THE heads of two leading recruitment agencies have told unemployed Gold Coast seniors to be selective in their pitch for work. The advice comes after Gold Coast man Malcolm Holt, 55, yesterday revealed he had applied for 426 jobs in 14 months and been rejected on the lot.

Despite decades of experience with major national companies, Mr Holt told the Gold Coast Bulletin he was willing to drive trucks or sweep streets to earn his keep.Potential employers and recruitment agencies from across Australia yesterday flooded the Bulletin’s website with job offers and help to tweak his resume.

A major national supermarket chain and a Burleigh-based printing business were among those who expressed interest in Mr Holt. However, Fab Recruitment CEO Frank Baran advised people like Mr Holt to be less broad in their approach to potential employers.

“He’s saying he wants to do anything and employers don’t want to hear that, they want to hear why he loves what he’s doing,” Mr Baran said. “He should change his resume to show how he would be a great consol operator or cleaner.”

Mr Baran said scouring the classifieds for advertised positions often didn’t work for older job hunters, as employers commonly sought workers in the 25-35 year age bracket. “If you approach companies directly people are more likely to take a chance.”

Source: The Gold Coast Bulletin