After months of being out of work, an Orange County man is taking his search to the streets.
Armed with signs that promote his website, Michael Williams now spends his days standing on a southbound ramp off the 5 Freeway in Irvine -- hoping a would-be employer takes notice.
"I've got a masters degree and a business degree from good universities," Williams said. "But the most I've gotten back from these companies is an e-mail saying sorry, we went with somebody else. I figured it was time to do something different and stand out from the crowd.
Williams, 28, is standing out from the crowd -- literally. He stands on the side of the freeway in a dapper suit and surrounded by red, white and blue signs which read, "See my resume. Joblessredhead.com."
It seem to be working. So far he's received 60 e-mails and 20 business cards, he said.
"Most people that drive by wave or honk or give me the thumbs up," he said. "People are saying, 'That's great what you're doing, I'd love to have the courage to do what you're doing, you're inspiring all of us without jobs.'"
But he hasn't gotten the perfect job offer.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
"My ideal job is young adult ministry with a church, but most churches are hurting right now, so that's a tough job to land," he said. "I'm very open to most corporate entry-level -- whatever it takes to get in there."
Williams has bounced between several careers the past six years. He worked as a financial advisor, taught student government and coached baseball at a Christian high school and, most recently, worked on a sales team for a construction company. He hasn't worked full-time since June, and hasn't worked at all since December.
"I've been looking for a job now for about six months," he said. "I've used all the traditional methods -- Monster, LinkedIn, Careerbuilder. I feel like I'm qualified to do most jobs. I don't know what the Lord has for me, but I know he has a good plan for me, and I look forward to seeing what that career might be."
[Photo courtesy: Ashley Concolino | apicturelife.com]
