Man Goes Viral Passing Out Resumes on Side of Road, Gets Hundreds of Job Offers

(TMU) — It’s a place that none of us really want to end up, and normally it’s not a matter of choice.

Sometimes, when things aren’t looking bright on the job front and we find ourselves without work, there’s no better way to get the income rolling again than to print up a bunch of resumes and pound the pavement.

But for one man in Arizona who had trouble finding work after he was laid off last month, that approach was taken to the next level in way that earned him admiration online from not only others struggling to get by, but from employers, too.

The Arizona father first began gaining attention online when Melissa DiGianfilippo snapped a photo of him during her drive back from a lunch break in Phoenix.

In the photo, 30-year-old Patrick Hoagland can be seen standing on the road under the hot sun wearing a tennis ball-green long-sleeve t-shirt and holding a sign that read:

“PLEASE TAKE A RESUME – LAID OFF – LOOKING FOR A JOB”

DiGianfilippo told KPHO news:

“I gestured for him to come over, grabbed his resume, and the light changed, so I had no time to talk to him.”

Hoagland’s resume showed that the man’s main objective, above all, was “to provide a better life for [his] family.” However, after sending his resume out to dozens of companies, he was still unable to find employment.

He explained:

“It caught me by surprise. And after that, I had some other stresses in life going on, and I really needed to get a job, so I chose to stand on the corner with a sign.”

DiGianfilippo, who is a co-owner of Phoenix-based marketing firm Serendipit Consulting, shared a photo of Hoagland and his resume on her social media pages, believing that it might help the jobless dad.

I was driving down Camelback Rd in Phx near my office and saw this guy on the side of the road with a smile in 110-degree heat, with a sign asking people to take his resume. I love that he was not asking for a handout, just for people to consider him for a job. #pleaseshare #job pic.twitter.com/5QAUpCkGWk

— MelissaDiGianfilippo (@MelissaPR) July 23, 2019

She said:

“I just thought, I have a wide network so I’ll post it on social media and see what happens and it was crazy. It blew up.”

Within only two days of DiGianfilippo making the posts, Hoagland received hundreds of job offers from employers across the region.

Hoagland explained:

“It was crazy. It was hard to navigate my phone for a little bit, but I received so many great offers. I received offers from companies that wouldn’t hire you without experience, but because they saw my determination, they offered me a position without even an interview.”

He eventually chose to work for a concrete-grinding company, but he remains highly grateful to all of the businesses that reached out to him after he went viral.

Hoagland’s story just goes to show how even when we may be near our lowest point, the right mix of persistence and determination can save the day.

By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com