Losing work is hard for anybody, and it can be tough to get back on your feet. Patrick Hoagland of Phoenix had just lost his job as a forklift operator at a metal recycling company.
He dutifully filled out applications for various jobs online, and went around handing out résumés to local businesses.
After a few weeks with no prospects of employment, Hoagland felt it was time to do something different.
He then decided to stand on a street corner with a simple sign asking people to take one of his resumes, explaining he had recently been laid off.
“I had only been unemployed a few weeks, but it was very unexpected and I needed to figure something out fast,” Hoagland said.
“I at first laughed and thought that was silly, but I kept thinking about it. I figured, why not?! There are millions of people in Phoenix driving around, someone might hire me.”
With 200 copies of his résumé in hand, the 30-year old hit the streets in search of work.
Fortunately, out of hundreds who drove by, Melissa Di Gianfilippo saw Hoagland while she was driving through Phoenix. “I was impressed with Patrick because it was 110° outside and what I saw was really unexpected.”
DiGianfilippo owns a marketing and public relations agency and was impressed by his creativity, so she grabbed a copy of his résumé.
She realized that his experience was not a fit for her agency but decided to post his résumé on social media to see whether someone in her network could help him.
Melissa DiGianfilippo/TwitterThis act of kindness worked wonders, though what happened next caught both Hoagland and DiGianfilippo by surprise.
Hoagland received thousands of messages from businesses, contractors, recruiters and even people just wishing him luck — not to mention more job offers than he could have ever expected.
“It was crazy. It was hard to navigate my phone for a little bit, but I received so many great offers. I received offers from companies that wouldn’t hire you without experience, but because they saw my determination, they offered me a position without even an interview.”
DiGianfilippo recalled, “I was definitely hoping he would get some good job leads out of the post, but I definitely did not anticipate it blowing up in the way it did! The post on LinkedIn is what really has taken off the most, generating thousands and thousands of re-shares, reactions, and likes. I also posted it as an Instagram story which got a ton of engagements and people wanting to reach out to him, on Facebook and on Twitter. I am so amazed by how many people re-shared the post because they really wanted to be a part of a positive story.”
Hoagland spent some time going over all the offers and ultimately settled on Flatline Concrete Grinding in Phoenix.
After meeting owner Kerry Burkhart, Hoagland immediately knew that this company was the right fit for him.
It would have been just as easy for DiGianfilippo to just drive by Hoagland and get on with her day, but she’s glad that she did.
“I think in general this is a good reminder for people that it takes just a few minutes sometimes out of your day to really change someone’s life or make their day better.”
Hoagland could not be more thankful. “She has been so great, she didn’t need to help me, but she did and it has changed my life,” he said. “I am so grateful for her.”
Watch Hoagland’s inspiring story below: