Job hunting has never been easy. And despite what your parents have always said (“put on a tie, ask to see the manager, walk right up and shake his hand, tell him you can start today…”), I have a feeling that, with all the technological and economic changes our world is going through, applying for jobs is now harder than ever. I don’t think our parents’ generation could ever have fathomed an algorithm just throwing out their application before a human even laid eyes on it, just sayin’.
So I have been feeling especially sorry for my good friend Arthur, who’s been beating the bricks for weeks trying to get hired—anywhere. Like, this guy got turned down as a rideshare driver (really, it was his 1998 Camry that didn’t make the cut).
And don’t even remind me about the remote work scam that he almost fell for—up until the point they needed him to send over a blank check—you know, to set up his direct deposit. (I’m going to say my boomer parents definitely would have fallen for that.) But he was genuinely excited for the opportunity, and so, so crestfallen (not to mention embarrassed) when it turned out to be a phony scheme.
The crazy thing is, he’s got tons of experience doing all sorts of things, and his friends have always known him as the kind of guy who can rise to a challenge and make things happen. So, he’s understandably dismayed that he can’t seem to get a foothold in the job market after his small business went under (I guess the world already has enough artisanal sourdough bread—who could have guessed?). It really is tough out there, folks!
As his best friend, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to help him see his value as a person and not get too discouraged. It’s what best friends do! I just wish I could create a job for him, get him hired at my work, anything, just to ease his troubles and remind him that a) he’s a great person and b) he is worth a damn. And while I love my friend, I’m not a therapist—sometimes I just can’t think of the right thing to say at the right time to lift his spirits.
So I was super stoked when I stumbled upon just the thing to, at least temporarily, make him forget his troubles and feel appreciated. It’s a tool called Radio Optimism, from LG. (Their motto? Life’s Good.) It’s like a musical greeting card that you can personalize down to every detail—you fill out a prompt, and it (surprisingly quickly!) generates an AI song, in whatever genre, vibe, and lyrical theme you choose.
Arthur and I have always loved “ironically” singing along to country radio in the car together, going all the way back to when we were kids. I immediately knew that a custom country song from Radio Optimism was just the thing to put a smile on his face, and maybe even (slightly unironically) boost his self-esteem just enough to keep up the job search. And, for real though, what better genre to boost a downtrodden working man’s spirits than some good ole country music?
I filled out the prompt, including my name and Arthur’s name, and provided details about his job hunt struggles to make the song super-specific and personalized. Then it was time to select a genre—country, duh—and a vibe. I went with “upbeat” to make the song as encouraging and uplifting as possible. Click.
In about three minutes, I had a whole song, replete with banjos, fiddles, and the works, plus a guy with a twangy voice encouraging Arthur, by name, to “keep riding high, the world is yours to find / there’s gold in your heart and steel in your mind.” Wait, I thought, why are those lyrics actually so good…? The fiddle solo went insanely hard as well… Not gonna lie, I was kind of shook, guys.
Once I heard the song (I actually listened twice…), I was really excited to share it with my friend. I knew he would love it even more than I did, not only because it randomly goes super hard but also because it’s all about him! And made for him—if not by his best friend, per se, at least created from his best friend’s prompt.
I sent it over and waited for his response. That’s when I got a notification for a mention on one of my social apps. I opened the app to a video—there was Arthur, in selfie mode while driving (for the record, I strongly advise against doing this), in the ‘98 Camry, blasting his song with a huge smile on his face. That’s when I knew I had a hit.
Arthur loves the song I made for him. It’s like his own personal theme song for when he’s rolling down the street with his stack of resumes in the passenger seat. I believe it might just have been the tipping point, giving him the confidence he so desperately needed in his job search—the confidence to walk right up to that manager, shake his hand, and say that he can start today.
So if you know someone who could use a confidence boost, in the form of their own personal theme song, give Radio Optimism a try. It’s free, and it’s a surprisingly personal way to use technology to show someone that you care. It’s like a greeting card for the 21st century. Only, it’s way, way cooler.
Visit RadioOptimism.LG.com to try it yourself.
The post How a Country Song (and a ’98 Camry) Saved My Friend’s Job Hunt appeared first on VICE.
