UK 
United States
Images of an American man handing out hundreds of copies of his CV have gone viral, sparking an online campaign to help him find a job.
Donald Grooms, an HR worker living in Missouri, was pictured standing outside Busch Stadium with a billboard reading: “Unemployed. My family’s dreams don’t work unless I do! Please take a resume.” The image was soon shared by other Facebook users, quickly gaining momentum on Reddit and Imgur.
In an interview with A Plus, Grooms explained his situation, saying: “With only twenty possible weeks of unemployment insurance and only about three weeks left before it runs out I knew I had to get some leads.
“I tried several job boards and LinkedIn, and my search was leading me nowhere. I’ve sent out several hundred resumes and was getting nowhere either. I had to think outside the box.”
And it transpires that Grooms has had more to deal with than just finding a new job, with a worrying family situation at home. He said: “My wife was just diagnosed Tuesday night with Pneumonia. My daughter has also had coughing and breathing difficulties but was not given clear diagnoses. Both have been steadily getting sick for weeks. I left my sick wife and daughter home to hand out resumes.”
After the recession, Grooms was left without steady employment. However, the self-styled “Jack of all trades” has experience in HR, healthcare, retail and was even a combat medic with the U.S. Army Reserves. Unfortunately a dramatic downsizing had Grooms ousted from his most recent role. “Their biggest client chose another route to get products leaving a dramatic decrease in sales,” he explained.
“My job was eliminated to cut costs. The company I worked for was a great company and felt sorry for having to let me go.”
And though Grooms hasn’t had any formal offers yet, he has been inundated with interview requests and offers of help, from as far across the globe as Japan and England. “I have been contacted by some non-profit organizations,” he said. “That appeals to me because I am all about community.
“I love St. Louis and this is a great place to be interested in service and community. Since last night’s photo going viral, I do have an inbox of emails I’m sifting through in sorting out what may be legitimate opportunities.”
This is not the first time social media has played an intrinsic part in landing someone a job. In July, one man pictured handing out his CV on the Parisian underground was offered a job at a tele-marketing firm. Similarly, this homeless man impressed the internet so much with his astounding musical ability that he was quickly offered a job in a piano bar.
