Almost Homeless and Looking for a Job ...

I mean, I feel for him anyone losing a job is no fun especially in these times but you would think a guy that's been an executive position for 36 years would have something in the bank, or prepared for exactly these types of scenarios where they wouldn't have to do something like this.

Maybe it's just me but standing around a busy street with a sandwich board is one of the least effective ways of getting a job. No offense but people with sandwich boards are the last people I want to deal with, as usually these types have some weird messages about alien infestations or the second coming of the savior. I usually avoid them, not stand there and read what's on the board.

poor guy. we saw a guy in san diego doing the same thing, his board says,"looking for job, has a business degree etc etc".

That's true AD PR, I was about to mention the age thing as well. Make no mistake about it, age discrimination is alive and well, and makes it worse for older workers like execs who would make way more than an entry level younger worker.

I admire him for not carying a change cup.

Geekazoid, we don't know anything about his situation beyond the article... He says he needs to take care of his family, and there could be medical expenses or other expenses we don't know about. Also, being out of work since February is a long time... If you had no incoming cash at all, you could burn through a lot of savings in that time.

I'd agree that walking around with a sign is not a good way to get hired... But if the guy really is on the brink of being homeless and he's tried all the usual channels, I can understand him being so desperate he'd try anything. And who knows, maybe the publicity from this story will lead to somebody hiring him! Let's hope.

I have a lot of sympathy for the guy. It's a shame that these CEO's making millions of bucks didn't just screw themselves, they took whole companies down with them. Lot's of decent people get to pay the price for their greed and incompetence.

That's true Ursula, but I'm just saying how I feel, that a sandwich board by itself isn't the most ideal thing to be doing for finding work as people tend to be wary of guys with sandwich boards, period.

But you are right, if he did this knowing that he would get publicity, then perhaps the person that would normally bypass or overlook such a person would take a chance on him. Not to mention that whenever people get attention in the media, it does tend to bring out people from the woodwork wanting to help, people who would not normally want to hire a guy like this.

So maybe he did have a plan after all, I wouldn't be surprised to see an update within the week with a happy ending with just such a scenario. Good for him then.

Nope, not an ounce of sympathy.

36 years as an executive, and he has to resort to this? Why would a company want someone who can't even manage his own finances?

Time for him to sell his home, buy a smaller place, and get a job at Wal-Mart.

I'm sure if he had unusual medical expenses, he would have mentioned it to get a little more sympathy. Still plenty of jobs around, and standing on the streetcorner for a job only works for women and teenage boys.

I have sympathy for the guy, but "My daughter has student loans"???

She also has 40 years to pay them, probably.

I hope it works for him!

I do have sympathy for the guy. And I agree with geekazoid.

But, there are jobs out there. Maybe not what he wants, but there are jobs.

A) The article mentions that his wife has some fairly significant health issues.

B) Sure, the guy could apply for a job at McD's or wherever, but chances are that they won't hire him because he's overqualified, or because he's too old, or because they figure he'll move on as soon as he finds something better (which, no doubt, he will).

C) His biggest problem is probably that there's a million guys just like him. A friend of mine recently posted an entry-level data-entry job and got swamped with resumes, a significant number of which were from people with masters degrees and doctorates. Things are tough out there these days.

I guess some people didn't read the whole article in the link. It says his wife is partially disables, and is on 15 medications. I know I would probably blow through my savings in that amount of time since he probably lost all forms of health insurance. The meds alone could bury you.

I think it's brilliant : how many news report will he be into? how many interview will he give? Can you believe the free publicity? he's even featuring in Neatorama! ;)
It's his 15mn of fame and he's using them to get a job.
Best of luck!

wow, i can't beleive you guys. you know Nikolai Tesla once found himself in the EXACT same position. oh, i guess he should have had the masterful foresight that you guys have right? cut a guy some slack!!

i live on the complete opposite end of the continent, but i wish this guy the best, and i hope there are some more compassionate people out there with actual possitions and means in life as opposed to the arseholes who can only say "oh he should have put money away, who didn't see this economic disaster coming from far off ahurr hurr drrr."

not trying to troll, not exactly being realistic either, but tell me this man is incapable of providing some kind of benefit to a company and you must be crazy...
here are the economy blues -_-
they've already begun for many...
i guess consider yourself lucky if you can still sit on the outside and look in... soon it will be you sitting on the streetcorner with smug bastards making comments about your desperation and how you should be considered unemployable.

36 years in the industry -- most likely he started in a lower position and worked his way up to "executive" level.

the toy industry is comprised of two huge companies, (hasbro and mattel and their subsidiaries), "new" young, hip companies (like spinmaster -- not that many of this type of company out there actually), a zillion little companies akin to mom-and-pop operations and then the asian low-cost toy makers.

this fellow probably was an exec at one of hasbro's companies (they're in RI) or maybe Fisher-Price (in upstate new york, maybe a 90 minute train ride to NYC). after 36 years in the industry, he can't easily be shifted around. the east coast companies that could pay his salary are few -- and he may have left the hasbro family and would then have few other options other than moving to los angeles. he might have been at tyco, acquired by mattel some time ago but they recently shut down the n.j. offices and almost all the staff was let go.

most execs at toycos are under 50 at this point -- a fellow in his late 50s would most likely be considered old and "un-hip" by the younger management and executives. he was most likely laid off with a good package -- probably 6mos salary and extended medical coverage. let's hope so at least.

and he's probably used up all his contacts, tried every headhunter possible, etc. the toy industry is just as likely to hire someone from some other field when filling open positions -- especially in non-design related fields -- like marketing and sales.

BUT -- he has no online identity -- there is a hastily launched site just up today but no resume -- no resume on monster, etc.

the story sounds interesting, maybe sad, maybe with a positive ending, who knows -- but the back-story is unknown at this point -- what toyco? what type of job (beyond "executive" -- was he an accounting exec? marketing? etc.

fantomas:
Funny, you'd think that information would be easy to find, since he's handing out resumes like candy.

What changes has he made to his lifestyle since losing his job? I just wonder what "almost homeless" means to him. There are a lot of people out there a heck of a lot closer to "almost homeless" than he is. Time for his daughter to pony up and pay her own student loans, for one thing. Maybe she'll have to support her folks - it seems like something alien to North Americans to have family support anymore.

We've seen similiar things here in Seattle, but here the signs run along the lines of "Laid off from Starbucks, 3 Kids". Sad times.

-matt

Shenanigans.

Calling this guy "almost homeless" is offensive to actual homeless people.

I would be interested to find out what changes he has made to his lifestyle. If he's under a certain income limit, his wife's medications can be gotten at a serious discount or even free from some companies. Also, if she is disabled, she may be able for social security disability, and medicare. Has he bothered to look for a job outside of his current area? Considered the idea of moving to a place where there may be more jobs, and a lower cost of living? I do find it interesting that people are not finding his resume online etc. Whatever the case is, I hope he does find something to help support his family, that his daughter realizes that her father should not be paying her student loans, and that he realizes that he may really have to make some radical lifestyle changes to be able to get by. BTW, does it list his address on his resume? I'd be interested to know where he lives and what his home is valued at.

I hope he finds something.