Like numerous other graduates, Alex who recently left Swansea University with a degree in French and Italian, had been searching unsuccessfully for work. Unlike other graduates however, Alex scaled unusual heights to secure employment. After being picked at random from thousands of applicants across the UK to stand on Anthony Gormley’s Fourth Plinth, Alex made use of his hour long occupancy by rolling out a massive copy of his CV and waving a huge sign which demanded “give me a job.”
His forthright appeal caught the eye of a potential employer and led to him getting an offer of paid work from a London business consultancy.
As well as being the stuff of urban legend, Alex Kearns' story draws attention to the dire condition of graduate unemployment. Commenting, NUS president Wes Streeting said: "While not every graduate will be able to take to the Fourth Plinth to get themselves a job, Alex Kearns' efforts do highlight the wider crisis facing the graduate jobs market.”
He continued: “With over a million young people on the unemployment lists, this is a worrying time for those leaving university with record levels of debt. We remain very concerned about how the current employment market will also affect current students - the majority of whom rely on part time work to meet their costs of living."
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