MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Michael Zuino uses alternative approach to his job search in Seattle

Aug 3, 2017, 9:23 AM | Updated: Oct 1, 2024, 10:41 am

Hire Michael...

(Colleen O'Brien/KIRO Radio)

(Colleen O'Brien/KIRO Radio)

People walking through downtown Seattle are probably wondering, “Who’s Michael and why would I want to hire him?”

Because the signs saying “HIRE MICHAEL” seem to be everywhere. Political statement? Underground promotion? Neither. It’s just a guy looking to land a job.

The sign reads: “I moved to Seattle almost a year ago from Philadelphia after landing a fantastic advancement opportunity. I was unfortunately laid off in May due to corporate restructuring and for the first time in my life found myself unemployed.”

He’s 30-year-old Michael Zuino and is a Human Resources Specialist. After he was laid off he immediately began calling recruiters and going on job interviews, but it has been a disappointing couple of months.

On Sunday, he got the idea to post his situation to light poles while taking a shower.

“I’ve always been a person who is very outgoing. I was kind of feeling down, thinking of some ideas in my head. I was thinking ‘what an odd idea.’ I had to work up the nerve to do it,” Zuino explained.

Monday night, under the veil of darkness due to embarrassment, Zuino began taping his signs to poles.

The response was immediate with hits to his LinkedIn profile rocketing up by 800 percent.

“As of right now, there are no solid interviews, but I get that things take time so even if people want to say that they’re going to ‘pass this along to my friend’ or they want to give me a critique of my resume I’m open to all services. And that’s what’s been happening so far,” Zuino said.

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Michael Zuino uses alternative approach to his job search in Seattle