I
caused a radio advertisement to be made on my behalf when personal attempts to
get an apartment through family and friends yielded very little results. In the
advertisement, I mentioned some areas I was looking at securing the apartment
without the hustle of dealing with agents for a whopping 10% commission on the
2-year advance payment made to the landlord, aside the equally mandatory
‘moving fee’, for very incommensurate work done.
I
almost regretted doing that, as my phone would not stop ringing - a call
literally came through almost every 2 minutes for about an hour after the
announcement is made on air thrice a day. A significant number of the calls
were property owners with apartments outside my preferred locations, which made
the episode really irksome. The more exacerbating part was the fact that
apartments in my preferred locations were being let out for a price, sometimes
twice my budget (which was also quite high, in my estimation). “Do I revise
upwards my budget, which will drain me financially, or do I consider other
locations?” I asked her (let’s leave
it there). Considering relevant factors like easy access to transportation and
distance to various places like work and church, vehicular traffic amongst
other things, the former seemed appropriate. Something had to give, anyway.
So
after about two weeks of futile search, whilst considering the revised budget
estimate and how it distorted plans, I thought of ending the call from the man
who had called me after hearing the announcement on air that particular
afternoon with an apartment in a location I hadn’t even thought of - I didn’t
like it. I had consigned myself to the fact that I needed to pay more than
expected if I really wanted a property in any of my preferred locations, so
what business did I have talking to this man? Nonetheless, out of courtesy, I
listened to him and for no apparent reason, decided to visit the location with
a friend of mine later that day. Suffice it to say, we were completely blown
away. It was exactly what I was looking for, at a very reasonable rate, but not
in my list of preferred locations. I however, settled on it after some
enquiries from some acquaintances that lived around.
Out
of curiosity, I sought to elicit from my would-be landlord why he called me
even though his property was outside the locations he had heard on air.
“Tenacity”, he said in vernacular. I sighed.
Is
it the reason why an individual will apply to fill a role in a company whilst
he doesn’t possess the requisite qualifications required? Is it the reason why
that young man still continues to pursue his love interest in that lady who is
out of his league? Is it the reason why some people persevere to reach the top contrary
to what the naysayers tell them on their daunting journey up the ladder? Is it
what drives some to punch above their weight and still win? My landlord nodded
in agreement.
So
what am I saying in this piece? I’m simply telling you not to lose hope when
you do not meet the requirements set out in the job posting. I’m asking you not
to pay any attention to the required years of experience being sought for the
role. They may not call you for an interview – they may hang up on you, and
that is understandable. But what if they don’t? Have you thought about it? What
if they call for an interview and take a gamble on you? But you see? There is
one caveat in embarking on this journey. Please know that if you are asking
another to take a gamble on you whilst fully armed with the knowledge that you
ordinarily do not qualify for the role, then it is only fair and proper that,
like my would-be landlord did, you blow them away with what you actually possess,
either instantly or over a period. Make their gamble worthwhile, either the
employer, the lady (*wink*) or whoever.
More Vim…Let’s Go…
No comments:
Post a Comment