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Female in mid-twenties wears a sandwich board sign with a big red heart that says " I love (name of city). The back side says "I need a job or I will have to move home to (rival state). She wears this downtown at lunch time & hands out cards or resumes. I know it sounds tacky but she is getting pretty desperate for a full time job.
So what do you think?
Here is some background. My daughter graduated in December from a major university in a fairly big city (metro area about two million people). Her major of International Relations & minor in Political Science prepared her to do absolutely anything or absolutely nothing (depends on your point of view).
She has done all the "right things", had several unpaid internships at non-profit organizations, is a long term volunteer (four years in a very responsible position), studied abroad, is active in the community and state government, etc. She has held a number of paid positions and jobs while in college and has had the same part time job for over a year.
Well, she needs a full time job pretty quickly or she really will need to move back home. That would be fine with us but DD loves that city and would love to live there forever, (or at least until she can get into the foreign service or peace corp).
And, if she moves back home she will be even worse off as she won't have the many contacts that she has built over the last five years.
If you haven't done a stunt like this do you know someone who has? What was the outcome?
I thought about this because a few years ago a middle age man did something similiar in a suit & tie downtown in our city. The TV and newspaper featured him and he ended up with several job offers.
But, perhaps stunts are too common now. I'm thinking, what does DD have to lose? And it may get her a job, perhaps not a professional job but at least one to pay the rent.
I work in engineering, so the craziest ideas I've heard come from out-of-touch career advisors who recommend I walk into companies and speak to HR. Um... yeah... these days, you wouldn't get past the security guards, and rest assured they are not going to take your resume to HR. I could see somebody trying that and ending upon the evening news as security kicks them out of the buildings - that would be crazy!
As for the original idea, I really can't say. In some fields, that type of creativity would be frowned upon - it means you're not a "team player," but in other areas, it would be considered creative and make a you a go-getter.
What can it hurt? I think it's a very creative idea.
My suggestions -
1.) Try to include all of the text on both sides of the board. That way, people won't have to wait for her to turn around to figure out what she is trying to accomplish.
2.) Also, instead of her just passing out a resume or business card (which should include her LinkedIn url, email address and phone number) she should also collect business cards/contact info from people who speak with her. Then she should follow up the next day with an email and an electronic copy of her resume - and ask to schedule an interview or one-on-one informational/networking meeting with them.
I would be so impressed with someone who did that. I think it is a great idea, and I really hope she considers doing it.
If she's nude underneath then she might have a shot :P
But IR and Poly Sci aren't exactly hawt majors. If she would've had some business in there then it may have been easier.
Obviously, she's going to be professionally dressed (under the sandwich board) but it won't hurt that she is young and attractive.
It's true that she doesn't have a business degree but in International Relations she did have to take several International Business and International Law classes. Since, it is a major metro area many of the companies do have international divisions.
However, she would be happy if it just resulted in a full time job that would pay the rent.
gagirlatl had some great suggestions. Does anyone else have something to share? Thanks
Female in mid-twenties wears a sandwich board sign with a big red heart that says " I love (name of city). The back side says "I need a job or I will have to move home to (rival state). She wears this downtown at lunch time & hands out cards or resumes. I know it sounds tacky but she is getting pretty desperate for a full time job.
So what do you think?
Here is some background. My daughter graduated in December from a major university in a fairly big city (metro area about two million people). Her major of International Relations & minor in Political Science prepared her to do absolutely anything or absolutely nothing (depends on your point of view).
She has done all the "right things", had several unpaid internships at non-profit organizations, is a long term volunteer (four years in a very responsible position), studied abroad, is active in the community and state government, etc. She has held a number of paid positions and jobs while in college and has had the same part time job for over a year.
Well, she needs a full time job pretty quickly or she really will need to move back home. That would be fine with us but DD loves that city and would love to live there forever, (or at least until she can get into the foreign service or peace corp).
And, if she moves back home she will be even worse off as she won't have the many contacts that she has built over the last five years.
It sounds desperate and not a good way to market yourself
Possibly a good idea also possible bad idea and might backfire.. I would also worry that people might find her to be a nuisance and she might get hassled by the police...
It sounds desperate and not a good way to market yourself
DD is pretty desperate. Not being able to pay your rent and maybe having to move home to a different state can make someone pretty desperate.
What are your suggestions for her to market herself?
She has tried everything else that she and her friends, parents, academic advisors, business contacts, etc have suggested to her.
DD had really hoped to get a job at the non-profit organization where she had interned & had volunteered for the last four years but jobs are so tight that hasn't worked out. One of her contacts at that organization told her that they had five hundred applicants for the last open position and probably 100 of those applicants had the right experience, the right education and the right skill set to be very successful at the job. Although, DD was one of those 100 she wasn't selected for the position.
DD is pretty desperate. Not being able to pay your rent and maybe having to move home to a different state can make someone pretty desperate.
What are your suggestions for her to market herself?
She has tried everything else that she and her friends, parents, academic advisors, business contacts, etc have suggested to her.
DD had really hoped to get a job at the non-profit organization where she had interned & had volunteered for the last four years but jobs are so tight that hasn't worked out. One of her contacts at that organization told her that they had five hundred applicants for the last open position and probably 100 of those applicants had the right experience, the right education and the right skill set to be very successful at the job. Although, DD was one of those 100 she wasn't selected for the position.
She has to do something to make herself visibly employable. Maybe Online profile or blog or twitter.
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