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YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Hire me. . . please?

    By Marci Alboher, Working the New Economy | Work + Money – Thu, Apr 2, 2009 9:51 PM EDT

    Getty ImagesGetty ImagesAs the economy tightens its grip, people are getting more inventive in their efforts to advertise their availability. A California wife started the site, MyHusbandNeedsaJob, for her unemployed husband Michael Stearns, a newly minted MBA.

    The site launched a few weeks ago and Stearns says it's been a whirlwind ever since. Some of his business school classmates sent the link to a few HR/careers bloggers and within days of the site's launched he was interviewed by CNN. He says the other kind of interviews have occurred as well. His plan-find a position in marketing; the success of the site has gotten him interested in the social media world. He and his wife (who doesn't reveal her name to protect her privacy) have been contacted by so many unemployed people that they are also thinking of continuing to maintain the site even after he gets a job as a way to help others.

    I've been keeping an eye on these campaigns (and some even odder ones) ever since last summer when Joshua Persky, an out-of-work investment banker, appeared on Park Avenue wearing a sandwich board that said "Experienced MIT Grad for Hire" while handing out resumes to passers-by. Mr. Persky's effort didn't lead to a job immediately, though it got him lots of publicity. "It was a great adventure but like the Wizard of Oz, I landed right in my backyard," he told me. About five months after his stint on Park Avenue, he got a job through a recruiter he had previously worked with.

    My latest favorite is a blog post by Jeremy Blachman, who had early success with his blog-turned-book, Anonymous Lawyer, sold the television rights to it, and moved to Hollywood to try to forge a career as a writer for television.

    Blachman embedded his "hire me" request in the midst of a reflective post on the eve of his birthday. He questioned whether he had enough new ideas to continue on the path as a writer ("I think trying to be a writer is giving me less to write about"), and whether the goal he'd set out for himself is even one that he still wants to pursue ("I guess what's been kind of disappointing for me is looking around and realizing people doing this kind of stuff don't necessarily seem more fulfilled or content or happy than people doing all sorts of other things.") He wrote:

    "Can you use me? Do you know someone who can use me? For a brainstorm, for a project, for a job? For ten minutes, for a week, for a year? I miss thinking about things, with other people. If you want help coming up with a name for a cereal you're inventing, that seems like a fun project to work on. I get strange looks when I tell people this, but I miss working with numbers. I like numbers. I like Excel. I miss using that part of my brain, and I don't know how to use that part of my brain while crafting sales pitches for TV shows that will never get made.

    Do you have a project that requires someone to play with numbers? Maybe I can help. Do you want to show me your corn field and have me write some web page content about it? That sounds cool. Do you want me to riff for 20 minutes about what I think the future of books are, and whether there might be a business opportunity in helping to transform the publishing industry? That would be fun. Can I help you train a monkey to open jars? That seems really cool.    "

    Blachman has long used his blog to explore his feelings and says he wasn't too worried about what people would think. That said, he did remove the post for a few days when he had scheduled an interview at a hedge fund and did not want the interviewer to stumble upon it. So far, some interesting things have happened. He had a series of brainstorming sessions with someone about a possible book collaboration. He received suggestions from people who seemed to genuinely care about him. He even got the oddball request to "contact me" about a mysterious venture.

    What do you think of these campaigns? Have any of you tried anything like this?

     

    10 comments

    • vada
      vada  •  2 years 9 months ago
      i just order this from another site it said at the bottom once i ordered it that the stories were made up and the facts not based on the ad verge but on a few who made it happen i was very disappointed to see how people are using the news and Google is letting them use there name in this type of scam i trusted the Google name i don't have money to throw around times are tough shame on you Google and the people using this to con people out of there hard earn tight money i really want to start my own business i am a recovering addict who trying to put faith in man once again
    • Linda W
      Linda W  •  3 years 2 months ago
      I loved your blog...
    • A Yahoo! User  •  3 years 2 months ago
      This is a very troubling time for everyone. I have had my share of bad luck too. I worked in the same career for years and it was hard work and loooooong hours. I was scared to do anything else cause I needed the health insurance and regular pay, even though I was not really getting ahead. So I stuck it out...and then I got laid off..."Sorry, but a lot of companies are cutting back right now just to stay in business," they told me! Well, I thought...I better figure something out so I don't have to be so dependant on a corporate job. One of my girlfriends that got laid off too recommended I try working from home for Google. I was pretty cynical at that point, but I tried it anyway and now we both work from home and make way more than before. I wrote a blog about it along with information for getting started working for Google, anyone with an internet connection and some spare time can do it! Really, it is easy and you can make great money! You can check it out here: http://workforgooglefromhome.blogspot.com Best of luck to everyone!
    • K-Ro
      K-Ro  •  3 years 2 months ago
      I love your blog,it shows that we as women are really the cornerstone to society and that women are the greatest teachers and economist. To raise a good and healthy society you should raise good women. Behind every strong man stands a good woman. The article is fantastic it also shows the great courage that both men and women have in seek jobs and the high level of their desires to seek and find rather than sitting lazy and crying or committing crimes and blaming the system. Keep up the good work with love always
    • K-Ro
      K-Ro  •  3 years 2 months ago
      I love your blog,it shows that we as women are really the cornerstone to society and that women are the greatest teachers and economist. To raise a good and healthy society you should raise good women. Behind every strong man stands a good woman. The article is fantastic it also shows the great courage that both men and women have in seek jobs and the high level of their desires to seek and find rather than sitting lazy and crying or committing crimes and blaming the system. Keep up the good work with love always
    • Kaila
      Kaila  •  3 years 2 months ago
      great article! i think it's great that people are going to extremes to find jobs. it shows that they are go-getters and not lazy like a lot of people who are complaining about not having a job.
    • MissLB
      MissLB  •  3 years 2 months ago
      wow! I was fired after being told I was a wonderful employee and would be put to F/T after working so hard at the P/T position. I really went above and beyond. I was enjoying my job and said so all the time. my boss acted like my friend. then wham! fired for "lack of performance" when I asked the bosses, boss to go into more detail, it was "it's not a good fit" and "we know your not happy here" !!!!! what!!! I never said that...even this boss saw when my boss was out, I picked up the slack and she didnt have to worry about anything.
      You know what? I talked to a couple of other employees of the same company who were also fired...they had the same story as me! Seemed they got let go right before thier sales came in. where did the money go? hummm maybe in some supervisors pocket??
      I went the wrongful termanition route, and got un employeement, but you know you can understand why ppl get so upset and go off on the ex. employers.
      we have to believe it's all for the best...loosing a job is not the end of the world, things change and will get better. My hope is in God not the job!
    • Serge
      Serge  •  3 years 2 months ago
      Marci

      Glad to see you found a new home for sharing your thoughts

      Let it shine

      Serge
      http://www.sergetheconcierge.com
      'The French Guy from New Jersey'
    • FRANCISCO
      FRANCISCO  •  3 years 1 month ago
      Try mayherbalife.com they are allway hiring and you work your own hours set your set your owm goals they never let you go.
    • Charles
      Charles  •  3 years 1 month ago
      I think the job seeker have a very good idea and I hope the website help others. I'm a 58 year old man and it's very diffcult for me to find a job. I spend most of my life helping others improve their lives, but retirement is a long way off.

      Thank you for listening
      chas.ragans@...
     Post a comment

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