When Lohanny Santos, a Gen Z graduate and aspiring influencer, hit the streets of New York with a stack of résumés earlier this month, she was at wit’s end.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m unemployed’,” the 26-year-old recalls the now-viral moment to Fortune. “I’m trying to pursue TikTok, I haven’t made any money—I need to be realistic with myself.”
Santos says she unexpectedly lost the babysitting job she’d held since 2020 in November, and with money for her rent and bills drying up, she was coming to the conclusion that her dreams of becoming an influencer might be over.
So she went knocking door to door in New York City in a last-ditch attempt to find a job, after having no luck on the likes of Indeed and LinkedIn.
But Santos soon reported back to her TikTok fans that even with a dual degree in communications and acting, as well as three languages up her sleeve, she was still getting turned down for work.
“This is the most humbled I’ve ever felt in my life,” Santos cried.
Her candid video struck a generational nerve.
Within hours of posting the video, it racked up millions of views and her follower count tripled practically overnight. Santos went from having 50,000 followers to 160,000 and counting.
“A lot of them share their stories with me and they told me that they’re in the same position that I was in,” she tells Fortune. “That they still can’t find a job.”
What happened after her viral video
Before long, Santos’ inbox was bursting with opportunities. Followers were sending her referral links to join their company and she landed her first brand partnership with a contraception-pill company.
“I got over 2,000 emails for sure,” she said. “It was intense.”
One “insane” offer Santos was thrilled by was from a California company that offered to pay for her moving expenses and dog-sitting if she would “just come see what (his) office looks like.”
But the offer disappeared as quickly as it arrived in her mail.
So is Santos officially off the job market? Yes, but it’s not because she’s landed a full-time gig.
Securing a two-days-a-week social media consulting role and a brand deal with a contraceptive-pill company has further fuelled Santos’ motivation to become a TikTok star—even if the big bucks still aren’t rolling in just yet.
“I feel like it only has just begun for me,” she says.
Aiming to be the next Addison…
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