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Plot Summary

Get a Job (2016) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 83 min · English
JustWatch #4,523 56
Directed by
Dylan Kidd

After losing his job, a man finds himself facing financial hardship and turns to his friends for help. He proposes a unique and somewhat desperate plan, leaving them to decide whether to support him or challenge his request. The film follows his journey as he navigates this difficult situation and tries to get back on his feet.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Get a Job
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Get a Job (2016)

Where can you watch Get a Job? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Kanopy, Plex and Tubi TV: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Get a Job: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Get a Job (2016) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Will Davis’s post‑college life kicks off with ambitious plans and sudden obstacles. Fresh out of school, the millennial dreams of landing a real gig in video production with LA Weekly are crushed when downsizing eliminates the internship‑to‑job promise. With mounting pressure from his parents and his success‑driven girlfriend Jillian, and the rent looming on the house he shares with three roommates—Luke, Ethan, and Charlie—Will is forced into a rapid, uncertain scramble. He asks his father, Roger Davis, for money, only to discover that Roger has just lost the steady job he held for three decades. The scene is set for a string of rough choices that test loyalty, ingenuity, and resolve.

In a bid to stabilize his finances, Will takes a night manager position at a seedy motel. On his first night, he makes a fateful decision: he allows a pimp named Skeezy D to use the motel for his prostitution ring. The arrangement backfires when police crack down, costing Will his job and casting a shadow over his future. The motel becomes a microcosm of the life he’s trying to escape—gritty, precarious, and ripe with the kind of bad luck that begets even stronger drive.

Meanwhile, the roommates chase their own fragile ambitions. Luke believes he’s landed a shot at being a stock trader, but the reality is a lowly, and poorly treated, office clerk position. Ethan pours energy into a questionable mobile app idea called iStalkU, chasing momentum that stubbornly refuses to materialize. Charlie slides into a sixth‑grade chemistry teaching role, trading one comfortable routine for another set of challenges.

A beacon of hope appears when Will interviews at a reputable executive job placement firm and impresses the hiring manager with his portfolio and vision, landing a role as a video resume creator. Roger, still sliding, finds himself blaming age for his misfortunes and continues to search for a foothold in a changing job market. Ambition flickers back to life for Will as he climbs, first earning a promotion with a manager who embodies narcissism and demands perfection. Yet the personal life around him remains unsettled: Jillian loses a job and moves in with Will and his roommates, tightening the household’s financial and emotional knots.

The turning point comes when a video Will posts of Skeezy D goes viral, drawing interest from a startup that offers him a fresh opportunity. With this new attention, Luke’s stock trading dream persists in a rough arc—success seems possible but not guaranteed. Charlie begins coaching the school basketball team, discovering a sense of purpose beyond classroom duties. Ethan faces a harsh reality as he struggles to pitch his app to the legendary Warren Buffett, learning that persistence must be coupled with real traction.

Roger’s hopes pivot again when he seeks an interview at IBM, living in a cafe‑lined world of tech dreams and faded glory. Will, sensing his father’s frustration, films a drunken rant about his own job skills and quietly repurposes it into a video resume that unexpectedly becomes a lifeline. Roger narrowly avoids arrest for harassing the IBM hiring manager, but Will’s intervention clears a path to an interview and a renewed sense that his father can still land the job he longs for.

With Jillian’s steadfast support, Will ultimately makes a bold choice: he declines the promotion and other lucrative offers in favor of starting his own video production company. The gamble pays off as his company finds footing and grows, proving that passion, timing, and a little risk can redefine success. Luke begins to find solid footing as a stock trader, Charlie recognizes the harm in a participation‑trophy culture and finds renewed motivation, and Ethan finally sees his app catch the right wind.

In the end, the film sketches a hopeful picture of a new generation negotiating the fine line between aspiration and reality. It suggests that community, adaptability, and a willingness to redefine success can turn a rocky start into a durable, satisfying career. The characters’ journeys converge on a shared truth: resilience and collaboration can transform insecurity into opportunity, even when the odds seem stacked against you.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:16

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Plot questions answered

Get a Job Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Get a Job (2016): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why did Will let Skeezy D use the motel for his prostitution ring?

Will was desperate for money after losing his LA Weekly internship and facing mounting rent pressure. On his first night as the motel's night manager, Skeezy D offered cash in exchange for using a room, and Will made a poor, short-sighted decision to accept. The arrangement quickly backfired when police raided the motel, costing Will his job and creating a criminal record that haunted his job search.

  • skeezy d
  • prostitution ring
  • motel
  • police raid
  • job loss
Q2

How did Will's video resume help Roger land the IBM interview?

Roger had been obsessively lurking near a hipster coffee shop where IBM hiring managers worked, and he was about to be arrested for harassing them. Will had secretly filmed Roger's drunken rant about his job skills and edited it into a compelling video resume. The video demonstrated Roger's value despite his age, which helped him secure a real interview at IBM and eventually land his dream job.

  • video resume
  • roger davis
  • ibm interview
  • job search
  • father
Q3

Why did Will turn down the promotion to start his own video production company?

After Will's video of Skeezy D went viral and attracted interest from a startup, he realized he could build something on his own terms rather than climbing the corporate ladder for a narcissistic manager named Katherine. With Jillian's support, Will chose to pursue his passion for video production independently, and his company found success, proving that risk-taking could pay off better than traditional career advancement.

  • promotion
  • video production company
  • startup
  • career choice
  • passion
Q4

What happened to the video of Skeezy D that went viral?

Will had secretly filmed Skeezy D operating at the motel and later posted the video online, where it unexpectedly went viral. The video's widespread attention caught the eye of a startup company, which offered Will a job based on the exposure he generated. This viral moment became the catalyst that launched Will toward his eventual career success.

  • viral video
  • youtube
  • startup
  • skeezy d
  • attention
Q5

Why did Roger have such difficulty finding a new job after losing his 30-year position?

Roger believed his age was the primary obstacle, convinced that employers viewed him as outdated in a market that favored younger workers. Despite his decades of experience, he struggled to get callbacks and became increasingly desperate, resorting to stalking IBM hiring managers at a coffee shop. His frustration and near-arrest highlighted the harsh realities facing older workers in a changing job market.

  • roger davis
  • age discrimination
  • job search
  • ibm
  • unemployment
Q6

How did each of Will's roommates ultimately find success in their careers?

Luke eventually settled into a legitimate stock trading career after starting as an office clerk. Charlie discovered purpose by coaching the middle school basketball team while teaching sixth-grade chemistry. Ethan finally gained traction with his iStalkU app, achieving the breakthrough he had been chasing throughout the film. Each character's success came after accepting different paths than their original ambitions.

  • luke
  • ethan
  • charlie
  • stock trader
  • app
  • teaching
  • success
Q7

Why did Jillian move in with Will and his roommates?

Jillian lost her job, which left her without income and forced her to move in with Will and the roommates. This created additional financial pressure on the household, but it also strengthened her relationship with Will as they navigated their challenges together. Her support became crucial when Will made the decision to start his own company.

  • jillian
  • job loss
  • moved in
  • relationship
  • support
Q8

What earned Will the promotion at the placement firm despite working for a difficult manager?

Will impressed his narcissistic manager Katherine with his video resume work, demonstrating both technical skill and the ability to deliver what she demanded. His performance earned him a promotion, signaling his upward mobility in the corporate world before he ultimately chose to leave and start his own company instead.

  • katherine
  • promotion
  • manager
  • video resume
  • corporate job

Movie threads

More Movies Like Get a Job, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Get a Job tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Anxious hopeful workplace comedies like Get a Job

Funny yet heartfelt stories about young adults trying to build a career. If you liked the mix of career anxiety and comedy in Get a Job, you'll enjoy these movies. This thread features similar stories about young professionals, financial struggles, and the often-humorous journey to find success, focusing on hopeful narratives with relatable millennial challenges.

  • anxious
  • hopeful
  • cringe
  • relieved
  • determined
  • awkward
  • Tone: hopeful, comedic
  • Pacing: steady, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a protagonist or group of friends fresh out of school or at a career crossroads. The plot is driven by a series of professional setbacks, awkward interviews, and comedic failures that test their resolve. The emotional journey moves from uncertainty and financial insecurity to determined problem-solving and a self-defined, often non-traditional, version of success.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared vibe of balancing serious real-world pressures like unemployment with lighthearted, character-driven comedy. They share a medium intensity, a steady pacing that builds through episodic challenges, and a core emotional tone that is ultimately hopeful and uplifting despite the anxious premise.

Friendship-driven ensemble comedies like Get a Job

Stories where a close-knit group supports each other through life's chaotic turns. Fans of Get a Job's focus on friends navigating post-college life together will find more movies like it here. These stories highlight the bond between a group of characters facing a common hurdle, blending comedy with the emotional weight of relying on your chosen family to succeed.

  • uncertain
  • supportive
  • chaotic
  • relieved
  • nostalgic
  • friendship
  • Tone: hopeful, heartfelt
  • Pacing: steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern revolves around a core group of characters, often roommates or a tight-knit friend circle. A catalyzing event (like job loss) disrupts their stability, and the plot unfolds through their collaborative, and sometimes contentious, efforts to overcome it. Subplots for each character weave together, creating a tapestry of individual growth that strengthens the group's bond, leading to a collective resolution.

Why they belong together: These movies are connected by their central theme of friendship as the key to overcoming adversity. They share a moderate complexity from interweaving character arcs, a medium emotional weight from the stakes of their shared situation, and a tone that balances humorous group dynamics with genuine emotional support.

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Movies Like Get a Job

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Every angle

Get a Job (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Get a Job in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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