Cheezhead Recruiting News and Opinion

Would you wear an accessory that could get you a job?

We’ve all seen those bright yellow silicone bracelets that were made famous by Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong movement. Well today people often wear different colored bracelets to support various causes, and the newest cause may be finding a job.

Often times the process of finding a job can become a full-time job in itself. If you’re unemployed, most of your time is spent looking for jobs online and elsewhere, sending out resumes and networking. But most of the time, employment opportunities result from meeting the right person or being in the right place at the right time.

That’s why Florida residents Barbara Bourn and Stephanie Aucoin started LaidOffNeedAJob.com. The site sells yellow and pink wristbands that simply say “Laid Off Need A Job” or “I Need A Job.” The bracelets cost $3 a piece, but also can be bought in bulk for various prices.

The idea for the site began when Bourn noticed that her interior design sales business had declined by more than 67 percent. She teamed up with Aucoin, who said if she didn’t find a job soon, she was going to stand in the street with a shirt that says “Laid Off Need A Job.” And so the idea of the bracelets was born.

Bourn initially had 500 bracelets made and began handing them out to family and friends. When she heard that many of them were finding success because of the bracelets, she decided to mass market them. By the end of May almost 6,000 bracelets had been purchased.

The bracelets are a great way for unemployed workers to brand themselves in a unique fashion. The site suggests wearing the wristbands in the places you’re most likely to run into other people, such as at the grocery store, at the post office, in the elevator, while eating at restaurants, while riding the subway or bus and even on an interview.

So far the bracelets have garnered attention from several large media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Denver Post, The Wall Street Journal and even BBC World News.

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