Dad made redundant due to coronavirus puts giant CV on lorry and lands new job
An unemployed dad who was made redundant during the pandemic found himself a new job by putting a giant copy of his CV on the back of a lorry.
James Pemblington, 33, was made redundant from his role as a technical projects and events manager at Alton Towers in June, after initially being furloughed in March.
The dad-of-two from Annesley, Nottingham, applied for around 100 jobs and attended two interviews, but he found himself struggling to land a new position.
Things changed when he won a competition to have his CV displayed on the back of a lorry and soon after he was offered a job at a COVID-testing centre by a boss who spotted the lorry while waiting in traffic.
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Having worked at Alton Towers for five years, Pemblington was made redundant as part of a coronavirus cost cutting move.
“I was gutted to be leaving Alton Towers - that was my dream job - but I am a positive person and look on the bright side of things,” he says.
“I had applied in total to about 100 jobs. It was just rejection emails or nothing at all.
“I had two interviews where I got down to the last 13, but though the companies said my CV was great, the person they employed had been in the industry longer.
“I needed to do something different and creative to show my personality and get the attention of the recruiting manager.”
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Pemblington tried to think outside the box and even set up his own website called HireJP and sent out “edible” CVs on chocolate brownies featuring a QR code which linked to his site, but he still didn’t have any luck.
Then Pemblington spotted an online competition, run by lorry advertising firm DrivenMedia and job website Zoek, to have his CV displayed on the back of an 18-tonne HGV and decided to enter.
“Then I got the message that I had won,” he explains.
“It was fantastic, but surreal. What else can 2020 throw at you? You have to get a truck sized CV to get a job.”
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The company, run by Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Ed Hollands, advertised Pemblington’s giant CV and photograph on a truck which travelled across the UK.
The mobile CV started its journey in Nottingham, making a delivery in Birmingham and returning via Burton-on-Trent.
Just 48 hours later, Pemblington was offered a job by a boss who spotted the lorry bearing his CV while waiting in traffic.
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Pemblington, who starts his job as a deputy site manager at a COVID-testing centre on Sunday, is now hoping to bring his theme park enthusiasm to his new role.
“At Alton Towers everything is about the guests having a great experience,” he explains.
“At the testing centre we are not putting them on a rollercoaster, but it is about making sure we are putting the customer at ease and offering that great customer service.
“They are on an emotional rollercoaster I imagine.”
Commenting on Pemblington’s job success, Diana Campbell, managing director of Zoek said: “Seeing James get a job after only two days of the giant CV going on the road shows how he only needed to be put in front of the right audience.”
Additional reporting SWNS.
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