NY State Civil Service Auditions Being Held Today

Imagine you’re looking for a job and you see this listing in the Wanted Ads:

Those interested in the position must be 18 years of age or older and possess a high school diploma or equivalent. Interested applicants must send a photo and resume indicating any previous experience in stage, television or radio … .

[A]fter a review of applicants, a select number of applicants [will move on] to a special audition to be held at the … studio … .

What sort of job would you assume is being advertised? Perhaps a radio announcing position? Or maybe someone is looking for actors for TV commercials? Would you be surprised to find out this ad is for a government job? Here’s the rest of the article, from Lottery Post:

Maybe you could be the next lottery queen.

The New York Lottery is looking for some new faces to join Yolanda Vega, Marissa Rodriguez and Sarah Pingel as a highly visible member of the Lottery’s draw team.

Those chosen for the jobs, which are civil service positions, will complement the existing team, not replace it [emphasis added].

In addition to handling the drawings, which take place several times each day and 364 days per year, the Lottery talent travels the state to take part in various events.

“The job requires a great deal of dedication and a real willingness to be flexible with your time,” said Vega. “When you’re not in the studio in Schenectady you might be hosting a special event in Buffalo or Long Island … .”

Lottery officials have started what they’re calling a “virtual search” for new draw team talent … .

Government jobs should require interviews, not auditions and photographs. This “talent search” highlights the inappropriateness of lotteries as a government enterprise. There are already plenty of reasons to oppose state-run lotteries on tax policy grounds: they impose hidden taxes and allow lawmakers to raise taxes without admitting to doing so, they place a disproportionately heavy tax burden on the poor, and they unfairly single out a particular consumer good for a very high tax rate. Now we can add this point to the list: Taxpayers should not have to fund casting calls and auditions for “civil service” jobs.