Banner man Steve bags new bank job

After over two months of hunting for work clutching a 6ft tall billboard imploring 'Give Me A Job', Wolverhampton man Steve Lindon has finally found employment.

The determined university-educated 49-year-old picked up his first pay packet today after landing a position dealing with customer accounts at a leading High Street bank.

Mr Lindon, who lives in Pendeford Park, set up pitches in business parks and city centres and even stood outside the Conservative Party conference at the ICC in Birmingham last month.

• Read Steve Lindon's Express & Star blog: My 6ft job-hunting banner and me

He said today: "I have a lot to thank the banner for. It sparked loads of interest but is packed away now and, hopefully, I will not be needing it again any time soon.

"Everybody I met was very supportive and full of encouragement - I think people realise that jobs are not easy to come by at the moment and are sympathetic of those trying to find work.

"I had around 20 job offers either from people who had seen the banner or who had heard about it.

"They ranged from selling fragrances in department stores to working for an independent financial advisor.

"I even had an offer from a company that supplied actors and actresses to Coronation Street and EastEnders. I had four interviews and chose the one that I felt suited me best."

The father-of-three, was made redundant from his last paid job as a bonds administrator with Legal & General in Cardiff 19 months ago and then worked as a volunteer with the charity Mind.

Mr Lindon has been signed up in his new post for six months with the prospect of it becoming full time. The bank involved asked not to be identified.

He said: "I had applied for hundreds of jobs and knew I had to break that cycle if I wanted to get noticed. So I bought the £70 sign."

Mr Lindon, who lives with partner Karen and two of her teenage children, left school at 16 without any qualifications.

He graduated as a mature student with a degree in Business Information Systems in 2001.