Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Does creativity help or hurt job seekers?

ZweigWhite's Strategic Advisory Services team recently received an email with the subject line "Superbowl winner loses job," in which a former A/E firm leader expressed his desire for us to help him find a new job, a function the firm does occasionally but not as a regular function anymore. The sender attached his resume and included a cover letter/press release that read:

"Most people would want to know the story behind that headline, the story of a quarterback who won the Superbowl then lost his job, a quarterback who led several last place teams to the playoffs, a quarterback who played a major role to win a franchise for his town, a quarterback who threw a touchdown pass to win the Superbowl and then lost his job because his team folded. My story as a Senior Architectural Manager has many similarities.


"My architectural career has been punctuated by a series of successes where I turned around failing branch office and studio operations and led them to success and profitability. I played a pivotal role to win a major contract for my firm with Lowe’s Home Improvement worth millions in annual billings. I joined a major A/E firm to establish a new office, won over a difficult client to become his go-to consultant for the most sensitive projects, and then lost my job when the firm closed the office. I’m like the Superbowl winner who lost his job and I’m looking for a new team!"

What do you think of this approach to finding a new job after being let go from your old position? Would you want to hire someone who took this slant on gainful employment? Does this help or hurt his chances?

1 comment:

  1. Kudos to him for differentiating himself in this tough job market. I say thumbs up!

    ReplyDelete

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