Markets 
It’s rough out there.
Struggling to land a decent-paying job in a post-grad’s field of choice is a tale as old as time, especially in 2026 corporate America.
But failing to secure a restaurant server job, or any minimum wage job for that matter, is a new kind of hell that many youngsters are experiencing, especially one college graduate who took to TikTok to complain.
The 22-year-old grad, who goes by the username @lliivvyyyyyyyyyy on TikTok, complained to over 200,000 viewers, “If anyone out there is getting denied by jobs, just to feel a little bit better, I just got denied by a serving job in a restaurant with a bachelor’s degree and I’ve actually worked in two restaurants for ‘no experience.’”
“I’m trying to move in my career and placement jobs won’t hire me,” the frustrated grad added.
The hundreds of comments on the creator’s video proved that misery loves company.
“Master’s degree here. They. Are. Not. Hiring,” one chimed in,
“‘Oh you’re overqualified.’ god forbid someone wants a job while pursuing a master’s or while they are taking steps to pursue their career,” another quipped.
“Getting my bachelor’s degree was the worst decision I ever made,” a comment read.
Some commenters chimed in, sharing what helped them land a minimum wage gig.
“I got denied at Lowe’s with a masters degree. I took my degrees off and applied again under my middle name and got hired,” one wrote.
“Stop putting your degree on the resume …. trust me,” advised another.
“As someone who’s in tech, the biggest piece of advice I can give you is to tailor your resume to the job you’re applying to. If that means you have to go as far as to leave out your bachelor’s, so you seem less qualified, please do it. These jobs don’t want people who are overqualified because they see that as a threat to them,” one pointed out.
Today’s job market is so bonkers that many desperate seekers are taking extreme measures to help with their search.
One applicant took to r/jobsearchhacks on Reddit and explained the tactic they used that earned them a $12,000 higher salary.
After multiple rounds of interviews, the job seeker finally received an offer that was lower than he had anticipated.
So, they simply remained silent on the phone for 30 seconds after hearing the low-ball number. “It was probably the most uncomfortable half-minute of my professional life.”
“I just sat there staring at my wall and waiting.” Eventually, the recruiter broke the silence and started “babbling about how the budget was tight and how they have great benefits but then she stopped herself when I still didn’t respond.”
The awkward silence move seemed to do the trick.
“Ten minutes later she called me back with an extra $12,000 and a signing bonus. It was like the money just spawned out of thin air the moment I stopped talking,” the original poster wrote. “It is a game of chicken and the person who talks first usually loses.”
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