New York Woman Is Struggling To Get Hired For Minimum Wage Jobs Despite Having Two Degrees
People started blaming the majors she had chosen.
fizkes / Shutterstock Although the city that never sleeps is supposed to be full of opportunity, it is apparently difficult when you are a recent graduate to find a job.
Lohanny Santos, an actress and social media influencer, graduated from college with two degrees but admitted she can't even find a minimum-wage job.
Santos is struggling to find work in New York City despite having multiple degrees.
In addition to speaking three languages, Santos' resume boasts degrees in acting and communications. She had high hopes that the big city would offer her countless job opportunities, but things didn't quite happen the way she imagined.
Santos took to TikTok to film a day in her journey of finding a job and expressed to viewers how difficult it has been. With a stack of resumes in hand, she tearfully revealed, "This is the most humbled I've ever felt in my life."
“I just want to be a TikToker if I’m being so real with you,” she said with tears in her eyes. “But I can’t be delusional anymore. I need to make money.”
Although distraught, Santos tried to keep her positive outlook, candidly stating, "God, I hope I'm doing better a year from now."
Commenters started questioning why she was recording her unsuccessful career hunt. In response, she made a video explaining her motives and sharing that even though you work hard to find a career, you don't always get what you want.
“I grew up being told that if I get good grades and get a good education, I will succeed. I did just that, and I am surprised about the reality of life,” she wrote in the caption. Adding, “I thought the American Dream was real.”
Although the job search caused her tremendous anxiety, Santos urged everyone feeling the same way to be proud of their accomplishments despite the more immediate setbacks.
Santos went on to address the criticism of her majors and her decision not to apply for jobs online.
Santos finally thought her hard work had paid off when she was offered a job at a coffee shop after countless rejections. Unfortunately, she soon learned, all that glitters isn't gold. The owners claimed they wanted to see if she could handle the workload before offering her a position and that meant working 18 hours with no pay, something she, understandably, wasn't willing to do.
Viewers then started lambasting her chosen career path stating, "Maybe if you didn't major in communications and acting you wouldn't be in this situation."
“People have reached out to me that have PhD’s saying that they are in the same position,” she said. “I’ve been getting zero responses... That’s when I started going to places in person.”
However, the comments were not convinced that the places hiring were the problem. Viewers kept commenting, saying it was her fault she chose bad degrees, and that’s why she couldn’t get a job. So Santos responded to the hate again after taking a two-day break from social media to decompress.
She admitted to not having a Plan B when she couldn’t find a job within her field, but she still didn't blame her degrees for her not finding a job.
“I’m proud of my education, and I’m glad I got the degrees that I got, even though everybody is talking down on me because of it.”
Santos updated everyone that she had successfully found a job.
After a couple of days, Santos had a legitimate lead and her excitement was palpable. After the interview went well, she was ecstatic.
She could not stop jumping around the sidewalk, smiling brightly, and expressing how well it went. “I have no words, so I’m just going to jump up and down.”
After a couple of weeks of not hearing any updates following the interview, she confirmed she got a part-time position and recorded her first day.
She even shouted to a couple walking past the camera, who congratulated her on having finally gotten a job.
Santos' experience is no longer the exception when it comes to finding a job.
Countless recruiters and career experts have confirmed that the job market is not what it used to be. Combined with the economic climate, staggering student loan debt, and company-wide layoffs, finding a job isn't for the faint of heart.
Santos' experience is a stark reminder that we are all on the precipice of desperation when it comes to supporting ourselves, whether we are currently employed or actively looking. But, as she beautifully demonstrated, a positive attitude and perseverance can be the difference between giving up and finding an opportunity.
Lauren Reams is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news.