Kevin Smiley of Lancaster, PA recently found himself an internship after spending a few days handing out resumes on the streets of Philadelphia. The 2008 Temple graduate decided to hand out resumes outside of the Radian building as a last ditch effort to find employment and stay in Philadelphia. An aspiring sports writer, Smiley had been unemployed since graduation, living in Philadelphia with the help of his parents. Kevin suffers from spina bifida- if he had not found employment quickly, he would have had to return to Lancaster, which is not as handicap-accessible as Philadelphia.

Luckily for Smiley, one passerby who picked up Smiley’s resume handed it off to the right person. An editor at Comcast was seeking interns and brought Smiley in for an interview- which landed him a job. When asked about his new position as an editorial assistant on the Comcast.net home page, Smiley told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “It’s a good start for me. It’s a way to get my foot in the door.”

Yet another story of sidewalk success, Smiley stood out to people in the media industry because, as one CBS employee explained, “kids who aren’t scared to push a little harder make it in media today.” But before you run to the streets with your posterboard and resumes, think twice about how you will be perceived by the people in your industry or at your desired company.