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Unemployed multimedia producer turns job rejection emails into a show
After being laid off in July 2025, Tim Millard says he sent at least 300 job applications while performing a one-man show at the 2026 Atlanta Fringe Festival.
CNBC Markets profiles Tim Millard, a 45-year-old multimedia content producer who said months of “demoralizing, dehumanizing and depressing” job rejections pushed him to create a one-man show based on the rejection emails he received.
Millard described the structure of typical rejection messages, saying they often include a generic thank-you, a “kill line” that the applicant was not chosen after consideration, and a final “blowoff” directing applicants to a careers page or effectively telling them to move on.
He previously worked for six years for an Atlanta-based consumer research and review platform, and he was laid off in July 2025. Millard estimated that since then he has submitted at least 300 job applications while also taking on freelance work to cover living costs.
The article notes broader labor market strain, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data that 27% of unemployed Americans, nearly 2 million people, have been searching for work for over six months, amid a “low-fire, low-hire” job market.