Getting a job is a natural rite of passage, a common experience among all people in all walks of life, and as such, it is highly relatable material for film makers to utilize.
Let’s face it, it’s not easy going through the process of getting a job: scouring the ads, writing cover letters, polishing up the resume, sending all the materials, waiting the interminable period to hear something, then putting your best face forward in countless interviews only to have to wait again to hear back. After all that, a person needs a little mood elevator. What better way to boost your spirits than to watch a few getting a job films. Any rough time in life can be made easier by the emotional commiseration offered in film. And for all the different moods that overtake a job seeker, film has a response. Whether you’re experiencing loss of confidence, lack of skill, elation over landing a job, or moving up the corporate ladder; rest assured, there is a film to fit that circumstance.
I’m only going to mention five here because there are just so many getting a job movies, that I couldn’t possibly list them all.
Working Girl
Starring: Harrison Ford, Melanie Griffith, and Sigourney Weaver
This is the film to end all films for female job seekers. In this film, Melanie Griffith plays an underappreciated secretary with the knowledge and skills to outperform her superiors. Watch this film for inspiration, motivation to take risks, and tips for thinking outside the box in a corporate atmosphere.
Hope Floats
Starring: Gena Rowlands, Sandra Bullock, and Harry Connick Jr.
If you have been out of the job market for quite some time, this is a film for you. Sandra Bullock plays Birdee Pruitt, a newly separated housewife with zero job skills or professional contacts, and a young daughter to support. Watch Birdee Pruitt take life’s lemons and turn them into lemonade as she persuades a local business to give her a shot.
The Devil Wears Prada
Starring: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Anne Hathaway
The Devil Wears Prada is a coming of age story about a young girl taking her first job out of college. She’s forced to compromise her career path and her integrity as she learns the ropes of the fashion world.
Any woman who has just started a new job can relate to this film’s theme of the sense of complete confusion and incapability that accompanies the learning of a new job.
Post Grad
Starring: Michael Keaton, Alexis Bledel, and Jane Lynch
If you’re beginning to feel down on your luck and wondering if all your hard work and careful planning will ever bring results, give Post Grad a view. This movie follows Ryden Malby, as she attempts to secure her first post grad job. This film will put things back in perspective for you and remind you that success depends on playing the odds; knock on enough doors and one will open.
Almost Famous
Starring: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, and Kate Hudson
This film never ceases to inspire me. Whenever I need that extra kick start of motivation, I watch Almost Famous. This film chronicles a high school boy who tenaciously pursues his interest in rock journalism, landing a job writing for Rolling Stone magazine.
I highly recommend this film in general but specifically if you’re trying to land a job for which you have no previous experience.
There you have it, those are my top five getting a job movies, I hope you enjoy them.
