Many people are taking to TikTok to share their luck with their job hunt. But an aspiring worker recently took to the platform to share that they’ve had a hard time finding good work.
In the roughly 30-second video, user Barb @dankburb claimed that they’ve applied to 300 jobs to no avail. As of Monday morning, their video had over 272,700 views.
@dankburb If I hear one more person whine about the “labor shortage” I’m gonna lose it. And if anybody tries to say some shit about FL, all I have to reply to that with is that they did it to them mf selves. #laborshortage #fckcapatkism #fckfascists #saynotocapitalism ♬ original sound – Burb
Out of those 300 applications, “only five employers have gotten back to me,” Barb said. To add insult to injury, three out of the five jobs were “scammers.” And the other two gigs weren’t much better. According to Barb, one of the jobs was “a pyramid scheme,” and the other was for a place that is “no longer in business.”
As a result, the content creator decided to apply to McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and local gas stations. They were apparently rejected, however, because they were “too qualified.”
“If I hear one more person whine about the ‘labor shortage’ I’m gonna lose it,” Barb’s video caption read. They also included a string of hashtags, including #laborshortage and #saynotocapitalism.
According to Zippa, one of the reasons that people are having difficulties securing jobs is because “employers want candidates with prior work experience.” It also noted that a lack of a professional network and/or being over or under-qualified can turn off potential employers. “Employers are looking for candidates that have people skills and candidates that have signs of responsibility such as leadership roles,” it concluded.
In the comments, a number of users shared that they, too, have had similar difficulties finding work.
“I been unemployed since [August] of last year and been trying to find a job since,” one viewer shared.
“It’s wild. ‘Everyone’s hiring,’ but they won’t hire anyone,” a second wrote.
“I have three degrees and work for $12 an hour. I hate it here!!” another stated.
Update 12:20pm CT, May 22: Barb told the Daily Dot they’ve been in and out of the job market since March of 2023. The content creator said they have been applying for positions in data administration, project coordinator, and clerical fields but didn’t have any luck. “I started submitting apps to places like McDonald’s and Taco Bell out of desperation, thinking that such ‘entry level’ positions wouldn’t turn me away,” Barb said.
Barb said they felt “forced” to leave their prior job due to the work environment.
“I’m just tired of being told that I’m lazy or not trying hard enough or doing something wrong. 300 applications is an understatement, as I’ve been placing at least 10-15 applications a day for the last 3 months. I follow up on each application by phone and email once a week, 4 times, and haven’t received any responses (aside from the scammers),” Barb said.
