Advertisement for internship as a social media influencer inundated with applications

The successful applicant will be flown around New Zealand and Australia to the most instagrammable locations. Photo / 123RF

An advertisement for an internship has been inundated with over 150 applications from eager Kiwis.

The applicants, in this case, aren't made up of your standard flock of aspiring doctors, lawyers or investment bankers, but rather an entirely new breed of ambitious young people.

Each of the applicants is hoping to be given a three-month paid internship at smartphone maker OPPO, with a view toward becoming a social media influencer.

The successful applicant will be flown around New Zealand and Australia to the most instagrammable locations for the sole purpose of capturing and sharing content on both their own and OPPO's social media profiles.

But if all-expenses-paid travel wasn't enough of a sweetener, the chosen intern will receive OPPO's new flagship smartphone, the R17 Pro, and be mentored by the company's other staffers and ambassadors including Nicole Millar, Milly Bannister, Libby Kay and KOTravellers.

Kevin Cho, managing director at OPPO New Zealand, said he could see the company employing and training full-time influencers in the near future.

"As a Smartphone maker we know too well that there's a growing army of people buying our devices for the sole purpose of capturing and sharing content. Many of these content creators aspire to growing their channels and ultimately creating a viable income stream and career path," Cho said.

"We can see that in the not so distant future we will employ and train full time influencers, in much the same way you would any employee."

The skill requirements are predictably vague, but being able to snap an enviable Insta feed would be a big plus.

According to new research from OPPO New Zealand, 9 out of 10 Kiwis aged between 18 and 24 named becoming an Instagram influencer as their dream job.

And almost half (47 per cent) of those surveyed said they had made a purchase or travel decision based on an influencer's social media endorsement.

The role of an influencer isn't all that new, and is likely to get even bigger, with companies turning to those with large social media presences to promote their products.

Applications for OPPO's Influencer Internship are now open until the 15th of December For more details or to apply visit www.oppocareers.co.nz.