The importance of intelligent persistence is often understated. The process, how to do this or that, is what’s held as the panacea. The truth is, when you’re job hunting the most important attribute you can exercise is cultivating persistence in following an established and proven process.

An ad hoc, purely reactive approach to finding your next role is not an efficient nor effective way to go about things. The first step in this equation is to identify and select a framework for finding and engaging potential job opportunities. The Waterstone Process is a very obvious and apparent platform that will allow you to have a systematic and intelligent method for identifying and pursuing your next position.

Once you have selected a framework, and understand the elements of the process, you then start to build the right mindset and execute the steps methodically. The core piece is to understand that this is a process, not a step. In order to secure the right role, you may have to research, apply, and even interview for several unsuitable positions. The trick is to not be too fluid. The parameters you set-up initially during the Waterstone Process are key to what defines ‘the right role’ type, and IP is about having the focus to only apply to the right opportunities in the right way, and just as importantly, when to say ‘No.’ to something in front of you should it fall outside those parameters.

This seems intuitive, but without a formal and structured process it’s all too easy to fall into your next position. Without the discipline and ‘Intelligent Persistence’ to wait for the right role-types and pursue them in the most cerebral manner, you may end up in a less-than-optimal position.

Understand that there will be frustrations. There will be setbacks. You may miss out on that perfect role. You may get completely discouraged. Dust yourself off, and fall back on the process you’ve chosen, and know that it’ll be worth the wait, and that compromise is never the best thing for your career. Be intelligent. Be persistent.