Jacob Ericsson is broke and about to be homeless.
But he’s looking for work and will accept any offers as long as he’s not “too good” for the job.
Ericsson made a plea for any and everyone to e-mail him leads for jobs around Los Angeles, adding he probably wouldn’t follow up on positions with a long commute or where he’d be embarrassed to be seen by ex-girlfriends.
“That means nothing like Lyft, Uber, valet, fast food, bussing tables, or receptionist work, although I’m not ruling those out if they pay ridiculous amounts of money.”
“I’ll take absolutely anything” says Ericsson, “except jobs that compromise my idea of my self worth or self dignity. I’d rather live on the street and eat from a dumpster than work a job that treats me like an entry level employee.”
Ericsson isn’t alone in his search. Thousands of unemployed comedians, actors and writers in Hollywood are looking for that “perfect job”, which is what makes finding it so hard. “We just want work that doesn’t require special skill sets but pays us extra for those special skill sets we don’t have. Is that so much to ask?” said one person who wished to remain anonymous because she recently queried hundreds of high paying jobs with a resume that was completely fake.
The conundrum is a tough one indeed. Is it wrong to reward the hard workers who are willing to start anywhere for “selling out”? After all, when did we forget holding on to one’s dignity while neglecting family responsibilities in the pursuit of a dream was what this country was founded upon?
Ericsson feels confident that the job market will turn around before things get too rough for him. In the meantime, he says he’ll be offering discounted hand jobs in the Bristol Farms parking lot off Fairfax. “But only Monday through Friday for an hour around 4AM,” he says. “I can’t risk being seen by someone I know. My agent shops there.”