Persistence is Key

POSTED BY AIDA ON 04/22/2009

In November, I was browsing through Posao.ba, a site similar to Monster.com, when I saw an advertisement for a communications agency. The agency looked appealing, so I checked out the Web site.

I liked what I saw. A public relations/marketing agency with a great mission, a good set of clients and, even better, they were hiring.

I applied for an assistant job. After a week I called and spoke with someone from the office and they informed me that my application was sent to the main office and to call again the following week. I called again and  was told that someone would call me.  Unfortunately, no one called and then the holidays rolled around putting the job on the back burner.

In March, I was back on Posao.ba when I saw that the agency had an advertisement, this time for the job position that I had applied for. I applied again and noted my previous application.

A week passed and I called.

I asked about my application and in return was asked a few questions about my previous experience, where I went to school, when did I graduate, etc. I was then told that I should be contacted either way (as in interview or no interview) and that in case I didn’t hear from anyone to call again and ask for a specific contact.

A week later, I called again and scheduled an interview.

What’s the point of this whole story?

Persistence is key.

If I had given up, never called or applied again, never persisted, I may have not gotten to this point.

There were definite moments when I was frustrated and wanted to say the hell with it, but I didn’t, because I figured that I still had a chance since I was never told “No.”

In the end, it’s about going after what you want because if you want something bad enough, you’ll work hard and do whatever it takes to get it.

In the end, it’s about persistence.

-Aida

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6 Responses to “Persistence is Key”

  1. Carlos Miceli | May 18, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Amen Aida. This is a great example of persistence. In fact, I’ve always believed that it’s not about we wanting it hard enough. It’s about people noticing it. And they always do. A motivated wannabe employer beats any other candidate.

    Great post, congratulations Aida.

  2. AIDA | May 27, 2009 at 5:33 am

    Carlos, thank you for the comment. I agree, showing that you’re motivated and willing to do what it takes, will put you above the rest of the applicants.

  3. Daniel Hoang | June 27, 2009 at 11:13 am

    I found that it’s persistence and also luck/timing. You can be the best employee in the world, but if you’re applying when there’s no need to expand the team, then you might not make it on the radar. In my job searches, I take the shotgun approach: blast a large number, of high quality applications.

    That said, I like your approach. You have to be on the right tail of the curve, and take that extra step that sets you apart from the pack. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take much to be above the rest.

  4. AIDA | June 28, 2009 at 8:25 am

    Daniel, thanks for the comment. Timing is very important, not just when searching for jobs, but life overall. It seems that I’ve gotten the persistence part down, but my timing hasn’t been that great. I’m hoping that I’ll get both right soon enough. Thanks again!

  5. Grace Boyle | July 3, 2009 at 11:14 am

    I was excited to hear the outcome…so what happened, did you end up having the interview and/or getting the job? Your persistence really did pay off and was a great story in not giving up.

    I always tell myself (when I was/am job searching) that the company placed the ad or inquiry for the job. They opted into placing it publicly and I’m not annoying them to follow up with determination and persistence.

    At the startup I work at we’ve been hiring recently so I see how it works on the other side. We become very busy and the process for a new job candidate takes time outside of the projects and job we need to finish. This means sometimes an applicant calls a lot before they’re in the office for an interview but persistence has always paid off in this case. It keeps us on our toes and they show us they really care.

    Thanks for sharing.

  6. AIDA | July 9, 2009 at 2:45 am

    Thanks for the comment Grace. I did have the interview, but unfortunately I didn’t get the job. Like I told Daniel, my timing hasn’t been that great, but I’m hoping it’ll all work out soon. I’m glad you shared what the hiring process is like from the standpoint of the company and I agree that persistence shows that you really care.