Oscar Mayer to recruit at MU

The company will choose 14 graduating seniors this year.

By John Henry

Published Feb. 29, 2008

Some MU students wish they were an Oscar Mayer wiener, and they could have their chance.

The Wienermobile has visited MU regularly over the last decade.

Oscar Mayer Mobile Marketing Manager Ed Roland said the company usually selects either one or two students from MU each year.

This year, Oscar Mayer will choose 14 graduating seniors out of more than a thousand applicants to drive a Wienermobile across the United States for a year. Those chosen for the internship will become the company’s newest class of “hotdoggers,” Roland said.

As hotdoggers, participants are expected to entertain crowds at social events and act as media spokespeople for Oscar Mayer, Roland said.

Although there are a few exceptions, the company tends to select students who have a background in communications, marketing or journalism for the internship, Roland said.

“We have been coming here for probably over a decade, and we get great high-caliber candidates here,” Roland said. “It is an awesome school. The journalism program really prepares the students well for this position.”

Once selected for the internship, hotdoggers are required to attend a 14-day training session called “Hot Dog High” in Madison, Wisc. There, hotdoggers participate in team-building activities and are professionally trained in how to deal with the media, handle crises and drive the Wienermobile, Roland said.

He said Oscar Mayer expects its interns to be lively so they can properly promote the Oscar Mayer brand.

“They need to be very outgoing, energetic and a real people person,” Roland said. “Oscar Mayer is a 125-year-old brand.

The Wienermobile is a 72-year-old icon. They are representing us all the time, so trust is also huge.”

MU graduate Daniel Olson is a hotdogger for Oscar Mayer. He said the internship offers a great experience.

Olson is a former Maneater staff member.

“I think that the number one regret we hear from people is ‘I wish I would have done something like this when I got done with college,’ and it is true,” Olson said. “Everyone always talks about how they wish they would have traveled more, and this gives you the opportunity to get paid for it, get some great experience and see places you have never seen before.”

Olson and fellow hotdogger Suzanne Kiewiet said they have seen a number of unusual things while traveling the country.

Olson said one of his favorite parts of his internship is just observing people’s reactions to the Wienermobile.

“I had someone follow me for 150 miles just to get a wiener whistle,” Olson said. “We finally stopped at our hotel, they came up, got their whistle, thanked us and actually turned right around and drove 150 miles back. It is stuff like that that is really pretty crazy.”

Senior Kirby Wells attended Oscar Mayer’s informational meeting at Fisher Auditorium on Tuesday.

She said she was interested in the position because of the experience it can offer.

“It sounds like a life changing experience,” Wells said. “It will be an opportunity to meet tons of people and have so much fun and be creative.”

Kiewiet said graduating seniors should consider applying for the internship.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Kiewiet said. “When else do you get a chance to graduate from college and get paid to travel the country for a year?”