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Job Seeker Targets Drivers

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By RONNIE BLAIR

rblair@tampatrib.com

Published: October 15, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Larry Wainwright is finding that a good sunscreen comes in handy as part of his latest strategy for finding a job.

Wainwright, who has been laid off twice this year, began handing out his resume Friday at State Road 54 and U.S. 41 in a last-ditch effort to find work. He continued this week, holding a sign to attract motorists' attention as he marched up and down the median.

He finished his first day with a sunburn, but is undeterred.

"I won't sit home anymore," said Wainwright, a Zephyrhills resident. "I'm three to five weeks away from being homeless."

Wainwright, 49, is at least the second out-of-work resident in the Tampa Bay area to try this strategy. A week ago, Kathy Maloney, who has been jobless for five months, handed out resumes to motorists on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.

Wainwright holds an associate's degree in computer engineering and said he worked for nearly 10 years at BayCare Health System, most recently as a senior systems support analyst, before his position was eliminated in April.

He briefly found work at another company and was hopeful his fortunes had turned around. Slightly more than a week ago, though, he was laid off again when that company ran into financial troubles.

Wainwright said he tried more conventional job-hunting means, such as applying for jobs over the Internet or visiting potential employers. The weak economy worked against him.

Often, there were no jobs to be had. In Pasco County, the jobless rate was 7.9 percent in August, compared with 7.6 percent in July and 5.2 percent a year ago.

Some companies that had openings told Wainwright he was overqualified. With other companies, he heard the opposite story. He didn't have enough certification.

Finally, out of frustration, he took to the streets. A few dozen motorists have taken a copy of his resume and some have handed him their business cards and suggested he call them.

They appear to be offering piecemeal work, not steady employment, but he will take even that at this point.

"While this is humbling, I'm not ashamed of being out here," he said.

He is buoyed by the reactions from those who pass by.

"The thing that's most heartening is the empathy I'm getting from other people," Wainwright said.

"Nobody has had one bad comment. I expected to have people screaming at me, saying, 'Get a job.'"

Wainwright is married and has three children, and worries he is letting them down.

"Right now I feel somewhat worthless to them," he said. "They tell me I'm not."

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218.

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