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A son's heartfelt LinkedIn post for his father who was laid off is getting a massive response

The community showed up in the best way.

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Pete is officially an #opentowork #jobseeker!

LinkedIn is primarily a platform for working professionals to connect and find employment that aligns with their skills and values. With company layoffs continuing (even increasing in some industries) people have also used the website to courageously share their layoff experiences.

While the main intent behind this is, of course, finding a new job, there have also been some lovely displays of humanity that not only challenge the stigma of being laid off but show the power of a supportive community.

Take this heartwarming story, for example.

Patrick McCarthy, Communications Management & Marketing Leader, recently posted about a layoff that quickly went viral on the platform. Not for himself—for his father.

“This is Pete. He’s my dad,” his post began. “My dad lost his job yesterday. I would tag him here, but he doesn’t have a LinkedIn.”

Pete, who has had a “starkly different professional journey” than his son, spent most of his life working in the service industry and absolutely loved interacting with customers. His empathy and knack for listening made him perfect for the role. Over his career, Pete had collected thousands of interactions from working at Walgreens, Fry’s, and (most recently) Winco, often being the reason folks came back.

And then, Pete was laid off. His job as a cashier, one that he loved and was good at, was gone.

“As anyone would be, he’s shocked. Overwhelmed. Scared. Emotional,” Patrick wrote.

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This is Pete, customer service extraordinaire and current job seeker.

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Knowing his dad didn’t have the same network to easily find a new job, Patrick reached out on his behalf, wholeheartedly believing in the “magic” of the LinkedIn Community. He implored that anyone looking for a candidate with “a LOT of customer-facing, customer service, and service industry experience” send him a message so that he could put them in touch with Pete.

Patrick’s faith paid off—way more than he thought it would. In less than a week, the post was shared over 500 times, with over 600 comments from people wanting to help.

A manager at a nearby Sprouts grocery store said Pete sounded like a perfect match for a clerk position that could even pay his daily wage ahead of time. Another suggested he could be an excellent outdoor tour guide for REI. Someone else referred them to a weekly meetup group led by a career coach.

Even LinkedIn responded, writing, “Pete sounds like a top-tier employee! 💙 Keep us posted as he progresses on his journey, as well as any tips or insights either of you learn along the way—it may help those in a similar situation.”

Truly, Pete’s story already provides some helpful insight. While he might still be in the job-seeking phase, things certainly look more optimistic. And all it took (besides Pete being a lovely human being) was one simple, honest post. As Patrick told Upworthy, "Clearly something about his story connected with others. Humanity. Vulnerability. Empathy."

The words “social media” and “job market” can elicit some pretty negative visceral responses. Of course, this viewpoint has some merit, but it’s refreshing to see the power of human connection break through the disheartening headlines. Here’s to Patrick and his father Pete, for reminding us that even when things seem bleak or uncertain, the world is full of people trying to help out one another.


This article originally appeared on 2.28.23

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Man goes skydiving with a cardboard sign asking for work. His new boss responded the same way.

Sometimes you gotta just take a leap of faith.

Photo by Kamil Pietrzak on Unsplash

Thinking outside the box pays off.

Times seem grim for employees. Every day seems to bring a new series of layoffs, pay cuts, strikes and…you know, the whole threat of being replaced by robots thing…

Chris Serrano, a creative director who “does all his own stunts,” found himself in one of these abysmal situations after getting laid off.

However, Serrano quickly turned his luck around by thinking outside the box and leaning into his daredevil personality. On his LinkedIn, he posted a video of himself jumping out of a plane with a cardboard sign that read, “Open4Work.”

“I got laid off last week. So I’ll be freefalling until I find a new gig—literally. If you’re looking for an award-winning creative that works hard, takes risks, and knows how to pack a parachute, reach out. Don’t let your brand plunge to its death. Hire me instead,” he added in the caption.

Can’t say this guy isn’t clever. Or brave.

It wasn’t long before Serrano’s post caught the attention of Jack Peagam, UK- based entrepreneur and co-founder/CEO of the social app Linkup, which aims to authentically connect people based on similar hobbies and interests. Fitting that these two connected over a shared passion for extreme sports.

Peagam seemingly one-upped Serrano’s stunt—videoing himself skydiving with a cardboard sign that read. “Hey Chris, sorry 2 see you got laid off. We’ve got work 4 U. Let’s Link Up”.

In his own caption, Peagam matched Serrano’s knack for wordplay, writing, “Can't guarantee you a parachute payment, but we're ready to catch you and launch you into new heights of success. 🪂 ✈️ I'm sure you'll free-fall in love with what we're doing. I believe this is the ultimate way to extend the offer."

Because clearly these two are a match made in workplace heaven, Serrano then shared a subsequent video showing both thrill-seekers signing a new employment contract while jumping out of a plane together.

“When I lost my job, I was a bit nervous as to what could be next, but taking a leap of faith from a plane is sometimes all you can do,” Serrano shared, according to Good News Network.

That leap of faith certainly paid off. Peagam loved Serrano’s “bold” and “daring” ad, telling Good News Network it “featured everything I love about creative talent.” Serrano was also "blown away" by the support he received after posting, from folks sending positive comments to sharing the video across the platform.

While maybe not all of us can jump out of a plane to secure the job of our dreams, there is something to be said for the magic that happens when we use our imaginations and show up as our most authentic selves. Losing a job isn't fun, but it doesn't take away the special, unique qualities that we bring to the table. And when we can harness that, often opportunities seem to fall from the sky—quite literally, in this case. Bottom line: even in less-than-ideal circumstances, or perhaps especially then, a dose of optimism and ingenuity goes a long way.

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Woman's potential boss offers his references during her interview. That's brilliant.

We often forget that the hiring process is a two-way street.

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Potential employers offering potential employees their professional references should be a regular thing.

Usually when people apply for a new job, they hyperfocus on making sure the potential employer knows they're an ideal candidate. They research the heck out of the company, tailor their resume for the position and practice answering tough interview questions they anticipate the hiring manager might ask.

But a hiring process is a two-way street, up to and including when an offer is made. That's perhaps never been more true than it is now, when unemployment is at a historic low and people can be choosier about the jobs they take. But even in a tough job market, a job interview means you are interviewing the company as much as they are interviewing you.

One woman shared a story that took that idea to the next level with a hiring practice that really should be standard everywhere.

Allison Peck shared in a LinkedIn post last year that she'd had a manager offer her three professional references—women who had worked for him in the past—so she could get some outside perspective on what he was like as an employer.

"Why don't hiring managers give 3 of THEIR references to job candidates?" Peck wrote. "This happened to me once and I'll never forget it. I was in the final round of interviews at a company years ago, and the hiring manager asked me for 3 references. Naturally, I provided him their contact info. And he said this:

'Thanks, here are 3 women who have reported directly to me previously and they've agreed to speak with you if you're curious what it's like working on my team.'

When I called those three women, they all had great things to say and that man was one of the best managers I've ever had.

Any hiring managers out there confident enough in their leadership abilities that they'd offer this in the future?"

The fact that the manager recognized that she might want feedback from other women shows an understanding of the dynamics that women can face in the workplace, which is a good sign in and of itself. And that he offered the references without even being asked was also a definite plus.

Ironically, the kind of employer who would offer such a thing the way he did is probably the kind of employer you'd want to work for, without even having to contact their references. But talking with people who have worked for your potential boss before could definitely offer some peace of mind and give you added information you may need to make a decision about a job. It also makes it more likely that you'll both be a good fit for one another, which again is the whole point of the hiring process.

Commenters agreed.

"I love this. When I hire into my team it's something I offer too. I'm still in touch with people who were reporting to me 8-10yrs ago, most of whom have gone on to do some wonderful things and I now consider friends." – Karen Hutchison

"I am with you on that. At my stage of my career, I will max out on salary and the benefits are usually decent. So what I care about is the team and leadership. So when I was unexpectedly let go 9 months ago and started looking all over again, I made it a point to ask about the team leader/manager and any other dynamics if I got to be interviewed by a peer panel. I ended up going with the job where the peers spoke highly of their manager both privately and in group interviews. I just wanted to work where boss actually cares about people more than they cared about managing her/his boss." – John Waldbaum

"Ok, I'm impressed. It would be great if this was normalized, and honestly, it would benefit both prospective hires as well as organizations. Many people get a job and start off excited just to find out that the manager they ended up working with is not exactly a good manager for them. This can translate into poor performance or even turnover. You can only find out so much during an interview that is timed and has set unwritten norms/ expected "etiquette". Normalize reverse references!!!" 😁 – Stanley Molton

"Wow I wish this were done everywhere! Speaking to other women candidates during the interview has never given me the sense they can speak openly (especially if it's recorded), because at the end of the day, they still report to that manager. Now, a manager that does this is demonstrating that there's recognition and sensitivity to what women are faced with in the workplace, and they have confidence in their reputation even behind closed doors." –Larissa Morrell

Resources like Glassdoor have helped provide an avenue for former employees to share their experiences, but there's an extra layer of impressiveness when a potential employer offers you their references themselves.

Reverse references. Let's make it a thing.

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Laid off dad gets a new job after handing out hundreds of resumes to strangers on the street

via Fox 35 Orlando / Twitter

Anyone who's been out of a job knows that filling out applications online can be terribly frustrating. Sometimes, it feels like you're sending your resume into a black hole or straight into a garbage shoot on the other end.

According to Zip Job, around 250 resumes are sent to the average job opening and the most people receive a response to around 10 to 20% of the applications they submit. Someone with a grade-A resume will get a response rate somewhere around 30%.

Patrick Hoagland, a father in Arizona, was laid off of his job at a metal recycling company and it hit his family hard financially.

"I definitely had fear," Hoagland told "Good Morning America." "My wife and I, we don't make a whole lot of money individually. Once I lost my job, everything was put on her."

So, after sending out countless resumes online, he decided to get aggressive in his job search by standing on a street corner, in 110-degree Phoenix heat, and passed out his resume to anyone who would take it.

"I wasn't getting any responses," he said. "I was getting frustrated. It popped into my head, stand on a corner and hold a sign and hand out resumes. At first, I laughed about it...and then it kind of went crazy."

For a few hours a day for three days, he stood on a street corner with a sign that read: "Please take a resume. Laid-off. Looking for a job."

Melissa DiGianfilippo / Facebook

One of the people who accepted a copy of his resume was Melissa DiGianfilippo, the owner of a PR firm. She was so impressed by Hoagland's tenacity, she posted a photo of his resume on Facebook.

"I figured, 'I have a pretty wide network. I'll share on social media,'" DiGianfilippo said.

"I was driving down Camelback Road near my office and spotted this guy, Patrick, on the side of the road with a huge smile on his face in 110-degree heat, with a sign asking people to please take his resume," she wrote. "I love that he was not asking for a handout, just for people to consider him for a job."

Immediately, the job offers poured in by the hundreds to his LinkedIn page. Eventually, he landed a job at Flatline Concrete as a concrete grinder.

"They reached out to me over email phone, and I am glad that they did," he said. "It's my dream job scenario."

"I can't say thank you enough to everybody," Hoagland said. "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.'"

Times are hard for a lot of people these days and there's no assurance that in today's tough job market, Hoagland's strategy will work for everyone. But his story is a great example of how people genuinely want to help those who are down on their luck and are willing to work hard to get back on their feet.

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