As they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
And this dad is tough.
A father from Phoenix, Arizona had to resort to drastic means just so he can provide for his family.
It was a reality that the less privileged have to face amid the growing uncertainties.
Patrick Hoagland won’t take things lying down, though. Because when he was down on his luck, he decided to chase after his own windfall.
Hoagland was laid off from work.
He lost his job as a forklift operator at a metal recycling company. He then began applying for jobs online and to local businesses but his efforts yielded no responses.
He had no time to waste.
As a father, he knew he had to figure out something and he needed to do it fast. He shared to Good Morning America that the uncertainty scared him.
“My wife and I, we don’t make a whole lot of money individually. Once I lost my job, everything was put on her.” He said to Good Morning America.
Then he thought of something crazy.
What if, he thought, he could stand on the road and hand out resumes from there?
He figured that if his local network doesn’t have any openings, then maybe there are opportunities out there.
He knew a lot of people drive through Phoenix so he went on with his plan. He printed copies of his resume and donned a cap and long-sleeved pullovers.
Then, he made himself vulnerable.
For a few hours each day for three days, he handed his resume to strangers.
He stood under over a hundred degrees of heat but his perseverance to get a job sustained his energy.
To make him more noticeable, he also wore a big sign saying “Laid off. Looking for a job.”
In one of those times, a woman saw him. For the first time in his job searching, he might’ve found the break he was looking for.
Melissa DiGianfilippo saw Hoagland’s dedication.
The owner of Serendipit Consulting took a resume and snapped a photo of the job seeker.
She shared that what impressed her the most is the fact that Hoagland wasn’t asking for handouts. He was asking for an opportunity to work.
She thought of offering him a job.
But was unable because he has no experience in public relations. But instead of just dropping Hoagland, she thought of helping him in another way.
She posted his resume on her social media accounts.
She said that if she can’t employ him, she might as well share his resume with her wide network.
The offers came pouring in.
What started out as a barren hunt became a whirlwind of applications. Hoagland, who received no responses before, was getting offers by the hundreds.
Eventually, he ended up working for a construction supplies company as a concrete grinder.
He was immensely thankful for the opportunity as he considered it his “dream job scenario”.
But more than the offer, Hoagland was also thankful for the people who supported him along the way. He said that he can’t thank everybody enough.
“I had a lot of people who sent messages that weren’t necessarily job offers but were well-wishes saying, ‘Good luck in your search.’ It was nice to see that.'” Hoagland said to Good Morning America.
See how this man made his own opportunities in the face of uncertainty in the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
