With the Irish Republic in tough economic straits these days, large numbers of Irish graduates have been going abroad to seek employment opportunities.
Féilim Mac An Iomaire decided to go the extra mile to avoid becoming another emigration statistic. He came up with a novel way to advertise his services in a fashion guaranteed to catch the eye of potential employers. The 26 year-old Galway man invested his life savings - some 2,000 euros - on a billboard ad that petitions Irish employers to "save me from emigration."
Mac An Iomaire in front of his ad
The ad shows a graduate with suitcase in tow gazing across the ocean at famous overseas destinations. Landmarks from London, New York, Sydney and Toronto appear on the horizon. Unemployment in Ireland is the third highest in Europe at 13.5%. The last large exodus was in 1989 when 44,000 people left to seek work abroad.
Guardian:
His ad has struck a chord across Ireland at a time when about 50,000 citizens, many of them young graduates, are expected to leave this year for work abroad. There are still up to 400,000 jobless workers in Ireland due to the property crash and the country's fiscal crisis.
The response to his ad has been larger than Mac An Iomaire anticipated. He also set up a Facebook account - @Joblesspaddy - and has received a ton of messages and emails. Some even offered to help with his CV.
Mac An Iomaire said he hopes to remain in Ireland and "be part of this country's recovery."
Video report on 'Jobless Paddy' beneath:
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More on the story - Guardian - Independent.ie
