I Pretended to Be Employed — And Got My Dream Job Because of It

At Bright Side, we receive countless confessions from readers each week. But this story is a little different. This time, we’re not the ones offering advice. Instead, a brave reader reached out to share an incredibly personal chapter of her life, not to ask for help, but to give it. She hopes her story might resonate with anyone going through a rough time, and maybe even inspire a few people to keep going when everything feels like it’s falling apart. We were moved... And we think you will be too.

Hi, Bright Side!

This is probably the most personal thing I’ve ever shared publicly. But I’m writing this because I know someone out there might be going through the same thing. And if this story gives even one person a flicker of hope, then it’s worth it.

Let me take you back to October of last year. I was halfway through writing up a performance review for one of my team members when I got a Slack message from my manager, Kayla: “Quick Zoom?”

I clicked the link. Three minutes. That’s how long the call lasted. Kayla looked tense, her eyes flitting away from the screen as she read what was obviously a pre-written script: “Due to restructuring, the company has made the difficult decision, blah, blah, blah...”

I felt my stomach drop. I wasn’t even allowed to respond. No room for questions. Just a link to HR and a vague offer to write me a letter of recommendation. Then she was gone.

Just like that, four years of dedication, late nights, missed birthdays, overachieving and overextending myself... Erased.

I sat there, frozen in my apartment in Minneapolis, staring at my reflection in the black Zoom screen. No tears. Just a sick silence.

Here’s the part I’m not proud of: I didn’t tell a soul. Not Seth, my boyfriend of three years. Not my parents in Ohio. Not even my best friend, Rowan, who usually knew when I had a headache before I did.

I was embarrassed. Humiliated. I kept thinking, If I had been indispensable, they wouldn’t have let me go. I must’ve done something wrong.

So instead of coming clean, I pretended nothing had changed. Every morning, I got up at 8 a.m., made coffee, got dressed, even put on mascara, and sat at my laptop like I was still employed. I created fake “projects” to work on, updated spreadsheets no one would ever see, made logos for imaginary brands, and wrote strategy decks for fictional clients. It was pathetic... And yet weirdly comforting.

I even started posting on LinkedIn. “Excited to be leading a new strategy push into Q4!” I wrote one day. “Proud of my team for pulling off a last-minute campaign win,” I posted another. Fake. Every single word.

I didn’t do it to fool anyone maliciously. I did it because I needed to believe I was still worth something. I needed to believe I still had value, even if I was the only one clapping.

And then, about a month later, it happened.

I got a message from Jonah, a recruiter for a boutique digital agency in Chicago I had admired since college. He wrote: “Delaney, your recent posts caught my eye. Your boss must be thrilled to have someone so forward-thinking on their team. Would you be open to chatting about a role that might suit you?”

I nearly dropped my phone. I sat on my couch in total silence for ten full minutes, my hands shaking.

My first instinct was to be honest. Tell him I was unemployed, that I’d fabricated everything. But then I thought... Wait. What if those projects I made... what if they counted? I’d created them. I’d put in the work. No one had paid me, sure, but that didn’t mean they weren’t real.

So I said yes. We scheduled a call. I tried not to hyperventilate.

The interview process was intense. Four rounds. Multiple case studies. A portfolio presentation. I repackaged all my “fake” work into a sleek PDF. I practiced talking about it like it was client work. I pushed down the fear that at any moment, they’d see through me.

They didn’t.

Two weeks later, I got the email: “We’d love to offer you the role of Senior Strategist”.

I burst into tears. Real, messy, hiccuping sobs. I hadn’t cried when I was laid off. But now, reading those words, the release hit me all at once. I had done it. Somehow.

Eventually, I told Seth. I told my parents. I even told Rowan. Their reactions weren’t what I expected. No one judged me. No one scolded me. Seth said, “You did what you had to do to survive.” My dad hugged me and said, “I wish you’d let us help.” Rowan just laughed and said, “Only you could lose your job and somehow manifest your dream career.”

I even told my new manager, about six months in. Her name is Priya, and she’s the kind of leader I never thought actually existed. When I confessed, she didn’t fire me. She said, “That’s the most crazy origin story I’ve heard in years.”

So why am I sharing this now?

Because I know I’m not the only one who’s felt like a failure. Who’s faked a smile while quietly falling apart. Who’s scrolled past “exciting life updates” on social media and felt like they were being left behind.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

Sometimes, faking it isn’t about deception. It’s about survival. It’s about holding the shape of your dream long enough for the world to finally see it too.

If you’re going through it right now, hang in there. Make something. Even if it’s silly. Even if no one’s paying you for it. You’re not worthless. You’re just between chapters.

Thanks for reading.
—Delaney

Delaney’s story reminds us that resilience doesn’t always look perfect. Sometimes it’s messy, full of fear, and held together by sheer stubborn hope, but it’s still resilience. Now we want to hear from you. Have you ever felt like you had to pretend everything was okay just to survive? What would you have done in Delaney’s place? Do you think it’s ever acceptable to stretch the truth a little in order to reach your goals? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Your perspective could help someone else who’s going through a similar situation.

If you’d like to read more stories about people in difficult situations, don’t miss this article about an employee who refused to do a favor for a pregnant colleague, a decision that ended up costing her more than she ever imagined, even her peace at work. We’ll keep bringing you real stories from real people, the messy, human, unexpected ones that remind us all we’re not alone.