Man goes skydiving with a cardboard sign asking for work. His new boss responded the same way.
Sometimes you gotta just take a leap of faith.

Thinking outside the box pays off.
Times seem grim for employees. Every day seems to bring a new series of layoffs, pay cuts, strikes and…you know, the whole threat of being replaced by robots thing…
Chris Serrano, a creative director who “does all his own stunts,” found himself in one of these abysmal situations after getting laid off.
However, Serrano quickly turned his luck around by thinking outside the box and leaning into his daredevil personality. On his LinkedIn, he posted a video of himself jumping out of a plane with a cardboard sign that read, “Open4Work.”
“I got laid off last week. So I’ll be freefalling until I find a new gig—literally. If you’re looking for an award-winning creative that works hard, takes risks, and knows how to pack a parachute, reach out. Don’t let your brand plunge to its death. Hire me instead,” he added in the caption.
Can’t say this guy isn’t clever. Or brave.
It wasn’t long before Serrano’s post caught the attention of Jack Peagam, UK- based entrepreneur and co-founder/CEO of the social app Linkup, which aims to authentically connect people based on similar hobbies and interests. Fitting that these two connected over a shared passion for extreme sports.
Peagam seemingly one-upped Serrano’s stunt—videoing himself skydiving with a cardboard sign that read. “Hey Chris, sorry 2 see you got laid off. We’ve got work 4 U. Let’s Link Up”.
In his own caption, Peagam matched Serrano’s knack for wordplay, writing, “Can't guarantee you a parachute payment, but we're ready to catch you and launch you into new heights of success. 🪂 ✈️ I'm sure you'll free-fall in love with what we're doing. I believe this is the ultimate way to extend the offer."
Because clearly these two are a match made in workplace heaven, Serrano then shared a subsequent video showing both thrill-seekers signing a new employment contract while jumping out of a plane together.
“When I lost my job, I was a bit nervous as to what could be next, but taking a leap of faith from a plane is sometimes all you can do,” Serrano shared, according to Good News Network.
That leap of faith certainly paid off. Peagam loved Serrano’s “bold” and “daring” ad, telling Good News Network it “featured everything I love about creative talent.” Serrano was also "blown away" by the support he received after posting, from folks sending positive comments to sharing the video across the platform.
While maybe not all of us can jump out of a plane to secure the job of our dreams, there is something to be said for the magic that happens when we use our imaginations and show up as our most authentic selves. Losing a job isn't fun, but it doesn't take away the special, unique qualities that we bring to the table. And when we can harness that, often opportunities seem to fall from the sky—quite literally, in this case. Bottom line: even in less-than-ideal circumstances, or perhaps especially then, a dose of optimism and ingenuity goes a long way.- Woman's potential boss offers his references during her interview. That's brilliant. ›
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- Joan Murray survived skydiving fall because of ant bites - Upworthy ›
- Skydiver flies through a rain cloud - Upworthy ›
- Why is LinkedIn so cringey? - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."