How I Finally Landed a Job at a Top Company After Numerous Failures
- Afri Careers
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 22
I’m Susan, a marketing graduate based in Kampala. Despite holding a degree in Marketing and completing several impactful internships, I spent nearly five years submitting CV after CV without so much as a “thank you for applying.” The few interviews I did land felt hopeful—but each time, the silence afterward was more deafening than any rejection letter.
At first, I blamed the tough job market. Then I began to question myself—maybe my qualifications just weren’t good enough. In an effort to improve my chances, I enrolled in an online course to strengthen my CV. But even after completing it, the silence remained. Applications went unanswered. Interviews led nowhere. Meanwhile, people I had studied and trained with were securing jobs, moving forward. I stayed behind, waiting—hoping.
Over time, the support around me started to fade. My family, once reassuring, grew weary. Friends slowly drifted away. Seeing others dressed for work in the morning felt like a punch to the gut. I’d close my curtains and lie in bed, wondering what was wrong with me. Many nights, I cried myself to sleep, unsure of what the future held.
The hardest moment came when my younger brother got a job before me. I was genuinely proud of him—but deep down, it broke something in me. I couldn’t help but ask, “Why not me?”
One evening, after yet another rejection email, it finally hit me—it wasn’t that I lacked qualifications. I had the degree, I had the internship experience, and I had the passion. What I didn’t have was the strategy. The way I was presenting myself was far too generic, and I had been looking in all the wrong places. It was time to change everything.
I began by reimagining my CV and cover letter. Instead of listing responsibilities, I highlighted results. Every project, every campaign I had touched—I backed it up with numbers, real outcomes, and the value I had added. My cover letter shifted from being a summary of my skills to a story of transformation, describing challenges I’d faced, how I navigated them, and the impact I had left behind. I wanted hiring managers to feel like they already knew me before they met me.
Next came the mock interviews. I turned to people I trusted—friends, former supervisors, mentors—and asked them to put me through the wringer. No sugarcoating. I wanted the brutal truth. With each session, I refined my delivery, learned to anticipate tricky questions, and developed a sense of ease that made my responses feel less rehearsed and more human. I learned that confidence wasn’t about knowing everything—it was about knowing how to tell your story with clarity and belief.
Most importantly, I stopped applying in silence. I started networking—not with the aim of begging for a job, but to build genuine connections. I reached out to marketing professionals on LinkedIn, introduced myself with humility, attended local events, asked thoughtful questions, and offered whatever value I could—sometimes a fresh perspective, sometimes just listening. I wasn’t just looking for opportunities anymore—I was learning from people who were already where I wanted to be.
And that changed everything.
Slowly, the silence began to break. A few replies trickled in, and then one day, the phone rang. It was the call I had been waiting for: they wanted to meet me.
In the days leading up to the interview, I immersed myself in everything about the company—their competitors, recent campaigns, internal culture, long-term goals. I didn’t just want to show up; I wanted to show up ready.
When the day arrived, I walked in with more than just a polished CV. I brought focus, confidence, and clarity. Every behavioral question was met with a real, relevant example. I didn’t just respond—I connected. I asked thoughtful questions, listened actively, and showed genuine interest in how I could contribute to their mission.
Not long after, the email landed in my inbox. It was the moment everything shifted. They were offering me the role.
Today, I’m proud to say I work at one of the top marketing firms—a position I once only dreamed about. It wasn’t an easy journey getting here. Every rejection email, every sleepless night filled with doubt, and every moment I questioned my path is still vivid in my memory. But strangely enough, it was those exact moments that became the fuel I needed to grow, to reflect, and to evolve into someone stronger and more prepared.
If you’ve been wondering how to finally break through and land a role at a leading company, I can tell you this—your story matters. Learn how to frame it in a way that reflects your value, not just your experience. Invest in your interview skills; they’re your stage to shine, to show confidence, not just competence. And above all, build genuine connections. The right people won’t just open doors—they’ll help you believe you belong on the other side.
Use my journey to guide your next move—your breakthrough could be just one story away.
If this resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it today.
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