Former Buckingham Palace butler, 63, lands two job interviews by handing out CVs at railway station
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A former butler at Buckingham Palace has landed two job interviews after donning his best suit to hand out CVs at a railway station.
Trevor Walford, 63, lost his job as a restaurant manager in Keighley, West Yorkshire, during lockdown.
After spending months at home being knocked-back for jobs, the former hotel worker took his job search to Leeds railway station, armed with his best suit, a sign and a stack of CVs.
He talked to hundreds of people during his search last Tuesday and when he got home found that his LinkedIn page had been viewed more than 100,000 times.
Mr Walford, whose first job was as a butler at Buckingham Palace at the age of 15, has since had two job interviews and has been offered other opportunities.
He told the BBC: ‘I spent two months applying to catering agencies and I never got any replies, now all of a sudden every catering agency in the world wants to know me.’
Trevor Walford, 63, stood in Leeds railway station last Tuesday and handed out his CV to anyone who would take it
A week later, Mr Walford, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, has had two job interviews and has been offered other opportunities
He added: ‘I’ve had lots and lots of messages from young people saying you’ve been an inspiration to us.
‘It’s a competitive market out there, I’d encourage youngsters to do the same thing, don’t get despondent, get out there, hand out your CV.’
Speaking last week, Mr Walford said: ‘I live alone and after months of sitting here, applying for jobs online, I got tired of it all.
‘I figured I should put myself out there, so that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t think much of it really.
‘But when I was in Leeds station, the amount of people that came over – probably because I was in a suit and a crappy sign – and spoke to me, it was all just so brilliant. I spoke to so many people.’
He had been left devastated after losing his job in March and had spent almost every hour of every day trying to find a new role.
But with restaurants pulling down the shutters up and down the country, he struggled to find work.
‘I suppose I am one of many who are in this situation – it has been a very difficult time,’ he said.
‘But after feeling sorry for myself, I realised that I do not want to just sit around and do nothing. I just cannot do that. So I begun looking for work anywhere I could get it.’
Mr Walford admitted he feels employees shouldn’t shy away from hiring him because of his age and he thinks he has been shunned from certain jobs in favour of younger workers.
‘I am as fit as I have been. I could probably do more push-ups than most 30-year-olds,’ he said.
Trevor’s first job was as a butler at Buckingham Palace at the age of 15, he has since spent most of his life working in the hotel and restaurant industry
‘Just because of my age, and previous roles, does not mean I am not happy to take a role – I would be happy to stack shelves.
‘Right now, I need to keep my head above water. And I want to give myself the best opportunity to be back in work. That’s why I put the suit on and travelled to the station.’
‘I’m blown away by all the support, but all I want is to be back in work,’ he said.
‘I know it’s a difficult time right now, for so many people. My message to those in my situation would be to get out there and keep on pushing, keep on knocking on the door.
‘If you show that you really want it, you’ll give yourselves the best chance possible. I hope I have done that.’
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