It isn't easy getting a new job these days.

This is especially true if you don't happen to be an AI chatbot.

AI chatbots are getting new jobs, right and left and if one of the jobs they happen to pick up is yours, replacing that position won't be easy. Even if you are able to hang on to your present gig, it would be nice to know that you could move to a better job at some point in the future — like tomorrow.

People who have realized these truths about the employment environment have been busy sending out resumes. You need a lot of faith if you undertake this onerous process since you rarely hear anything back. Except, of course, if you're a chatbot. Then, it's "Come on over, Claude, let's party." Signed, love and kisses, Marvin Muse, Gary Gemini, Connie Co-Pilot and Peter Perplexity.

If you're currently in the death spiral that is applying for jobs today, Shane Hummus has an idea that could help you break through. Mr. Hummus has been emailing me lately to suggest that job hunters should create their own YouTube channels. It would be "an online portfolio anyone can verify. An employer can SEE how you think and what you know before they ever talk to you."

The advantages of being a star on YouTube are obvious. Potential employers can see what a good-looking person you are, especially if you do your filming only on good hair days. Once your friendly face pops up, you can make your pitch. Instead of just bullet-pointing a bunch of career accomplishments in a dry-as-dust resume, you can present your achievements utilizing the full force of your dynamic, magnetic personality.

(Don't have a dynamic, magnetic personality? Not to worry. The YouTube "7-second rule" says you have about 7 seconds to hook a viewer's attention before they decide to click away from your video and watch some influencer in Skims make rice pudding in their dorm room. If you can whip up 7 seconds of high-drama, it should carry you through the remaining 3 hours of The You Show.)

Not only will your own YouTube Channel give you a place to discuss your career achievements, but you can also highlight your major life accomplishments. Your Noteworthy Neatness Award in second grade is sure to bring a smile to even the most cold-hearted recruiter.

Fortunately, creating your own YouTube Channel is not difficult. All you have to do is log on to Google and sign up. You will need to upload a photo — if you are having a bad hair day, you can use mine — and come up with a catchy name. I suggest you name your channel, "Love Island." This is a very popular title and by the time viewers realize it's not the other "Love Island," they'll be 7-seconds in and hooked like a flounder.

Setting up your own YouTube channel will cost money. You can start out using the camera on your phone, but you will need to shell out for the giant headphones that YouTubers and podcasters use. Why, in this age of technology, influencers need to present themselves stuffed between bun-sized earphones, like Big Macs on steroids, is beyond me, but it's what you'll need to do if you want to be respected.

While waiting for the job offers to start rolling in, here's a thing you can do — make a fortune with one of the YouTube revenue-sharing programs that pays creators for their videos. All you need is 500 subscribers to qualify for the Early Access Tier of the YouTube Partner Program. If 500 of your best friends won't sign up, simply find one person in your life who will agree to watch 3,000 hours of your show.

If there's no one willing to spend four months watching you, do it yourself. You've got plenty of time while you're waiting for Gregor Grok and Charlie ChatGPT to sweep in and take your job.

You can also sell stuff! Put your face on T-shirts, hats and beer coozies that will quickly become must-haves for fashionistas across the globe. Or, better yet, let some giant corporation license you to be their brand ambassador. It could be Chanel or it could be Salvation Army; either way, beaucoup bucks will be coming your way.

So, slip into your Skims and press record. Do it right and that YouTube channel you started to get a new job could become the No. 1 reason you no longer need a job at all.

Bob Goldman was an advertising executive at a Fortune 500 company. He offers a virtual shoulder to cry on at info@creators.com. To find out more about Bob Goldman and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Roberto Rendon at Unsplash