Son’s LinkedIn post about the recently fired father goes viral: Good news
Former cashier Peter Judge was often the last face shoppers saw before they left his Phoenix supermarket. He always wanted to be the reason people come back.
“He really loves interacting with people, handling situations with empathy and humility, and putting smiles on people’s faces,” his only son, Patrick McCarthy, told USA TODAY.
When customers return to WinCo Foods, the judge will not be there to greet them. McCarthy, who lives in Woodinville, Washington, near Seattle, said that despite his record as an “excellent employee,” the judge was fired last month.
The judge’s job worked on a points system, and I piled on it too much. McCarthy explained that the judge walked and relied on public transportation to get to work, which sometimes caused him to fall behind schedule.
“If the lights didn’t work in his favor crossing the street, he might have been five or ten minutes late,” he said.
According to McCarthy, the judge’s days off work a few weeks prior to his dismissal apparently put him above his points.
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The son wanted to help his father. He turned to his LinkedIn network to let everyone know Judge, who didn’t have a profile at the time, was open for business.
McCarthy, I’m excited about his next move. wrote in his letter, which went viral with nearly 20,000 reactions. “This person is the person you want on your team.”
overwhelming support
McCarthy, a husband and father of 3-year-olds and nine-month-olds, could be coping with losing his job: The marketing and communications expert was laid off from Coursera last month.
He says he also understands the “power of LinkedIn” when it comes to getting around others navigating “this very strange time of layoffs” at many companies.
But McCarthy said he and his family have not yet received such an outpouring of support.
“It’s a shock,” said McCarthy, 31.
Hundreds of people responded to his LinkedIn post, in which he described his father as an experienced worker in the service industry who loves his job.
“He loves seeing customers look out of his lane for check-ins and updates,” McCarthy wrote. “He told me, ‘I’m good at this stuff.'”
McCarthy shared with his network of more than 500 connections that, like everyone else, his father was “shocked, drained (and) emotional” after losing the job he had enjoyed for nearly four years.
Responses ranged from advice on where Judge could look for his next role to praise for McCarthy’s honest and gracious job supporting his father.
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Even LinkedIn’s own LinkedIn page responded to McCarthy’s post.
“Pete sounds like a first class employee! Keep us posted as he progresses on his journey,” the company post reads.
‘Uncountable amounts of support’
The unexpected popularity drove the judge away.
“The post itself is incredibly well written, and I think that’s what affected people,” he said.
According to McCarthy, in the two weeks since the post went viral, Judge has spoken with several interested companies about potential opportunities.
“The abundant responses, views and endorsements were too much to understand,” the judge said. “I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve lost my job, and within days, I’ve had an untold amount of support from people I don’t even know.”
McCarthy’s father has since started Own LinkedIn account If he is looking for the perfect next opportunity.
“He’s trying to sift through all of this and figure out his next step,” McCarthy said.
The job search has not come without challenges. Judge’s computer would often freeze and “hardly turn on,” according to McCarthy.
“The biggest hurdle I face in this job search is transportation, as I rely on my feet and public transportation,” Judge said.
However, he continues to look for a job where his interpersonal skills are valued.
“The most important aspect of my upcoming role is for it to be something I really enjoy,” Judge said. “I think I want to interact with people face-to-face, because that’s what I love the most and where I feel I can have the biggest impact.”
