As Layoffs Stack up Every Week, an … Interesting Resume Hack Has Gone Viral

As layoffs continue stacking up, a TikToker has an interesting resume hack for desperate job seekers. Many workers, especially in the tech and media industries, have become concerned by the number of mass layoffs that began in 2022 and have continued to gain momentum in 2023. The major reason for these layoffs is the state of the economy. As inflation and interest rates rise and economic activity declines, many are preparing for a recession.

Hence, many industries have responded to the economic situation by laying off large portions of their workforce as a cost-cutting measure. Some industries, like the tech field, have a lot more workers to lay off than others, as some companies over-hired during the pandemic and must now downsize for a very different economic outlook. Most recently, Zoom announced it was laying off a staggering 15% of its workforce, laying off 1,300 employees in one hit. That mass layoff struck just a day after Dell announced they were laying off another estimated 6,650 workers. Unfortunately, these layoffs show no sign of slowing down.

Needless to say, many Americans are navigating, or preparing to navigate, the reality of unemployment. What’s scary is that thousands are being laid off as America heads into a deeper recession, with many industries freezing hiring. With job searching set to become exceedingly difficult, one TikToker suggested a hack to elevate one’s resume.

TikToker shares Circuit City resume hack

TikToker Alex Pearlman (@pearlmania) went viral recently when he revealed a resume hack that worked for him and his friends during the last recession. He explained that Circuit City was an electronics retail store, very similar to Best Buy, that went out of business in 2009. This was right in the middle of the Great Recession, which lasted from 2007 – 2008. As a result, Pearlman and his friends were struggling with layoffs, unemployment, and gaps in their resumes. That’s when they decided that they worked for Circuit City.

Essentially, because Circuit City went out of business, there was no one for potential employers to contact to verify that someone worked there. So even though they had never worked there, Pearlman and his friends filled up gaps in their resumes by claiming they had worked at Circuit City in high positions. Pearlman claimed that it actually worked, as his friend group was able to get above entry-level positions and started making more money.

The video gets really interesting when Pearlman brings up Twitter. A few days ago, Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, viciously mocked a former Twitter employee named Haraldur Thorleifsson, who suffers from muscular dystrophy. Thorleifsson tweeted Musk questioning if he had been fired because, despite receiving no word from HR, he and 200 other Twitter employees had access to their computers shut off. Musk went on to appallingly mock and attack the man. The exchange seemed to suggest to Pearlman that Twitter doesn’t have an HR department. So, maybe it’s time for all of us to work for Twitter.

What Pearlman’s resume hack means

Now, it’s not clear if Twitter actually does lack an HR department. What is clear is that things are a massive mess over there. People are being unceremoniously laid off and can’t even verify if they work there or not, because the company doesn’t even actually know who works there or not. Pearlman makes a pretty good argument that employers would not be able to verify if a job applicant actually worked there. His TikTok quickly went viral as users jokingly commented about being a Twitter engineer, head of Twitter’s employee health department, floor manager at Twitter, and former CEO of Circuit City.

While the hack seemed to work for his friends, it is questionable how effective it actually is. After all, lying on a resume could be grounds for termination, and there are ways that job verification could be gained through contacting former employees of the business. The TikTok was more eye-opening in relaying that people who lived through the Great Recession are preparing for another one. They believe that these might be desperate enough times to take some desperate measures.

Many individuals are, understandably, already beginning to feel desperate. If anyone does decide to try out Pearlman’s TikTok hack, it really is the fault of the system. When companies are laying off employees by the thousands, freezing hiring, and refusing to hire anyone for good-paying jobs unless they have five years of experience working at an upper-level position—what options do unemployed individuals really have?

(Featured image: @pearlmania)