LOOK who got the “greatest job in advertising”

Remember this ad posted by Rich Silverstein, co-founder of advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners?

Well, meet Grace Diebel. This is the woman who successfully nabbed the job to become Silverstein’s personal assistant, beating out 4,500 other applicants worldwide.

The job ad required applicants to complete a crazy online recruitment quiz, which included a requirement to Tweet Silverstein an elevator pitch.

The ad, posted on Craigslist, read:

“Have you ever looked greatness in the eyes – and cried because it was so damn beautiful it hurt your feelings? If not, you should really get to know Rich Silverstein.”

Here’s an excerpt from an interview with Diebel on the company’s website:

How did you first hear about the Rich Silverstein job?On Facebook. A friend of mine had posted it. Of course, I knew of Goodby Silverstein & Partners and its reputation, so I thought that was cool.

But it was really the games that got me [laughs]. I love games. So I started to play them, and I didn’t really think about it…actually, that’s not true. I did think about it. I realized this would be amazing, and I really wanted it!

What was your favorite test on work4rich.com?

The pencils. Putting them in order by color. I’m a visual person, so I liked that one. I also liked prioritizing the people for Rich—I put the cat first. And then, of course, the message from Michael Johnson in the mailroom. Whew!

Did you listen to it a bunch of times and try to transcribe it?

No. I’d read the Craigslist ad, and it was pretty clear that Rich wants you to be brief, not transcribe every word that was said. So I asked myself, “What information would Rich want?” and I figured, probably none of it [laughs]. He really just wants me to go get his package from Michael.

The Craigslist ad didn’t put you off?

Well, I could tell they were having fun with it. I thought, “Yeah, this guy is probably a little intimidating,” but I wasn’t afraid.

And I was a fan of the posters and branding-identity work that he’d done for the Golden Gate National Parks, so I thought that somebody who loved the outdoors and Marin couldn’t be all that bad.

The application required you to Tweet your elevator pitch.

I really thought about my Tweet. For a few days, actually. If you look me up on Twitter, you’ll see that I have a grand total of two Tweets—including the Tweet for Rich.

Did you sign up for a Twitter account just to apply?

No, I had an account. But I rarely use it.

What did it say?

God, this is embarrassing. “In the lion’s den, I thrive. 3am deadline you’ll want me at your side. Craftsman of solutions. 110% dedicated and pizza in hand.”

So how does it feel to have the “best job in advertising”?

Unbelievable. This whole thing has been bizarre and amazing, with the craziest odds ever.

But the most important thing is that this isn’t a reality-show contest; this is a job. And I was picked because they think I can do the job. So I’m going to do the job really well.

(Check out the full interview here.)