A list is the most practical thing you could use to prepare for a job. Right?

You know, bullet points—writing down every little important thing you need to do or get before you start a job.

So that’s what I did. I wrote a list.

Research job criteria.

Get uniform.

Sort out the trains.

Save up money for train tickets.

Try to research the company to get a head start.

I was going to stick to this list with every fiber of my being. It was the only certain thing I had going on.

University finished in September, and I figured I’d stay at my current bartender job until Christmas and start looking after as I wanted to save up. (Being a student wasn’t exactly the richest life choice.)

Since January, I have been searching for a job in or around London. I live an hour’s train journey away, but I knew if I wanted to start my career, I would get the best opportunities in London.

 So, I did what I figured was best. I sorted out a LinkedIn profile, searched most days, and applied for countless jobs, even looking at company websites and applying directly to anything I could find. I wanted a job in either publishing or travel, but after a couple of months, I gave up hope and applied for anything that seemed remotely interesting.

It wasn’t until May that I finally heard back from a travel agency to say they had a position available as a travel consultant; it was right up my street!

I had to complete an online mental agility test where I had to answer as many questions as possible in 15 minutes. They were all based on math and English riddles, and I completed the test, and they said they would get back to me with my results in the next few days.

I waited. And waited. And waited. After three endless days, I heard back. I failed the test. I was absolutely gutted. I hadn’t done a test like that before and felt it was unfair to be judged on something that seemed to have no relevance to the job. But when I scrolled down to the bottom of the email, they said that although I had been unsuccessful at moving forward to the consultant position, they were offering a receptionist job at the head office.

So, I applied. At the time, I was disappointed in myself. I felt like I had let myself down and I wasn’t worth much as I hadn’t heard back from any of my applications. It was a receptionist position, and I figured that after university and studying for a Masters, I was worth more, but it was the only offer I had heard back from, so I had to take it.

There was a phone interview, an in-person interview, and a written test about your knowledge of the world and where some major cities were. I completed both and was told I would hear back within a week on whether I was successful or not.

Again, I waited. After a week, I got an email from them saying that they needed more time as they had a staggeringly high number of applicants and needed time to go through everyone fairly. So, I waited for another week and a half and got a phone call. I had the job! They said that I came across very well, had a vast CV, and had extensive travel knowledge, and they were really looking forward to working with me.

I had just over a month to get everything ready, so I made a list to keep my anxiety in check and stay organized.

The journey to getting this job wasn’t exactly what I expected. It had taken me months longer than I thought to get a job, and it wasn’t what I thought I would get. But it’s an opportunity to work my way up in the company and prove myself. They all seemed like a like a really friendly and good group of people when I went in for the interview, and it made me excited to work for them.

It just goes to show that not everything can be planned out. Prepare to go off the list and find opportunities in the most unexpected of ways. A job is a job, and everything happens for a reason. I’m just starting out, and there are many people in the same position, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get the first, second, or third job you apply for. Rejection is all about learning, and the right experience will find you.

Stay positive, and in the meantime, write a list of things you could do to widen your options. You never know where it might take you!

This was written by our contributing writer, Shanai Besst.