I had an interview yesterday at a fintech company located on the third floor of a building. After the interview, which I felt went well, I learned they would get back to me in two weeks. However, I noticed two other fintech companies on the same floor, and I decided to take a chance and see if they were hiring too. I approached the first company, but the entrance was locked, so I waited for someone to come out and slipped in behind them. Inside, I struggled to find a receptionist and was initially ignored by a staff member, which was a bit disheartening. Thankfully, the cleaning staff was kind enough to fetch the operations manager for me. She provided me with an email address to send my resume, but I felt embarrassed about the whole situation. Determined not to let that stop me, I headed towards the elevator but then decided to check out the second company as well. Their door was wide open, and I spoke to the first person I encountered. He was friendly and directed me to the operations coordinator, who was also very nice. Although they didn’t have any openings at the moment, she took my number and LinkedIn profile and encouraged me to email her my resume. This interaction felt much more positive, and I could sense my embarrassment fading away. I realized that networking is indeed a numbers game; the more people I talk to, the better my chances. I've come to terms with the fact that being a bit shameless can actually be beneficial in this job market. There's a saying I love: "sifa nzuri ni za maiti" – praises are for the dead. It reminds me not to worry about how I look while pursuing my goals.