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Peter Barlow
Direct marketing: Peter Barlow on London Bridge during the rush hour. He has had three requests for his CV

Jobless accountant figures a way to get noticed

Rashid Razaq
21 Aug 2009


An accountant is advertising his services on London Bridge after being out of work for more than three months.

Peter Barlow has taken the drastic approach after applying for 150 jobs, but getting only three interviews - without success.

Mr Barlow, who has 20 years' experience in management accountancy, has been standing on London Bridge in the morning rush-hour every day this week with a sign and a pocketful of business cards.

He said: "It used to be that a recruitment agency could get me work within three days, but now your calls and emails go unreturned. There are 200 applicants for each job. I've never known it to be so bad. It might not be the traditional way to find work for an accountant, but I've had positive responses.

"Some people are embarrassed and don't want to make eye contact, but they might find themselves being made redundant soon."

In two days he has had three requests for his CV. Mr Barlow, who is from New Zealand, has a partner and lives in Bow. The last time he worked was for a sole trader in May. He said: "I am pretty flexible and adaptable. But I want to work as an accountant. It is all I've ever done. I will move back to New Zealand if it doesn't change because it's just too expensive to be in London."

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