Unemployed Man Finds Job after Giving Out Résumés on the Streets

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. hand out / hænd aʊt / (phrasal) – to give something or copies of something to many people
    Example:

    The teacher handed out the test papers to the entire class.


  2. to no avail / tu noʊ əˈveɪl / (idiom) – without good results or success
    Example:

    The student wasn’t able to submit her project. She asked her teacher for a deadline extension but to no avail.


  3. tenacity / təˈnæs ɪ ti / (n) – the quality of being very determined to do something
    Example:

    The school’s athletes won because of their skills and tenacity.


  4. sweltering / ˈswɛl tər ɪŋ / (adj) – very hot
    Example:

    You should never wear thick clothes on a sweltering day.


  5. keep in touch / kip ɪn tʌtʃ / (idiom) – to continue to talk or communicate with someone, especially after being separated from him/her
    Example:

    I try to keep in touch with my old friends from school despite our busy schedules.


Article

Read the text below.

An unemployed man from Arizona got hired after handing out copies of his résumé to passersby on the streets.


After being laid off from a metal recycling company, 30-year-old Patrick Hoagland tried to look for a new job. He filled out online job applications and submitted résumés to local businesses but to no avail. Frustrated, he decided to print out copies of his résumé and give them to people who drive around his area.


For three days, Hoagland gave out his résumés to complete strangers at intersections in his city. He also held a sign explaining that he had been laid off and was handing out résumés to look for new employment.


On one of those occasions, a marketing and PR agency owner saw him. Melissa DiGianfilippo said that Hoagland’s tenacity caught her eye, so she took a copy of his résumé. However, she found that his previous experience was not a good fit for her company. So, instead of hiring him, she shared his résumé on social media to see whether someone else could help him.


Within two days, Hoagland received hundreds of job offers and even got messages from people wishing him luck. He added that even companies that typically hire only people with experience offered him a job without any interview. DiGianfilippo said that Hoagland’s willingness to stand under sweltering heat to hand out résumés must have impressed employers.


Eventually, Hoagland took a job at a concrete-grinding company. He said that he is thankful to all the companies who offered him a job, as well as to DiGianfilippo, whom he had kept in touch with throughout his journey.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• If you needed a job, would you also do what Hoagland did? Why or why not?
• If you owned a company, would you offer Hoagland a job? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• In your opinion, what are the most important traits or qualities that people should have when looking for a job (e.g. determination, hard work)? Discuss.
• Do you think these qualities are more important than skill or experience? Why or why not?