So I'm standing in the median at the corner of Corporate Drive and Legacy in Plano, Texas, holding my sign…wait! I guess a little background is in order.

Two months ago I was laid off from the best job with the best company I had ever worked with. Happily employed. Since that fateful day I've been job hunting. I think I've done everything right. I bought a copy of "What Color is Your Parachute," updated my resume, wrote up case studies, and networked with all the people I know. I even went out knocking on doors, handing out resumes, touting my unique abilities to disinterested companies. I've only been unemployed once before and I'm not good at it.

The Internet is the wave of the future for job hunting. It's evident that it has little to offer the present. My experience shows that there are hundreds of websites and companies specializing in getting the unemployed to pay for services. Other websites cost the job hunter nothing but time. I'm growing skeptical of the numbers of employers who actually hire people who put their resumes on the Internet. I am 0 for 1000s. But, it keeps me busy, putting out eResumes, creating job search profiles and browsing through hundreds of ads. No resulting interviews. Not one.

In this entire job quest I've gotten one interview with a company where I knew the administrative assistant to the President. They didn't hire me because they aren't hiring anyone. I am at heart, an optimist.

They say that when your neighbor is out of a job, it's a recession and when you are out of a job it's a depression. During a depression, extraordinary measures are sometimes necessary to jump start one's personal economy. After a month of fruitless efforts to rejoin the ranks of corporate America, I concluded that my road to salvation would require that I get out and do the paving. My wife and I decided we would start a business. We sat down together to assess our skills.

I'm an unemployed supply chain expert with 12 years working with the largest companies in America and she's a homemaker. We started a cleaning service. We call it "Cleaning Up In Texas." Our service specializes in cleaning vacant apartments and houses for realtors and property management companies. We have our million dollars of liability insurance, business cards, new phone number, an accountant, rate sheets and flyers. We sent out all our information, pitched it to area realty companies and property management companies and waited for the phone to ring…nothing…nada.

Now I'm told that my greatest strength is problem solving and creative thinking. The problem, as I see it now, is that I believed my own press. While thinking about how to break out of the mold of the typical job seeker, I came up with a brilliant idea. It was perfect. Original, funny, heartfelt, clever and sure to get results. I wrote a great cover letter, wrote a new resume, and made my sign. "OUT OF WORK SUPPLY CHAIN EXPERT. WILL WORK FOR SIX FIGURES, and benefits. PLEASE TAKE RESUME." I ran this by friends and family. They all thought it was a great idea. They all marveled at my creativity and boldness. Surely, this would get me a job. I would be the talk of the water-cooler crowd. So off to Plano, Texas, where some of the largest companies in America are located. It was rush hour. Lots of cars. I had plenty of resumes.

The people in the cars were apparently not amused. Not one of them wanted my resume. Most would avert their eyes. Out of hundreds of drivers only two smiled. These people had jobs but they didn't look happy. They should cheer up. It could be worse; they could be me standing out in the median with that ridiculous sign. I did learn that dignity is a small price to pay when trying to support the family. If I can stand out in public and make a fool of myself, I can do anything. Someone will get a great employee…eventually.