Summer, for some, is a time for fun in the sun. For Amy Alderson, a soon-to-be graduate of the nursing program at the University of Texas Health Science Center, summer means lots and lots of hours in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). And she couldn’t be happier about it. Alderson took some time to share her story about landing the job of her dreams:

I am a nursing student with just one semester left before graduation and am trying to get my foot in the door . . . not just any door, but the door to the NICU where I want to begin my career as an RN. You see, since high school, I have known I wanted to work at this NICU and nowhere else. The only problem is I didn’t exactly know how to go about reaching my goal. I’m 23 and this “career business” is all very new to me. Who do I talk to? How do I write a resume? What do I say or not say in an interview? The questions were endless, and this seemed an impossible feat. But, I knew I would never get anywhere if I didn’t at least try, right?

So my journey began online at the hospital’s job bank. Scrolling through the never-ending sea of jobs, I spotted it. “Nurse Extern, neonatal intensive care unit.” So many thoughts flashed before me at that moment. You name it, I thought about it. But my philosophy is that you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t try, so I decided to apply. After that, it was out of my hands, right?

Well, not really. If I really wanted it, I had to give it all I had to get someone’s attention. I managed to get the nurse manager’s name and phone number from a nurse I worked with at clinical. So, a week after applying, I got up the nerve to call her to let her know I was interested and I had applied. All I got was her voicemail, so I left a message. Two weeks went by and I hadn’t heard anything. So, I decided to call again. Another week went by and still, I heard nothing. I was discouraged, but I decided to leave just one more message. Again, a week went by with no response. Now, it was looking like I was never going to get my chance to work in that NICU.

I figured there was a fine line between interest in the position and being overbearing, so I really didn’t want to call again. But, I didn’t want to give up either. I had to regroup and figure out another way to get noticed. So, as I was leaving my last day of clinical, the nurse I was working with said to me, “I am going to call the nurse manager for you and at least let her know you are interested.” “Awesome,” I said. I kid you not, I hadn’t even walked out the doors of the hospital and my cell phone rang. “So, I hear you are interested in the extern position. Can you come for an interview tomorrow?” “Absolutely,” I said

During the interview, I let my enthusiasm come through, and I let her know how much this meant to me. I tried to stay confident even though I knew there were a limited number of openings and many applicants. She said at least a dozen times, “Thanks for your persistence. I got every one of your calls. I’ve just been very busy.” She wondered out loud how she was supposed to know where to start amidst all the applications. Before I left, I said, “I really, really want this.”

I left her office confident she at least knew I wanted the job enough to continue calling. Now, it was out of my hands and there was no more I could do except hope she would give me a chance. Three days later, I got the call. I got the job! I am thrilled I’m getting the chance to begin the transition from nursing student to RN in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Bottom line: Persistence pays off big time. Don’t ever stop trying to reach your goal. Keep knocking on doors, talking to people, and whatever else it takes to get where you want to be. After all, you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t at least try, right?