Nate MinorTurner Barr has been traveling around the world for six years, funding his adventures by working along the way. His blog Around the World in 80 Jobs offers tips and documented his travels, like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxBhZlaIrJc
It was a great success.
Then Adecco, a multinational human resources company, started using “Around the World in 80 Jobs” as the name of a promotion.
Barr wrote this on his blog, which may or may not be working as you read this.
I haven’t been able to write a new post in over a month while dealing with this — my creative energy has been zapped. I’m no longer even the first thing that comes up when you Google my brand name. I’ve turned down work opportunities and put on hold any future travel job plans to deal with lawyers, long distance phone calls, corporate executives and other such nonsense — all along feeling misled and patronized.
This situation has been extremely confusing for not only myself, but also for participants in company’s marketing campaign who message me thinking that I am am part of the company. With hard work I strived, and almost succeeded, in creating my dream job. I feel like my dream job has been taken from me in order for some company to promise it to others for corporate marketing gain. I have, to date, never been publicly acknowledged, compensated, credited, or apologized to, by this company.
He also posted this video explaining the situation.
In response, the company posted this message to their Facebook page.
We’re sorry for some recent negative comments. We’d like to make something clear.
The intention of Adecco’s youth initiative was to give perspective to young people so they can better prepare to enter the workforce and achieve their ambitions. Youth unemployment throughout the world is an at all time high. This can not stand.
We understand there is concern with the use of the term “Around The World In 80 Jobs” and we take this seriously. We’ve worked to resolve this and to create a mutually beneficial solution. We will continue to do so. In the meantime, our only goal is to inspire young people to find a way to work. We invite you to join us.
The Internet isn’t buying it. A Reddit thread is clearly on the blogger’s side, and the tweets displaying on the company’s website are as well.
