with no friends, no contacts and only a little money in my pocket. I
needed work. What I did have was confidence. I had been through some
very hard times, and had learned to fight for what I wanted, and not
to accept "no" for an answer.
I met a fellow who was a courier and he suggested that I try it. He
gave me thenames of some courier companies. I visited severaland
filled out applications, but there was one company in particular that
I liked. It seemed well outfitted and professionally run. I spoke to
the human resources manager and he told me that they did not need
anyone but that I should check back in several months. "Summertime is
slow here," he said. "Try us in fall."
I came back early the next morning. I couldn't wait until autumn, and
I wasn't interested in sitting aroundand hoping for someone tolook at
my application and call me. I knew they had stacks of applications in
filing drawers. I had decided where I wanted to work, and all that
remained was for them to accept my reality.
The HR manager said, "Weren't you here yesterday and I told you we
don't need anyone?" I said yes, but I thought maybe someone might
callin sick and they could use me just for the day. The HR manager
gave me an appraising look and said, "No, nothing like that. Whydon't
you come back in a month?"
I came back the next day. This time the HR man smiled and said, "I'll
tell you what, come back in one week."
I came back the next day. Itwas a Thursday. The HR man rolled his eyes
in exasperation and said, "Listen. Come back on Monday and I'll see
what I can do."
I came back the next day, Friday. He gave me a job starting that day.
I worked for that company for five years and got promoted twice.
That's a true story.
I know it's harder nowadays with the economy in shambles. I'm not
guaranteeing that you can get a job by following these tips. But it
will certainly help your chances,Insha'Allah. And if you take that
same persistence and apply it to every endeavor in your life, I
believe you will find that even mountains will crumble before you.
And Allah knows best.
I'm really not a fan of Madison Avenue's ubiquitous ad messages, but
there was a Nike ad that I saw once that really resonated for me. In
fact I tore it out of the magazine and pasted it up on the wall, right
beside my bed. It said:
All your life you are told the things you cannot do.All your life they
will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough;
they will say you're the wrongheight or the wrong weight or the wrong
typeto play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a
thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your
life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES.
May Allah help all of you and provide for you and your families.
(O Allah), Guide us to the straight path; The path ofthose whom you
have favored; Not those with whom you are angry; Northose who go
astray.