Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
--Calvin Coolidge
Amen. I was interested in working for PacBell in September 1977, but the California Public Utilities Commission had frozen their budget. I took a job repairing marine electronics and even had to join the IBEW union. This after graduating at 19 from UCSD and finishing a year of graduate work. I found the right people at PacBell and checked in every 2 weeks until I got the green light in April 1980. Two years of calling. My start date was April 21, 1980. I stayed with them until November 30, 1991 when I was hired away to my current employer.
That job at PacBell started at $19,000. Not great for 1980. I taught school in the evening to augment my income. I was able to earn $40,000 that year between the two jobs. By 1985, I had been promoted such that the PacBell job alone was paying $44,000. I left at $60,300 in November 1991.
BTW, that union job started at $4.75/hour in September 1977. I demonstrated that I was worth a bunch more than that. I was making $9.10/hour by June 1978 when I got married. My wife and I purchased out first house in May 1978.