You may have heard about NJIT Engineering student Angel Plaza. His viral LinkedIn post sparked attention after NJ Advance Media covered him standing at MLK Boulevard, handing out his professional resume to motorists...with hopes of landing a job.
WBGO’s Charisma Lyles sat down recently with Plaza who got his inspiration from a well-known rapper, the late Nipsey Hussle.
Plaza is the kind of individual who may be reserved at first, but once you get to know him, he opens up like a book. He says that instead of dwelling upon his losses, he sought help from a high school English teacher, who suggested the unconventional idea of distributing his resumes to all who would take it.
He also carried a poster that read “Engineering student looking for a job, please take resume....at the end of that message.... #themarathoncontinues...a reference to the late Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle. Hussle died March 31 at the hands of gun violence in front of his flagship merchandise store, The Marathon Clothing.
Plaza says the rapper’s message resonates with him.
Why didn’t Angel just ask for money? He could of...but when onlookers offered, he refused....knowing getting a real job would bring long term gratification. So far, his plan has paid off, he’s working in the City of Newark’s Office of Information Technology Department.
As an engineering student, Plaza says he’s always been diligent about his studies....how does he de-stress? He uses modeling as a creative outlet. And if there’s one thing he’s learned throughout these experiences, is that: FAIL is an acronym for “Failed Attempt in Learning”.
Click above to hear Charisma Lyle's report on Angel Plaza.