"Whatever I can do to sell myself,"

Just a reminder that you're a lot closer to being homeless than you may think.....

Former manager panhandles for work in Downtown Nashville

By Wendy Lee • THE TENNESSEAN • September 30, 2009

Brandon Witt, a former location manager at car rental company Hertz Local Edition, took job-hunting to a new extreme on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old held a cardboard sign telling people he is looking for work and ready to hand out his resumes at the corner of Fifth and Church streets in Downtown Nashville.


“The homeless seem to get a lot of attention and I’m stealing a trick from them,” said Witt, sporting interview attire--a black suit, bright blue collared shirt and a tie.


Witt says he has been unemployed for a year and a half, as a result of corporate downsizing at his workplace. To keep up with his bills, Witt works as a server at Logan’s Roadhouse near 100 Oaks Mall, earning about $10 an hour. Witt used to earn $45,000 a year.


Witt says he has sent hundreds of resumes, visited businesses in person and gone on interviews, but nothing has landed him a job yet. Witt said he came up with the idea after reading about others who have held up signs at busy places to get a job in other cities, including recent college graduates.
Witt said he plans to hold up the sign all week at various locations.

"Whatever I can do to sell myself," Witt said.

But some local employers said they probably wouldn’t hire someone right off the street carrying a sign. Rather, hiring qualified people through personal networking may provide better results, some employers said.

“There’s a seal of approval attached with going with people (you) know,” said David Frederiksen, CEO of Cumberland Healthcare Credit LLC, who walked by Witt but didn’t pick up a resume. Hiring someone off the street without a referral is no more than "a cattle call,” Fredericksen said.