Father, 33, who was made redundant lands a new position by posting a giant copy of his CV on a lorry

A determined father who was made redundant during the coronavirus pandemic has been offered a new job within hours of advertising his skills on a lorry.  

James Pemblington, 33, who lives in Annesley, Nottinghamshire, had worked as a technical projects and events manager at Alton Towers for five years before being furloughed in March.

In June, he was made redundant as a result of the theme park cutting costs and he then struggled to find a new job.

James applied for around 100 jobs and despite getting two interviews, he was not offered the roles. 

The job seeker, who has two sons aged seven and three, even set up his own website called HireJP and sent out ‘edible’ CVs to companies on chocolate brownies, featuring a QR code which linked to his site.

But he still had no luck, until he spotted an online competition to have his CV displayed on the back of an 18-tonne HGV.

James won the contest, which was run by lorry advertising firm DrivenMedia and job website Zoek.

The company, run by Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Ed Hollands, slapped James’ CV and photograph on the truck which travelled across the UK.

Just 48 hours later he got offered a job from a boss who spotted it while waiting in traffic.

James said: ‘I had applied in total to about 100 jobs. It was just rejection emails or nothing at all.

‘I had two interviews where I got down to 13 of 100-odd and the companies said ‘my CV was great but the person employed had been in the industry longer.’

‘I needed to do something different and creative to show my personality and get the attention of the recruiting manager.

‘I was gutted to be leaving Alton Towers – that was my dream job – but I am a positive person and look on the bright side of things.

‘When I saw the competition to have your CV on the lorry I thought ‘that is wicked.’

‘I loved the idea. Then I got the message that I had won and I thought ‘this is amazing.’

‘The It is my mug shot on the lorry – ‘I am James and looking for work’.

‘It was fantastic but surreal and odd. What else can 2020 throw at you? You have to get a truck sized CV to get a job.’

The mobile CV started its journey in Nottingham, making a delivery in Birmingham and returning via Burton-on-Trent.

James said: ‘At Alton Towers everything is about the guests having a great experience.

‘At the testing centre we are not putting them on a roller coaster, but it is about making sure we are putting the customer at ease and offering that great customer service.

‘They are on an emotional roller coaster I imagine.’

Diana Campbell, Zoek managing director, added: ‘Seeing James get a job after only two days of the giant CV going on the road shows how he only needed to be put in front of the right audience.’