'I never thought I'd be in this situation'

SEATTLE -- Desperate times have pushed a former journalist and public relations pro to launch a new promotional campaign with himself as the subject.

For Lee Somerstein, it's been a rough road to the corner of Madison and Fourth. Somerstein is usually the one selling stories, but these days, he's selling resumes on the street.

"I never thought I'd be in this situation. I'm good at what I do. I've had success at every level," he said. "I was a news editor for ABC in New York. "I was the news director for KOMO Radio way back when. I handled media relations for Sound Transit at the height of their crisis building light rail."

Somerstein has since gone from public relations to panhandling. He now sits with his pets in front of Safeco Plaza where he once worked with a pile of resumes.

"I feel vulnerable and exposed," he said.

Being the PR pro that he is, Somerstein sent out a media advisory about his tough times and the corner he'd be on. He's even submitted his story to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

"Man, the first ones companies cut in hard times is their marketing departments," he said.

At his peak, Somerstein earned six figures. These days, he relies on unemployment after losing his last two jobs and his home.

"I wouldn't be here if i wasn't struggling," he said. "My emergency resources ran out last July, and I couldn't pay my mortgage anymore."

He's sent resumes to companies around the country and has been called "overqualified" - a word Somerstein worries is another word for "old."

"It's hard for people over 50 to find work, especially in these conditions," he said.

But if anybody knows how to market himself, it would be the man on the corner whose spent a lifetime marketing others.

Somerstein says he's been surprised to find that people who were once homeless themselves have been the most generous with well wishes and contributions to his shoe box.

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.