Attention Job Seekers You Don't Need A Sandwich Board

As mentioned in a top news story this week, a recent British graduate job seeker was having trouble finding work in London’s tough economy decided to do something to make him stand out in his job search, so he put on his dress for success wear and added a large sandwich board that advertised that he needed work, and would work for free for 30 days, after which he could be hired or fired.  Then he walked around in front of a high concentration of employer’s headquarters hoping someone would appreciate his effort.

He claimed success, and it did work in that within 5 hours he claimed to have a job offer and he got many business cards for making additional contacts.

 

So what’s wrong with this picture?

This student is obviously bright, creative, resourceful and a risk-taker.  All entrepreneurial qualities, yet he was using them somewhat misguidedly in my opinion.  Why humiliate yourself, when you can empower yourself?

 

And it‘s no disrespect to him because what he did absolutely took guts.  But just how empowered is he going to be in the workplace when he starts off being known as the guy who was willing to work for free? 

 

Plus, isn’t he also lowering expectations for other student job seekers?  Now other employers who always want to squeeze all that they can out of a worker, are likely to capitalize on this and seek out candidates who are willing to work for free before they commit to hiring them—they may even make it policy.  And if they hire him, what kind of negotiating power does he possibly have?  They already know he’s desperate to get paid work—what are the chances he gets the kind of job offer with the level of pay and benefits he really deserves?

 

Sure this guy is burdened with student loans and dim employment prospects, but this is because he didn’t have a Plan B.  It’s not news that the economies in most places in the world are absolutely awful.  People with years and years of knowledge and expertise are having the corporate ladder pulled out from under them.  And I know it’s getting worse because I’ve never gotten more invitations to connect on LinkedIn from C-level and other Managers and Execs than I have recently.