A New Kind Of Job Market

Given how bad things are on the jobs front, I wonder how long it will be before some Americans are left with little choice but to auction their labor off to employers in a setting that looks something like this:

(Photo source: http://www.oratoriosocietyofny.org/AuctionPix-2005.html)

Oops. Based on the following St. Petersburg Times report, “Spring Hill Woman Who Listed Herself On eBay Lands a Job,” perhaps I spoke a bit too soon.

David Phillips, owner of online advertising company Caribebay, was having trouble finding the right employee to join his staff.

Instead of shifting through countless resumes, Phillips, by chance, picked up a TV remote one day last week.

Staring back at him from the screen was Sherry Campbell of Spring Hill, a mother of four whose attempt to get a job by auctioning herself online through eBay has earned her national exposure.

“After hearing about her eBay post, I knew she was a marketer,” Phillips said Friday from his Tampa office. “I knew she would be a perfect fit here.”

In a few days, Campbell went from down-and-out former car saleswoman to director of merchant services at Caribebay, an online organization that helps small businesses across the nation become more Internet-savvy.

The company develops a Web presence for businesses that otherwise would not have the resources, Phillips said.

Phillips called Campbell in for an interview and hired her the same day.

“I wanted to think about taking the position,” Campbell said Friday from her new office. “Once I got to the parking lot, I called back and accepted.”

Campbell said full-time work is a great change after months of unsteady income. Being able to support her family again is her proudest achievement, she said.

“My family is my biggest concern,” she said. “I’m glad we’re doing better.”

After not finding work for months, she posted herself for sale on eBay on June 4. With an opening price of 99 cents, Campbell hoped to find a job during a dismal economy through a different, high-tech approach.

Almost immediately, she found herself something of a media celebrity. Newspapers, Web sites and television outlets including CNN contacted her for interviews.

But the burst of fame was short-lived. EBay deleted her profile on June 10, saying that policy prohibits a person from selling his or her services.

Still, her tactic helped her find a job. Since starting her new position Wednesday, she has hit the ground running and noted the friendly atmosphere of the company.

“I’m just relieved to have a good and steady job,” she said. “I love it here and couldn’t be more thankful.”

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