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| Perseverance is Key to Success |
by Joshua Persky - September 29, 2009
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If I had given up at any time during my job search, I would not have found a job, received a second round of publicity for my success and perseverance, or ended up where I am today. My experience illustrates why it is so important to keep your eyes on your goal and maintain the determination to reach it. I never stopped sending out resumes, even when I received very few responses. I never stopped calling people, even when most of the time I spoke with messaging systems. I never stopped meeting with people and going to interviews, even when there was no clear job opening.
I did not know what would work out. So I had to keep trying. When one exciting opportunity after another fizzled out and the doors were shut, I just kept looking for the next open door.
'Perspiration' Is Vital to Success
I emailed hundreds of resumes, made hundreds of telephone calls and networked for months. Yet nothing worked out. Bear Stearns collapsed. The economy and financial markets grew weaker by the day. I was frustrated and rode an emotional roller-coaster, but I never thought of giving up.
When Thomas Edison said, "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration," he wasn't kidding around. He could have said success is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perseverance. He also said, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."
My 1 percent inspiration was my creative idea to go out to Park Avenue to hand out resumes while wearing an "Experienced MIT Grad for Hire" sign board displaying my contact information. My decision to start a blog falls in that category, too. But the rest of my efforts are best characterized as perseverance and perspiration.
Famous Case Studies
Two other great people's quotes are worth noting here. Babe Ruth said: "Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." And Robert Kennedy said: "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."
Indeed, many famous people achieved great things by not giving up. Albert Einstein was a late bloomer who had to overcome many challenges in his lifetime. Sigmund Freud was ostracized when he first presented his theories. Abraham Lincoln failed in his initial steps as a soldier, businessman and politician. Winston Churchill failed as a politician until he became prime minister at age 62. Henry Ford failed many times before he finally got it right.
Be Creative and Stay Upbeat
It is important to keep your eyes on your goal and maintain your determination to reach it. And it's better to be creative and do something different rather than to give up or keep doing the same thing which is not working.
It does not help to worry, panic or surrender. It helps to be creative and constructive. It helps to reach out to people and communicate. It helps to be optimistic and persistent. It helps to get help!
Finding a job is hard work, and as with any job, if you stop working at it, you will not succeed.
There is no limit to what you can achieve if you do not give up. What's more, success will come quicker and be sweeter if the people around you - your family, friends and colleagues - do not give up on you and themselves either. There is no place that patience and perseverance cannot take you.
If you want to succeed, get used to the 99 percent perspiration and throw in the 1 percent inspiration whenever you can.
When unemployed, it is important to do what you have to do to keep your spirits up. Whether it's eating right, exercising regularly, taking walks, meditating or praying, it's important to do whatever it takes to stay centered, healthy and optimistic.
Don't lose hope and don't give up!
Joshua Persky is a New York-based career management author, blogger and lecturer whose professional background is in corporate finance and valuation. Last year he gained worldwide media attention for handing out his resume to strangers on the street while wearing a homemade sandwich board that read: "Experienced MIT Grad for Hire."
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| Jeff (Atlanta) |
on 09 Oct 2009 at 11:45 am |
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| Richard, I can empathize with your situation. I'm in the exact same boat as you. Its like you were telling my story. |
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| Richard (California) |
on 08 Oct 2009 at 10:26 am |
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| Those who give us the advice make it sound like we ALL have the tools and resources necessary to make it happen. I don't. Another article on this site talks about the downside of functional resumes, and how networking can help overcome the things that employers think we're trying to hide with a functional resume. I was never good at networking, I never had mentor of any stripe, and my recent job history can only be described as toilet-worthy. I know what all my mistakes were, and every time I send out a resume and not even get so much as a "kiss our collective tush" I am painfully reminded of those errors. My question is: When do I get to live it down? How many explanations do I have to give before someone believes me? I am about to go to yet another interviewing workshop and I'm terrified because I have to pretend I have a compelling story to tell when, in reality, all I am doing is once again putting lipstick on the pig. Is that what perseverance is all about? How can I be optimistic about THAT? |
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| John B (St. Petersburg) |
on 02 Oct 2009 at 7:49 am |
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| I agree with the article, but if MIT graduates are having a hard time finding work, where does that leave graduates of lesser-known colleges? My main issue is that after seven months of unemployment, I'm recycling applications with the same local companies over and over because I can't afford to relocate to another city. If a person was rejected on prior job applications, will an HR department even consider them for other jobs down the raod? |
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| Rebecca (Ohio) |
on 02 Oct 2009 at 1:38 am |
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Dear Joshua
Thank you
) voluntarily left a very decent job to start a business helping Ohio employers lower their work comp costs in Ohio. Its an excellent idea but the timing was bad indeed. I have gone through all assets and find myself back in a difficult market job market once again
I graduated in 1992 with an MBA Accountancy. Upper and middle level executives were taking entry level jobs so graduates had few options. So here I am once again many years later
Sometimes it seems my parent's advixe to gain an education , work hard and play by the rules was poor advice. It seems those of lesser degrees of ethics or by working the system to their advantage
seem sometimes those persons get ahead.
My grandfather was an immigrant from Greece. People would not rent to him or offer employment because of our funny last name. He went on to start a diner and a poolroom hall and sent four children to college. Ny father served in WWII for this country with that funny last name. His sisters all became teachers for Americian youth.
I know there are hundreds of those stories in family archives. I recently told my elderly Mother who put two girls through college as a single parent that she had lied to us.
She told is hard work and perserverance would pay off in good character and financial stability.
I said why do the Madoffs of the world whom I am sure is just the tip of the corruption often survive and thrive.
She said would you wish I had told you to steal, not to work and to disregard your fellow human beings? I laughingly said "YES" but I have thought about it as I too have a young son I am trying to help mold.
I doubt their (Madoffs etc) parents' taught them to pursue the values and behavior that ensued in their lives. Who knows what makes one go corrupt and completely disregard others.
Maybe they became frustrated after the G00th resume or tenth door closing or who knows why they believe it is their right or privilege or maybe they have ceased caring for the repurcussions on others. Maybe people made jokes about their funny name or heritage.
My grandfather, Aunts, Mother and countless teachers instilled the ethics and morals that live in my heart today. I would have to literally cut out my heart to do things that knowingly hurt others or to not try to pull my fair share of this country's burdens.
I have freedoms and am able to have choices because of the flood of sweat that has flowed to ease my life's burdens
So, in respect to all those who labor for honest livings. From auto factory floor to Wall Street to the struggling actor in Hollywood. I will sent the next resume, make another call and open another potential door for those before me and those yet to follow.
Thanks again for your much needed words Joshua. Your parents must be so proud to have you as their son. I am proud to have you as a fellow worker in this country.
Rebecca Belcher
Dayton Ohio |
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| Thomas (MD) |
on 01 Oct 2009 at 6:21 pm |
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It's been my 5 th month of active searching and 1.5 years of passive searching. I applied to more than 200 jobs in the past 3 months ranging from junior analyst to mid level, but no response. MBA from Uni. of MI and completed the CFA program.
Keeping the spirit up is hard but possible. Hoping things will work out. I think everyday that tomorrow is my day. |
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| Banking Professional (Los Angeles, CA) |
on 01 Oct 2009 at 5:03 pm |
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As challenging as the transition can be in financial services at the moment, I truly appreciate the inspirational words and suggestions.
May it help us all breed success in our search. |
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| Jaime Estrada (Gardena, CA) |
on 01 Oct 2009 at 4:34 pm |
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| I Like this I really appreciate the scrips, I was at that point of giving up like you said in the firs paragraph, I too had sent hundreds of resume and no feed backs form the companies I was sending them to. Thank you for this inspiration now I know I'm not the only one going thru this problem. |
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