Woman Goes Viral for 'Desperate' Banner on LinkedIn Profile (Exclusive)

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

A LinkedIn user went viral after recently linking a “#Desperate” banner to her profile picture on the social networking site.

Courtney Myers, an England-based graphic designer and illustrator, tells PEOPLE that she was laid off from work in November 2023 and has been unable to find permanent employment since then, despite various search efforts.

“There weren’t many opportunities and I applied to everything I could find,” she says. “I was upset by the lengthy application and interview process and was really stumped by the fact that I had only heard back from about 10% of the jobs I had applied for.”

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Searching on LinkedIn, Myers explains, “It seemed like the same thing was happening to a lot of people, especially in the creative industries. Super-talented people had to go months or years without work, and finding a job just seemed like an impossible task.” .”

Myers weighed her options and decided to “do something unthinkable in today's market – be honest,” which led her to create her “#Desperate” banner to match her profile picture.

“LinkedIn is a platform for job seekers, but you can't admit that you need a job? How backwards is that?” she says. “Many people Are I'm desperate right now, for reasons completely beyond her control. As one of these people, I have decided to take control of my own narrative.

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Myers says her decision to create her “#Desperate” banner “cut through the boring noise on LinkedIn and resonated with a lot of people.”

And while she admits the reaction is “a disturbing reflection of where we're at right now,” Myers says it's “also been incredibly heartwarming that I've been able to make others feel less alone.” and to be less ashamed to tell their own stories.”

“I would say 95% of the feedback came from people in similar positions or from people who felt empathetic and had also felt let down by the current hiring situation at some point,” she adds. “…Of course there were 5% of people who were negative, but in almost all cases they either hadn't actually read my post or simply didn't understand how ironic and angry it was. “

Since her profile picture went viral, Myers tells PEOPLE that her inbox “exploded overnight.”

“It was really hard going through everything to find the opportunities, but I did my best,” she explains. “I had a lot of offers for freelance work – a few cool projects that I took on, which was great – but not what I was really looking for. … I need a full-time, permanent position.”

Overall, Myers says her experience “taught me that authenticity and vulnerability are invaluable tools for connecting with people professionally and personally.”

“Being unapologetically yourself doesn't make you less attractive or likable, it allows you to find your tribe,” she adds. “And why would anyone want to be in a place where they don’t feel comfortable being themselves?”