Desperate times call for desperate measures.

A LinkedIn user recently went viral after matching a person “#Hopeless” banner with his profile picture on the social networking site.

Courtney MyersThe UK-based graphic designer and illustrator told PEOPLE that he was laid off in November 2023 and has been unable to find permanent employment since, despite various search efforts.

“There weren’t a lot of opportunities, and I applied to everything I could find,” he says. “I was fed up with the long application and interview processes, as well as only getting a response back from 10% of the jobs I applied for, and I was really confused about what to do.”

Never miss a story — sign up PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter To stay up to date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling juicy stories.

“A lot of people, especially in the creative industries, seemed to be going through the same thing,” explains Myers while doing research on LinkedIn. Super talented people were going months or years without finding work, and finding work seemed like an impossible task.

Weighing his options, Myers decided to “do something unthinkable in today’s market – be honest,” which led him to create the “#Desperate” banner to accompany his profile picture.

“LinkedIn is a platform designed for job seekers, but you’re not supposed to say you need a job? How backwards is that?” he says. “Many people like that They are in a desperate situation right now due to reasons completely beyond their control. “I decided to take control of my own story by becoming one of these people.”

PEOPLE Puzzler puzzle is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

The decision to create the headline “#Hopeless” “cut through the empty noise on LinkedIn and resonated with a lot of people,” says Myers.

While Myers acknowledges that the backlash was “an uncomfortable reflection of where we are right now,” she says “it was also incredibly heartwarming that I could make others feel less alone and less ashamed of sharing their own stories.”

“I would say 95% of the feedback comes from people in similar positions or people who empathize and have felt frustrated at some point with the current hiring situation,” he adds. “… Of course, there was also the 5% who were negative, but in almost all cases they either hadn’t actually read my piece or failed to grasp its cynical and blasé nature.”

Since her profile photo went viral, Myers told PEOPLE her inbox “exploded overnight.”

“It was really hard to go through everything to find the opportunities, but I did the best I could,” he explains. “I’ve had a lot of offers for freelance work — a couple of great projects that I’ve taken on, which has been great — but that’s not really what I was looking for. … I need a full-time, permanent role.”

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 have to make you less employable or less likable; it helps you find your tribe,” she adds. “So why would anyone want to be somewhere where they don’t enjoy being themselves?”