A woman went viral on TikTok after sharing just how difficult it’s been to obtain a job in Los Angeles.
Ansley (@tiny_tobasco) is an actor and writer based out of California. In a recent video, however, she said that she was having trouble finding another side-gig. As of Saturday evening, her video had over 295,600 views.
“I feel like people think I’m being incredibly facetious when I say it’s hard to get a job in L.A. right now,” she said. To prove her point, she told viewers about a current role she’s in the running for. “I’m currently going to the third round of interviews for a cafe job,” Ansley said.
Ansley said that the job is essentially “a server position” requiring “no education and no background.”
“And I am going into the third round of interviews for it,” she said. “There were over 450 applicants… I just want to let that sink in.”
In recent years, several content creators have taken to TikTok to share how hard it is to find stable work. In October, a job-seeker with 10 years of experience said that she submitted over 500 applications. Another job hunter said in January that he had applied to 1,400 jobs over the past eight months—but had not been hired.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is currently at 3.7%. U.S. employers also added a staggering 353,000 jobs in January, a sign of the labor market’s endurance following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the comments, however, viewers lamented that they’re still having trouble finding work.
@tiny_tobasco Luck (: wish it (:
♬ original sound – Ansley
“I had THREE interviews for a HOSTESS job and had 2 employee referrals. I didn’t get it,” one job-seeker shared. “My 13th reason.”
“The market is bleak rn. I just had my first interview yesterday after 100s of applications,” another added.
“It’s hard to get a job anywhere right now. I’ve been on 17 interviews this month,” a third person wrote.
Other viewers, meanwhile, questioned whether it was a red-flag that the position Ansley applied for required so much work from its applicants.
“i’d be worried about an employer that can’t figure out how to hire this position in 2 rounds at most,” one person warned.
“Any job that has ROUNDS is not the job. That means the turnover is crazy,” another added.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ansley via TikTok comment.
