In July, recent college graduate Jasmine Pak wrote a candid post about the heartbreaking rejections she received while chasing her dream career, and it went viral on LinkedIn.
In September, buoyed by the support she received in response, including props from LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner, she reapplied for one of those positions — in the video department at Buzzfeed.
This time, she tells CNBC Make It, she got the gig.
How did she succeed on her second try? Pak says a few things played a part.
For one, she boosted her resume by doing new video production internships for both comedian Jenny Yang and Omaze, an online fundraising platform.
But she also utilized a piece of advice she received in the flood of nearly 4000 LinkedIn messages: "Not now" doesn't mean "not ever," a Google employee told her.
She never forgot this sentiment, even amid countless interview offers from other companies that could have led to full-time opportunities — some of which were quite impressive, like one from Open Slate, an analytics firm partnered with YouTube.
"My post was really focused on, how do I want to pursue my passion in media in the creative realm so I can have a direct impact on minority representation, and all my offers have been outside that," she told CNBC Make It at the time.
Pak was looking to be "a video producer in an environment that also reflects my values of showcasing diverse narratives," she wrote.
Pak stayed wholly committed to that goal. Though she did not announce it publicly in her post, she has always known BuzzFeed was the place she wanted to work.
"When I saw a lot of BuzzFeed producers creating content about Asian American identity, it played a huge part about influencing who I am today," she says. A young college-student figuring out her plans for the future, she says she came to the resolution: "I want to do this. I want to further the narrative. I want to be part of a company that promotes diversity like this."
And, because of her persistence and perseverance, she's now a junior video fellow there, while also continuing to assist Jenny Yang after hours.
"The biggest takeaway is that it's not always going to work out when you want it," she says. "You just have to pick yourself back up, do it again and keep doing it again until you make it happen."
Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal is a minority investor in BuzzFeed.
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