A jobseeker set up his own pop-up stand on a Tuesday morning, got an interview within three hours and had a new job by the end of the week.
Haider Malik, 24, decided to head to Canary Wharf in east London on the morning of November 2 hoping to find a position in banking and finance.
With a first-class degree in banking and finance from Middlesex University London, Mr Malik had been searching for a role since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
But he said he became frustrated with Zoom interviews where he couldn't properly showcase his personality.
Inspired by his father Mehmood Malik, 67, a retired cab driver who migrated from Pakistan as a teenager, Mr Malik took a chance and within days he had secured a job offer.
He said: 'The first five minutes or 10 minutes I felt nervous because I was standing there empty-handed.
'I found it really awkward. I didn't know what I was doing, I found it really weird.
'I had all my CVs in my bag. I was standing there empty-handed trying to look at people and hoping to meet people rather than being proactive and speaking to them.'
Haider Malik, 24, pictured, set up a pop-up stand outside Canary Wharf station seeking a job in banking. Mr Malik handed out copies of his CV to commuters and had QR codes so people could download his information
Within hours of erecting his pop-up stand, Mr Malik was invited to interview at the Canary Wharf Group, who later offered him his dream job
Mr Malik said he was inspired by his father Mehmood Malik, who arrived in Britain from Pakistan
Instead, Mr Malik, of Seven Kings, Ilford changed the plan and began smiling at people, engaging them in conversation and handing out copies of his CV.
Ahead of his trip to Canary Wharf, Mr Malik purchased a board from a stationery shop in Romford and attached QR codes to it so people could easily download his CV and view his LinkedIn profile.
He began his morning job seeking at 6.45am to catch the early commuters arriving at Canary Wharf station.
Mr Malik said: 'I held my CV in my hand and I was just saying good morning to people, just trying to engage people in a conversation.
'A lot of people gave me their cards, they gave me their phone numbers, and started talking to me.'
While some people gave words of encouragement, one person on their way to work
