Homeless Man Stands on Corner Handing Out Resumes Instead of Asking for Cash
College can be some of the best years of your life. Whether you enjoy socializing or getting down to business and learning as much as you can, you get your first taste of being on your own and managing your own life.
The structure of classes is comforting to some students, and when they graduate, the “real world” can seem a bit daunting. But fortune favors the bold, and those who strike out with courage and determination, we’re told, will go places.
David Casarez graduated from Texas A&M University after studying for a Management Information Systems degree. He had dreams of a start-up company.
He knew that the place to be for all things tech was Silicon Valley, so he eventually made the trek from Texas to California to pursue his dreams.
“I know that Silicon Valley was the place to be if you want to compete with the big dogs,” he said, and he was determined to do what it took to make it work.
That meant he had to live in his van and rely on his savings. He had about four months’ worth of cash, and was hopeful he’d figure things out before his funds ran out.
He had a decent resume — Texas A&M graduate, plus three years of experience as a software developer. That should have done it.
In many cases, graduates fresh out of school have a terrible time trying to find work because they have no experience, and companies seem to want to pay entry-level salary but require a ridiculous amount of experience. Casarez should’ve been golden.
Today I saw this young homeless man asking for people to take a resume rather than asking for money. If anyone in the Silicon Valley could help him out, that would be amazing. Please RT so we can help David out! pic.twitter.com/ewoE3PKFx7
— FullMakeup Alchemist (@jaysc0) July 27, 2018
But four months passed, and he hadn’t gotten the break he’d hoped for. His van, the only shelter he had, was repossessed, and he found himself homeless, sleeping in a park.
Desperate for any kind of work, Casarez did what seemed best: he stood on the street and held a sign, offering resumes to anyone who would take one.
“I call it the power of broke mentality,” he said. “You’re gonna do what you need to do to survive. That mentality kicked in. I thought to myself, if I could get one person to take my resume that would give me hope.”
A lady driving by saw the industrious young man and wanted to help his message get out. She took a photo and posted it to Twitter, pleading with anyone who could to give him a lead or a job.
The amount of attention and offers that have resulted has been staggering. Casarez has been contacted by hundreds of people from all over the world, including Canada, Tokyo and Saudi Arabia.
Now, with a brighter future ahead of him, Casarez has some words of wisdom for people who might find themselves in a similar situation.
“Never give up,” he said. “An opportunity is sure to come your way. Keep you head up high, and don’t be afraid to stand out. Don’t be afraid to be that pin drop in a hay stack.”
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