A 25-year-old American man claimed he “failed upwards” into a six-figure job without ever landing an interview through a job application. In a Reddit post titled “I failed into an incredible job and have no idea what advice to give to my friends,” the man detailed how a series of unexpected career twists landed him a $125,000-a-year automation job.
After months of unsuccessful job hunting after graduating from college, the man said he finally landed a $65,000 validation role, only to be fired after a few months. “I didn’t even bother putting it on my resume,” he admitted. Six months later, he secured an $80,000 automation position and held it for a while, but he was eventually let go.
Again, just two weeks later, a recruiter contacted him with another opportunity that led to his current $125,000 position, despite what he describes as his careless interview style: showing up in Hawaiian shirts and speaking “like I was in a Discord call.”
Remarkably, he said he has never received a single interview from an application, despite sending out “hundreds.” Every job, he claimed, has come from recruiters reaching out to him directly.
“My friends are convinced I’m some really successful and capable dude,” he wrote, “and I’m just sitting here thinking… I genuinely don’t know what to tell them.” He added that his girlfriend is also still stuck in a part-time government position despite sending out more than 1,000 applications.
His story has struck a chord with job seekers online, sparking debate about the role of luck and networking in job hunts.
“Sounds like you have had some great luck with the recruiters but more importantly, you are good at interviewing and can prove your worth. Not everyone is blessed with this skill, in fact, most aren’t,” said one Reddit user.
Another added, “You’ve got something about you, clearly! Confidence and the ability to sell your talents lands you jobs. Have you ever been told you would be good at sales?”