How I Beat Out 500 Applicants Without Even Knowing It

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When I was 28, I had already lost everything in my real estate business, moved home after another failed relationship, was making $10 an hour, and had $100 to my name.

I had started a side hustle two years before, was finishing the last year of my bachelor’s degree, was working full time in a boring cubicle, and was applying for any decent job that I could find.

I applied for an admin role at a billion-dollar insurance firm that I knew nothing about.

Somehow I landed an interview, and arrived 10 minutes early.

I was informed that the interviews were the previous day, that I had blown my shot at the interview, and was asked to leave.

When I went and checked all of the info, I had proof that I had arrived on the day I was told to be there.

However, none of that mattered to the corporate team that had driven in from another state to conduct the interviews 24 hours prior.

I decided to find their HR email. I crafted a short apology about missing the interview and wasting their time. I explained why I arrived at the time I did, and wished them luck on their interviews.

I knew there was no shot in hell that I would ever work there.

The next day, I got an email from the HR department telling me that they were coming back the following week to do final interviews, and asking me if I would attend.

I did.

And I got the job.

This company had 15 internal employees at this location, and I was hired at the lowest position in the company.

Eight months later, the Vice President from another state stopped in and told me in confidence that they were going to be removing my boss from her position due to conflicts.

He asked if I would apply for the job.

It never crossed my mind that I could do that, but he encouraged me to do so.

A month later, I had gone from the lowest position to replacing the highest leader in their role.

I continued to work hard and nurture that relationship with the VP.

One day, I asked him why he asked me to apply for the role.

He told me that he was so impressed by my apology email after the misunderstanding with my missed first interview that he wanted to meet me.

He then said that during my interview, he saw something in me that represented the kind of leadership he wanted in his company, and he thought I might be a good replacement for the current manager.

I asked him how many people had applied for that first job I got hired for.

I expected him to say maybe 50.

“Over 500 people applied for that.”

That changed my life.

The confidence that he had in my abilities made me realize that I needed to look harder at what I brought to the table.

Because at 28, I didn’t see what he saw.

I saw someone who had lost everything, was making $10 an hour, had $100 to his name, and had just screwed up an interview.

He saw someone who took responsibility when things went wrong, communicated well, worked hard, and had the potential to lead.

He saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself yet.

I ended up spending almost three years there before leaving to pursue my side hustle as a digital solopreneur full-time.

In my final year there, my employer had their most profitable year under my management since their creation 14 years earlier.

I eventually became the person he thought I could be.

I had no experience in their field or great confidence at 28, but I was capable of communicating well and working hard.

In today’s world, sometimes that is enough to put you ahead of 500 other people.

And sometimes, someone else will see your potential before you do.

Don’t underestimate yourself.

You will never really know the impact you are having on those around you when you attempt to do things well.

You also never know who is watching.

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