Want Ads

Remember when there were "want ads" in the newspaper?  Where you looked for jobs?  Where you MAILED in your resume?  Or you called and set an appointment to meet someone?  Or you just went in and applied for job?

I'm a recruiter by trade.  I tell people all the time:  "Less than 1% of people whom have jobs got the position by just applying".  Usually, it's a referral.  Or a recruiter/headhunter.  I don't remember what we did before LinkedIn and Job Boards.  I think we ran ads in the newspaper.

Previous to Craigslist, I had never been hired for a job if I applied for it.  My first job out of college, I sent resumes and cover letters to the Top 25 hotels in Houston looking for a meeting planning position.  One of the HR people called me and I was hired.

When I was hired into the recruiting industry, I had gone and applied at every temporary staffing service in town for temporary work.  They hired me to be a temporary in their office.  That was over 20 years ago.

My only exception to this rule?  My college job.

I was working at McDonald's in high school.  My roommate at the time, had a friend come down and stay with us for a weekend.  When I told him I was working at McDonald's - he told me I needed to quit.  I was better than that.  He pulled out the want ads - it was a Sunday and told me to look through it.  

Of course, I had no self confidence and the only other job I had was a camp counselor.  I found an add for a single dad looking for a baby-sitter for his two kids.  He was in school and also needed help with tutoring in Math.  I'm actually really good in Math.

They hired me.  

The third child was born the next summer - the wedding to the girlfriend was the following fall.

That was 27 years ago.  There is not a birthday, a Christmas or any other life changing event that goes by without a call from the family.

The oldest, I've seen her and now her kids for several summers when we used to go to the beach in Texas. The middle child I hear from on occasion.  The youngest - well, we call him "my first born".  I hear from him all the time.  

He was the ring bearer in my wedding.  Last year, I got to see him for an afternoon.  But tomorrow, he's picking me up at the airport - and I'm staying with him for two weeks.

I'm not sure whom is more excited.

I called his dad today and told him "thank you"  for running that ad in the paper all those years ago.  The dad replies, "We don't know what we would have done without you."  "No" I responded, "I don't know what I would have done without you."