In a world where online job placement services such as Monster, Indeed and Glassdoor are making it easier for employers and prospective applicants to find one another, job placement is enjoying a long overdue simplification.
But not all jobs translate well to such services. Some positions, such as accounts payable or quality control personnel, tend to be more universal. Mechanical and engineering positions require specific skill sets and experience. And other positions may have more demanding criteria, in terms of higher education.
But what about used car dealers? All-too-often, those employed in automotive sales have a very specific skillset, build around on-the-job training. The unique nature of their experience can make it difficult for them to translate their skillsets to other fields, or types of sales. In turn, many find themselves unable to secure new employment when necessary.
Tom Fuellery is a former used car salesman who knows this all-to-well. He began selling used cars at the age of 19, and his world was nearly shattered when he found himself unemployed at the age of 37. Even worse, Tom Fuellery was unemployable.
“I was devastated. Truth be told, I didn’t realize just how bad things were until I tried to type out a resume. Normally, we just have ‘the girl’ do that sort of thing, but I live alone in a studio apartment, and there hasn’t been a girl in since 2009.”
“Each time I tried to add a new job skill or experience to my resume, I realized that I had none. Normally, when I hit a wall, I’d pretend to go speak to my verbally-abusive manager. Since I was unemployed, I no longer had one on-hand to run things past; so, I just called my maternal grandmother six or seven times. She would swear at me and call me a ‘worthless p*ssy’, telling me to get back at it and close the damn deal.”
“Hours passed. Then days, and I still had little or nothing to show. I had no real skills, so I started standing outside the Employee Entrances at local businesses, early in the morning. When employees would walk in, I’d jump in front of them and say, “So, do you need a new employee. What do you think it will take to get me into that position?”
“In hindsight, this may have been the wrong approach. Sure it worked when you had a captive audience at the dealership, but in the early morning hours it just freaked people out. After multiple kicks to my man-parts, two rounds of pepper-spray, and one serious loss to a taser, I figured out this wasn’t the best plan.”
It was then that Fuellery had his moment of inspiration. Why not create an online job placement service, specifically for people with a background in automotive sales?
“Imagine it. A two-way service allowing dealerships to locate experienced sales people with a proven record, and empowering salespeople to find new opportunities tailored to their unique skillsets. All with the click of a mouse, or the swipe of a finger, we can make sure that no-one endures the same kind of torment I’d experienced when I suddenly found myself unemployed.”
Whether or not Tom Fuellery’s dreams are realized will depend greatly on two conditions. First, how quickly he realizes that he has no computer skills. And secondly, whether or not he’s able to hire ‘the girl’ he needs to do that sort of office stuff.
