A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser for Inn from the Cold featuring keynote speaker Christopher Gardner, the inspiration behind the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness”.

It was truly a remarkable evening and he is one of the best speakers I have ever heard! Many of you are probably familiar with his story , as portrayed in the movie, of being homeless on the streets of San Francisco.  As a parent, I was deeply touched by the sacrifices he made to try to shield his son from their hardships and give him as normal a life as possible.

Chris was working during their period of homelessness and had a burning desire within to become successful in the field of finance.  After earning a spot in the Dean Witter Reynolds training program, Chris began to pursue his dream of becoming a broker.  He talked about how he would make 200 calls a day in hopes of building his “book” or business.

Think about it! 200 phone calls a day!  He joked that his finger was permanently crooked from dialing the phone!

I can’t help but think there is a lesson in his story - particularly as it relates to having the persistence to overcome tough situations.  He was willing to start at the bottom, work hard and set big goals.  Through persistence and a whole lot of hard work, he has exceeded beyond even his wildest dreams.

Each day at BOWEN, our recruiters meet with unemployed candidates who are discouraged by the soft job market and who have knocked on a lot of doors to try to find a new opportunity.

I use the Chris Gardner story as an illustration to encourage anyone who is currently looking for work or wanting to better their current work situation to keep trying.  Keep calling, sending resumes, following up with your network and talking to people.  Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom.  With persistence and a belief in yourself, the doors will open and you will create a new opportunity.