Jul 7, 2023
After landing a job as a sales associate at Gucci, TikToker Melanie Moradi posted an unboxing video of her uniform with the caption, "Should I just keep the bag and ghost?"
In other words, should she keep the free swag and leave her employer in the dust?
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The luxury fashion brand fired her days later.
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The April 4 video — set to the song “Gucci Gang” by Lil Pump — went viral, and has garnered 11 million views as of July 7. Moradi’s haul from the company included three olive green blouses, a couple of navy blazer sets, shoes and accessories with the iconic brand’s logo.
She apparently had to return the items after she was let go, however, as she was still within her 90-day probationary period.
"They didn't fire me for the video itself. They fired me for my caption,” Moradi told Insider. “HR told me it didn't shine a good light onto Gucci."
Moradi revealed in subsequent videos she took the Gucci job hoping it would provide financial stability, but that she had a number of side hustles as well and by no means regrets losing the retail job.
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Did she ‘fumble the bag’?
Moradi revealed to Insider that she hadn’t read Gucci’s training documents that detailed the company’s policies regarding social media use. Staffers are apparently allowed to post about the brand as long as they use their "best judgment" while doing so.
Her former manager initially requested she take the video down, an instruction she complied with at first. But after being fired, Moradi put the video back up.
In another video responding to a viewer who accused her of “fumbling the bag for [TikTok],” Moradi revealed she currently works as a personal assistant to a yoga and somatic therapist in Los Angeles, does background acting and private tutoring and runs a side hustle making personalized gift baskets.
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“I don’t ever want to be hired again,” she declared, calling herself an entrepreneur. “I want to be my own boss b—-.”
Read more: 3 big mistakes people make with cash back credit cards that cost them every time they swipe
How to prepare for an unexpected job loss
While Moradi seemingly was able to land back on her feet after getting fired, dealing with an unexpected loss of income can be difficult, especially in the early days.
Here are three tips to help you weather a job loss.
1. Diversify your income
Like Moradi, who works gigs outside of her personal assistant role, consider generating some extra income outside of your regular 9-to-5.
You could turn your hobby into a side business, like Moradi did, with her curated gift baskets.
Or find ways to make use of what you already own, like renting out a spare room or parking space. If you’ve got any old clothes or gently used electronics and books gathering dust in your closet, try selling them on resale platforms like eBay.
You could even give investing in the stock market a go and build a portfolio with just your spare change.
2. Prep an emergency fund
Make sure to tuck some cash aside each month even when you think your employment is pretty secure.
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Experts generally recommend having three to six months’ worth of savings stashed in case of an emergency, like an unexpected job loss.
Figure out what kind of savings account works best for you. While a traditional savings account will typically offer an interest rate of just 0.05%, a high-yield savings account can come with an APY of up to 4%.
That said, with a high-yield savings account you may also need to maintain a minimum balance, make a minimum deposit or pay regular fees. Make sure you read the fine print before signing up to any account.
3. Keep networking
Don’t get complacent while you’ve got a steady job. Even if you don’t “fumble the bag,” you should always brace yourself for a possible layoff or keep your eyes peeled for better opportunities.
Make sure you continue to build your connections and polish up your resume and profile on job sites like LinkedIn.
Add new skills and experience that you gain along the way and consider attending job fairs and industry events to meet with recruiters and other workers in your field.
Signing up for an online job board that shows you postings that match your specific skill set is a great way to see what opportunities are out there.
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Serah Louis is a reporter with Moneywise.com. She enjoys tackling topical personal finance issues for young people and women and covering the latest in financial news.
