Man, 63, made redundant over lockdown dons smartest suit to hand out 200 CVs at local train stations

'I got to the point where I thought, 'I can't just be sitting here in front of a computer anymore',' Trevor Walford says

(Trevor Waldord / SWNS)

A 63-year-old man who lost his job because of Covid-19 has taken to the streets to find work after sending out more than 700 CVs in a vain bid to find work.

Ex-restaurant manager Trevor Walford says he was fed up of getting 'rejection after rejection' after sending out hundreds of resumes since being made redundant in March.

So earlier this week he donned his best suit and started personally handing out around 200 CVs at railway stations near his home in Leeds, West Yorks.

Throughout the day he visited four West Yorkshire train stations with a bundle of CVs and a sign reading: 'I would like to work, please feel free to take a CV'.

Trevor, who trained as a butler at Buckingham Palace, handed out a total of 200 CVs.

He said the response since has been "unbelievable", adding that a number of employers have already been in touch with potential work.

He said: "I got to the point where I thought, 'I can't just be sitting here in front of a computer anymore'.

"None of the applications were getting me anywhere so I decided to do something different to get myself out there.

"I think some people who saw me thought I was a bit mad but I got an amazing response from plenty of others.

"With all this exposure, I think a job is around the corner."

(Trevor Waldord / SWNS)

He added that over the past few months he has spoken to a number of employment experts and altered his CV 25 times in a bid to bolster his chances.

Trevor, who's from Keighley, West Yorks., said despite sending out 700 job applications since March he was only offered one interview, which lasted 20 minutes.

Trevor said: "I was sending CVs out left right and centre but kept on receiving rejection after rejection after rejection.

"I thought to myself, 'why on earth can't I get a job?'

"The whole process has been incredibly stressful, I used to wake up some mornings thinking that there was no way out."

On Tuesday Trevor made himself stand out from the crowd by pitching up with his CVs at train stations in Skipton, Keighley, Bingley and Leeds.

He says his preferable line of work is in the hospitality industry but that he would take "anything", whether it be stacking shelves or in a warehouse.

Trevor had been working as a restaurant manager onboard cruise ships for Saga for 16 years when he was notified of his redundancy via email in March.

He said: "It was a huge blow to me, I had put a lot of work into and really dedicated myself to the company for many years."

Prior to working for Saga, Trevor mainly worked in hotels, including the Ritz in London, and has around 40 years' experience working in hospitality.

He begun his career training as a butler at Buckingham Palace aged just 15.

Trevor, who has no children and has been divorced three times, said: "I'm 63 years old but I still have so much more to give.

"I've worked in hotels all over the world and have so much experience that I can pass on to the younger generation."

Trevor, who enjoys running and hiking, describes himself as "fit and healthy" and says he believes ageism is at the root of his employment woes.

He added: "Considering the amount of experience I have and the jobs I've been applying for the only possible reason I don't have a job right now is ageism.

"Everyone seems to want young workers but who is going to train them? That's what people like me are for."

Trevor is encouraging other older people in his position to "get themselves out there" and refuse to "give up" searching for work.

He said: "It's easy to feel sorry for yourself and get into a rut but just try to get online, make contacts and, if you can, do something a bit different."

Trevor said he "can't wait" to be back in work again, adding: "If I have to have a conversation with my kettle one more time I don't know what I'll do."

Any potential employers interested in hiring Trevor can find him on Linkedin.