A Desperate Journey To Job-Hunting Victory

Pure folly! That’s what many would call it, while others will label it “RISK,” but you do not care how people regard it. You were simply desperate and trying to survive, but in the end, regardless of how they demonize your actions, it paid off.

You wake up hopeful, as usual, and roll over to check your miserable-looking phone. It is just 4:43 am. You do not need your 6 am alarm to wake you up. Is it anxiety? Is it insomnia? You don’t know, and you do not care. Lately, you seem not to care about a lot of things. I guess that is what 2 years of job-hunting without result does to a desperate individual. However, all you care about now is the supposed interview, scheduled to be held by 8 am. You crawl out of bed and kneel by the edge of the bed to pray…

Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt! You suddenly awake to the sound of your 7 am alarm. “My God!” you shout. You rush to take your bath and get ready for the interview. Fortunately, you are a minimalist, so it takes little time to get prepared. It’s 7:20 am. The venue for the interview is barely a 15-minute drive. You assure yourself that all is well. You walk out of the house, muttering a short prayer and board a taxi. Despite the driver’s insolence, you maintain your calm. You won’t allow this ignoramus to jinx an auspicious day like this. You then stray in thoughts.

While in the taxi you remember how the past years have been. Also, you remember how you undulated from one interview to another. Your second-class upper result in Law has yet to pave any lucrative path for you. You reminisce on different rejections you’ve received and their various reasons. Is it the Oil and Gas company whose manager refused you a job because you are Igbo? That manager, who was alarmed at the hearing of your name “Nwafor Emeka.” Or is it the investment start-up whose Hiring Manager made a sexual advance? Of course, you didn’t land the job because you wouldn’t dance to her tune. What about the eccentric General Manager of the pharmaceutical company who claimed to be offended by your over-confidence? Or is it…

You are interrupted by the shout of the insolent driver. “Óga, are you not going to Bódìjà?” You are about to insult the driver for stating the obvious when you look out the window, and it dawns on you. You realize you are way past Bódìjà. Unfortunately, you’re in Ọjà Ọba. You are suddenly riled up. You blame the driver for not telling you when he passed Bódìjà. In his defence, the driver claimed you didn’t speak up. You don’t have time to argue. It’s 7:56 am already. You alight from the taxi to go back.

Finally, you arrive at Benson Agro-allied Company by 8:13 am. You rush in and do not remember to collect your change from the driver who keeps calling and can’t help wondering why someone will refuse to collect change in this Agbada economy. You ask the receptionist to direct you to the HR office. The receptionist reprimands you for coming late. She demands to see your credentials. You make a mental note to show the receptionist pepper after you land the job. You then reach out to get your credentials from your bag. Your heart misses a beat. You find every other thing except your credentials.

Even the business card of the charity group that solicited your help the previous week appears to be in the bag. The remains of the chin-chin you ate under the sun in one of your job-hunting expeditions the other day are also here. All except your credentials file are here. You then remember that you dropped it on the dining table while getting dressed. Unfortunately, you forgot to pick it up. You tell the already agitated and suspecting receptionist your dilemma. The receptionist gives a sly smile and tells you to leave the company.

Impulsively, you defy the receptionist’s order and head towards the HR office. The receptionist is shocked and alarmed, but you won’t let anything deter you. You have not cared for a long time, but you care this time. Even your village people cannot stop you this time. You didn’t knock or ask permission to get in. Instead, you open the door and let yourself in. You see the face of the utterly surprised HR manager with his mouth agape.

After recovering, the HR manager asks, “What in the world is going on?” You are about to respond when the receptionist comes rushing in. She tells the HR manager the whole situation with a little exaggeration. You make another mental note to remember to advise her to consider a career in scriptwriting. The HR manager instructs the receptionist to excuse him and you. The receptionist is reluctant but eventually leaves after eyeing you. You do not care anyway. You got the attention you need.

Three months later, you are a legal consultant in the Agro-allied firm. Apparently, your rude action impressed the HR manager. The company needed a strong-willed consultant, which the previous consultant did not. What could be a better display of strong will than the stunt you pulled off the other day? You didn’t need to write a test and you didn’t need to show your credentials. Also, You didn’t need to know someone. All odds seemed to be against you, but you landed the job. What a twist!

Some might call it folly, and others might label it RISK. 

You were simply being human, and you won in the end.