They Say
It's not
a real Job
Prove it with your own billboard in Times Square.
Don’t miss your Manhattan moment
You know those people in your life who think being a creator is “NoT a ReAl JoB?” This is your opportunity to show them just how real it can be.
How, exactly? Here’s the idea: We put your face on a Times Square billboard.
Imagine standing in front of your billboard in the middle of Manhattan and saying, “tell me again how this is not a real job?”
Don’t miss this:
June 8th - 30th is your chance to make it to Manhattan and prove them wrong.
Your face.
Times Square.
For real.
The Grand Prize:
The NYC Experience
Nothing says "I made it" quite like having your face plastered on a billboard in Times Square. We're here to make that happen. One lucky winner will get:
including flights and a hotel for you and a plus one. (You could invite that family member who's been doubting your career choices, just saying...)
including a personal branding photoshoot. (We’ll capture your best angles so you’re set up to keep growing your business.)
so when your inbox gets busy, you can close your eyes and remember that once-in-a-lifetime experience you had in NYC.
4 Runner-Ups:
The Local Celebrity Experience
There are so many creators out there worthy of a win, so we're not stopping at Times Square. Four additional winners will get:
A digital billboard in your city with your face on it, so when the locals see you filming around town, they know you’re hard at work.
A curated gift box, with creator-approved goodies handpicked by our team.
One free year of Manychat Pro, because once again, you deserve some time away from the screen.
Want a Bite of The Big Apple? Here's How to Enter🗽
June 8th
Start sharing your videos
June 30th
Final day to get your entries in the running
July 2026
Judging will be taking place throughout July
September 2026
NYC experience 🗽
Step 1
Record + post a video
Record a video under 2 minutes long using this on-screen text: "It's not a real job." And slap an emoji of your choice over the not to prove your point.
Obviously, there's a lot more to posting than just hitting record and yapping away. So, here are some examples of how you could go about this:
- A day in the life of a [niche] creator
- The process behind pitching brands/editing content/etc.
- Attending or hosting a creator event
- Post the video to your public Instagram or TikTok account. (Both if you’re an overachiever 😉)
- Make sure to follow and tag @manychat and use the hashtag #myrealjob
Step 2
Validate your entry (Yes, we have a form for you to fill out)
Once your video is live and views are flooding in, you must validate your entry using the form. If you do not submit this form, your submission will not be considered eligible to win.
So, what are we looking for, exactly?
Good question. We're looking for creators who are tired of explaining that their job is, in fact, a job.
Your content is a business. Your followers are your customers. And we think it's about time the world saw it that way. What better way to make that happen than by putting your face on a billboard in the heart of Manhattan?
Here's what our panel of judges is looking for:
👁️ Authenticity
We can tell the difference between a video made for a contest and a video made for your audience. We want the latter — the truth of what you actually do as a creator and who you do it for.
✨ Creativity
"It’s not a real job” is your starting line. What you do next is up to you. Bring your point of view and your take on this. Surprise us (we like that).
⚡️ Drive
Show us what it actually looks like to treat your content like a business. The hours, the investment, the work behind the work (and the work behind that work). Anyone can say they're dedicated. Show us how you are.
🤝 Relatability
The winner of this contest won't just represent themselves. They'll represent every creator who's ever had to justify what they do. We're looking for a video that makes other creators say, "relatable AF." The more your story resonates, the further this movement goes.
FAQ
From “not real” to real deal.
This contest is for creators on Instagram and/or TikTok who are 18 years or older and U.S. residents. (Maybe we’ll go global next year.)
That’s perfectly fine with us. This contest is for ANY creator on Instagram and TikTok. You don’t need a certain number of followers to enter — you just need a really good story (and video).
Nope! We're not looking for the creator with the most followers — we're looking for the one with the best story.
No, we’re only accepting one entry per person. That also means if you cross-post your video to multiple platforms, it only counts as one entry! 🙂
- Post a video on Instagram or TikTok using the prompt: “It's not a real job.”
- Use an emoji of your choice to cover the word ‘not’
- Tag @Manychat and use the hashtag #myrealjob.
- Complete the submission form to confirm your entry.
Your video should be two minutes long or shorter. Entries will be judged based on the same criteria, whether they’re a few seconds or exactly two minutes long.
A panel of five judges, including Manychat team members and creators, will review all eligible submissions. Each entry is scored across the four criteria mentioned above: Authenticity, Creativity, Drive, and Relatability. The highest-scoring entry will win.
We will announce the winners by the end of July 2026.
No, you don’t need to be a Manychat user to enter (but we would love it if you were).
Mid-September. We will contact the winner for booking details in July.
We will DM you from the official Manychat Instagram account (@Manychat) AND contact you via email from [email protected]. If you receive anything outside of these two forms of contact, beware — you’re probably getting scammed.
