As kid growing up i always followed the assumption that discipline would equal competence and competence would ultimately result in success. This seemed to be the case in school and academia as well as many other facets of life however it wasn't until i got a job at a big company that i realized these were only minor traits that make up a multitude of various formulas that could be used to climb the ladder.
Providing VIP and 5 star customer service was a daily requirement which i came to be highly proficient at, or at least let myself believe i was highly proficient at. after 4 years of errors and screws ups and disasters.. i finally started to feel competent, and in turn confident. So when a position regarding a promotion unveiled itself and i truly believed i had the skill set to exceed in it, but also deserved it, i was ecstatic.
Of course there were others who also shared my level of experience and i knew it wasn't a sure thing that i would get promoted to this higher position, i made sure i did everything within my power to ensure the likelihood was at its maximum. I spent 12 hours writing and re-writing my cover letter, double, triple, and quadruple checking every little detail. I handed in my application with a smile and enthusiasm knowing my cover letter was a direct reflection of my abilities and my competence.
It turned out 8 people had applied for the job, only one of which i considered to be on my level, and an online video interview would be required upon which successful applicants would then move on to a face to face interview. This only further enhanced my enthusiasm as i knew i would be able to handle any questions thrown at me face to face, let alone in the comfort of my own home. The video interview consisted of 4 questions, all 4 of which i was confident having aced. Several days later, i was called in by a higher manager, one who i knew had no positive feelings toward me, and and was new to the specifics of how this department was run, with no experience in the role in which i was applying for, nor the role i was currently working in, he was put in charge of the recruitment process as my main manager was on personal sick leave. I was informed, quite coldly and unsympathetically, that i had been unsuccessful in making it through to the next stage of interviews, but that he would provide me with some feedback. I listened on in painful silence, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how shattered and disappointed i was.
My disappointment turned to silent anger as i was forced-fed nonsensical feedback such as that he was not impressed with the tone of my voice or the way i spoke during the interview, or that a minor verbal warning on my record that i had received 11 months and 25 days prior had to be taken into account in the recruitment process as everything on my record within the last 12 months was relevant. What i gained from this experience was one thing, it does not matter how competent you are, or how widely of a skill set you may. This became truly apparent when the person hired for the job had been with the company for less than 10 months, was still learning the ins and outs, but happened to be very friendly with some particular managers.
I could go on and on with examples to support how ridiculous and unjust of an experience this was for me to deal with, however at the very least, it taught me an important lesson. It demonstrated that rather than grind and work hard to climb that long tedious ladder, which may well lead you to the top in the end, there are more efficient ways of getting where you want to go, all you have to do is look a little further, think a little harder, and eventually you might just find an elevator instead.