"I ćorava kokoš ubode zrno," a Croatian proverb meaning: Even a blind chicken can peck a grain.
It's a reminder that success isn't always about perfection; it's about persistence. When you apply this idea to the modern world, two powerful concepts emerge: statistical probability and networking.
The Power of Statistics
Success often feels random, but it's not as unpredictable as it seems. The more you try, the more you increase your chances. It's simple math:
- Apply to 1 job, and your odds are slim.
- Apply to 50 jobs, and your chances grow.
- Apply to 1,000 jobs, send countless emails, and reach out to dozens of people on LinkedIn, and statistically, the probability of success skyrockets.
This isn't about throwing darts blindly; it's about persistence and consistency. Every email, application, or connection is another roll of the dice. Eventually, the numbers will favour you.
When I started my programming journey, I embraced this approach. I reached out, applied, and kept going even when the rejections came. It was exhausting but worth it, because every effort nudged me closer to a "yes."
The Magic of Networking
If statistics improve your chances, networking makes those chances meaningful. Building relationships, whether it's attending events, connecting on LinkedIn, or simply reaching out to someone with a shared interest, can open doors no application ever will.
Networking is about more than just introductions; it's about sharing your story and listening to others. When people know your name, your work, and your drive, you become more than just another resume. You become a person they want to help.
Taking his advice to heart, I gave it a shot. I reached out to everyone I could think of: friends, acquaintances, colleagues, ex-boyfriends, neighbours, even random people on forums. That's how determined I was to succeed.
The result? I got paid to build a website and scored a free subscription to Pluralsight.
Here's how it happened:
- My husband spread the word (as per my instruction) that I was learning web development. One of his friends, who worked for a company with a terrible website, offered me a project. Even I, as a beginner, could immediately see that this was put together by someone who did not care in the slightest about the result. I would even go that far to say that the content was purposely misaligned, for how little sense can you have for symmetry and beauty?
- I transformed their bomb-site of a page into something functional and aesthetically pleasing. It was still a work in progress, but it was my first paid website.
- As for the subscription, I reached out to an old friend whom I knew was in IT. He couldn't offer me a job, but added me to his company's Pluralsight account, and I am immensely grateful for that.
Was it luck? Not really. It was persistence, tenaciousness, and the magic of networking.
You want it? You get it.
When you truly want something, you go after it. Amen (and I am not religious). Here's another example:
For years, I've been unhappy with my lower stomach, a stubborn 2-pack that never went away. I tried all kinds of fad diets and exercises, trying my best to get rid of it. I remember waking up at 5 a.m. to bake chicken fillets and prepare a salad to take with me on a bus trip to the capital for PhD courses, because apparently, in a city of one million people, there were no healthy food options. I also remember my dad waking up to the smell of baked chicken in the morning and wondering where he went wrong raising me.
But after a month of this, I would fall back to my old ways of eating too much sugar and too little protein. And yet I would still wonder why I couldn't get rid of the stubborn fat. My mother always had the answer: "You don't really want to change. You prefer your hedonistic ways. If you did, you'd stick with it long enough to see results."
Now, at nearly 40, my tummy is still here, and I've made peace with it. I am no longer working in the laboratory, however. Do you see the analogy? 😉 True change requires consistent effort over time. Success in any area, like my career change, follows the same rule.
The Blind Chicken Philosophy
So, what happens when you combine a statistical approach with networking? You transform luck into opportunity. Like the blind chicken, your persistence increases the odds of finding that elusive grain, but networking ensures that when you do, it's not just any grain. It's the one you've been searching for.
And along the way, it's the connections you make that turn probabilities into possibilities.
