A woman who says she has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree said she was rejected from a cashier job at Walmart. She shared the story in a video posted under the TikTok handle @emir.eneer, where she goes by the name emireneer.
As this is a TikTok video, it is the poster’s own account of events and should not be treated as verified fact, but she said, “I just got rejected from Walmart as a cashier. What the f–k is so wrong with the job market that I have a bachelor’s degree? Not only do I have a bachelor’s degree, I spent 4 years on a bachelor’s.” She said she went back to school afterward to earn a master’s degree.
She said her parents had encouraged her to pursue more schooling, recalling being told to “go get your master’s, go get further education, that’ll really get you a spot in the job market solidified.” She added, sarcastically, “There’s no way it won’t because America tells you, oh yes, college will get you that job, don’t you worry, miss.”
Creator says she also faced rejection from a second retailer
According to a separate video posted by emireneer, she said she was also turned down for a position at Target. She said, “I just got denied a job from Target. I have a f–king bachelor’s degree.”
She repeated that she had gone on to pursue a master’s degree at her parents’ urging, saying they told her it “will absolutely solidify you a job.” She said in the video that she was unable to secure a cashier position or any other minimum wage job.
In a follow-up video responding to the Target rejection, emireneer questioned whether she might have been seen as overqualified. She said, “Am I overqualified? Um, I know that I have a bachelor’s and master’s, of course, but so does everyone else.” In another case, a woman was accidentally cc’d on her own rejection email after interviewing for a job.
She said in the video that she believed her work doing user-generated content, or UGC, for brands counted as relevant experience. She said she had worked with companies in fashion, haircare, and study app categories, and said she found this work through the platform Sideshift.
In both videos about her rejections, emireneer said that without income from her UGC work, she would not be able to support herself. In the Walmart video, she said, “If I wasn’t doing s–t with brands on Sideshift, I would be living in a ditch. I’d be dead. I would be dead.” In the Target video, she used similar language, saying she would be unable to pay to live without that income.
She also questioned the broader job market in both videos. In the Walmart video, she asked, “Guys, what are we doing? What are we doing to make money right now? Spill me the secret sauce.” In the Target video, she said, “So, uh, so I have to ask America, what are we doing? How are we supposed to make money? How are we supposed to live?” A similar dispute involves President Trump saying it’s raining jobs, but data shows paychecks are getting smaller.
In a fourth video, emireneer said she had been rejected from every minimum wage job she applied to despite holding a bachelor’s degree. She said the job market in the United States is unstable, which she said has contributed to the growth of the gig economy.
She pointed to Sideshift specifically, saying brands will reach out to creators for freelance work even without prior experience. She said college graduates struggling to find work might consider gig platforms as a way to gain a foot in the door.
She said, “I’m not saying your degree is useless. I’m just saying you might want to use this uptick in freelancing to get yourself a foot in the door until you can find your dream job.” She also encouraged viewers to consider building a career online, saying, “start your career right now in one of the biggest cash cows in the world, the internet.”
The videos drew a large number of comments, with many users sharing similar experiences. One commenter wrote, “That’s because the more education the person has the more they have to pay you!” Another commenter suggested emireneer consider teaching, writing, “Consider becoming a teacher.. You can teach at colleges with a masters.”
Other commenters described being rejected from jobs due to lack of experience or gaps in employment. One user wrote, “i got rejected for a job… cause I was unemployed.” Another commenter responded, “Yep. They will say ‘Why have u been unemployed for a month?’ Because I’m looking for a job!”
A commenter wrote that they were told they were overqualified to work as a veterinary receptionist despite having worked in that role for four years. Emireneer replied to that comment, writing, “genuinely what.”
Other users weighed in on the broader hiring climate. A commenter named Alyssa wrote that even applicants with degrees are often rejected from higher-paying jobs due to a lack of required experience, adding that without connections, entry can be difficult even with a master’s degree. Walmart and Target have not publicly commented.
Published: Jul 10, 2026 07:18 am