kron/Duolingo
- A fake "owl trainer" job post for Duolingo's famous mascot lists some hilarious responsibilities.
- The ideal candidate will give Duo birdbaths with Evian water, organize "luxury swimwear fittings," and more.
- While the language-learning app posted the job in jest, the company is hiring for other roles.
Being the internet-famous Duolingo owl is hard work. That's why Duo apparently needs an assistant.
Language-learning software company Duolingo is advertising a job opening for an "owl trainer" to work with its iconic mascot. The candidate should be prepared to deal with the "sassy, unhinged, and downright extravagant lifestyle" of Duo the owl, the job post says.
The listing says the gig comes with some, shall we say, interesting responsibilities. They include giving Duo weekly bird baths in Evian water, sanitizing the walls of the bird's office to "remove any stains or blemishes," and "coordinating luxury swimwear fittings, Nobu meals, and transcendental meditation sessions."
Candidates should have experience "handling situations like wardrobe malfunctions and unsavory allegations" and "a passion for education, Dua Lipa, and the Duolingo mission," the post says.
But prospective candidates shouldn't get their hopes up — Duolingo isn't really hiring for such a job.
"If the challenge of training our lovable green owl appeals to you, and you'd like to be contacted about other jobs at Duolingo that are actually real, fill out our general interest form below. We need your help…please help us," the job post reads at the end.
A Duolingo spokesperson told Insider the company has seen a "slightly higher-than-average number of applicants" for the role compared to its other open positions.
"We don't always have an open position that is directly relevant to all of the amazing talent who want to join Duolingo," the spokesperson said. "The Owl Trainer job listing is our way for someone to submit their resume in case a fitting role opens up in the future, while also allowing us to bring people together who understand the fun, unhinged side of our brand."
Though the gig isn't real, there are parts of the listing that sound pretty common to a lot of job posts.
There's "ability to work under high pressure and extremely unrealistic deadlines" for one. (At least they're honest about that second part.) Duolingo also wants "30+ years of experience in an identical position" for the owl trainer. Who among us hasn't seen an entry-level job asking for several years of prior experience? The post also mentions "strong negotiation skills, but not too strong though." Many job-seekers know how tricky it can be to present yourself as qualified enough for a job, but not overqualified so they won't pass you over.
Duolingo's owl mascot has become uniquely popular online by participating in TikTok trends and tapping into Gen Z humor. The social-media team behind the chaotic green bird has amassed more than 7 million followers on TikTok by posting videos of self-deprecating jokes, hitting commenters with sassy clapbacks, and even twerking on tables and thirsting over Dua Lipa.
In its hiring process, the company looks for caring and quirkiness in all applicants, Duolingo's global head of talent acquisition, Jocelyn Lai, told Insider in 2021.
CEO Luis von Ahn's best hiring advice is "when in doubt, don't hire," he told Insider in 2017.
"Every now and then we don't follow that because we think we really need this position filled," he said. "We've been looking for this particular position for months. With this person, we know they have some bad things about them, but we need this position filled. Every time we have succumbed to that it has been a mistake."