A man identified as Momo Bertrand said he has finally been hired by the United Nations (UN) after being rejected 500 times.

Bertrand took to LinkedIn to make the disclosure, saying he started applying for jobs at the UN after completing his master’s degree programme.

Bertrand told his classmate about applying for UN jobs, but he was laughed at and advised to apply to be a kindergarten teacher.

Bertrand, who was born in Douala, Cameroon, said he did not listen to his classmates who made discouraging comments after telling them of his desire to work with the UN.

”I told a classmate and he laughed at me, “Momo, the UN won’t hire you because you know no one there. Instead, apply to be a kindergarten teacher here in San Diego.” he said.

“I didn’t listen. After 500 failed job applications, I was hired as a Digital Media Officer at ITCILO.org, a United Nations agency.” he added.

His post encouraged many people who lauded him for his resilience.

View this post on Instagram

I WAS HIRED BY THE UNITED NATIONS after 500 rejections My name is Momo Bertrand. I was born in Douala, Cameroon. After completing my masters in the US, I began applying for jobs at UN. I told a classmate and he laughed at me, “Momo, the UN won’t hire you b’cuz you know no one there. Instead, apply to be a kindergarten teacher here in San Diego.” I didn’t listen. After 500 failed job applications, I was hired as a Digital Media Officer at ITCILO.org, a United Nations agency. I am thankful to Tom Wambeke and Massimiliano Leone for believing in my skills. Also thankful for my supportive mum, family, and friends. As a team member in ITCILO’s Learning Innovation Programme, I will be working on cutting-edge projects in digital media & education. I will no longer offer career coaching services. However, I will now share inspiring content on digital media, learning innovation and storytelling. I hope my story inspires you to keep pursuing your dreams. Because every dream matters. Because every story matters. If we aren’t connected yet, let’s do so: @askmomob PS: Do you work for a UN agency? I’ll love to talk about your digital media activities (website, reports, campaigns). Please, inbox me.

A post shared by Momo Bertrand (@askmomob) on Mar 4, 2020 at 1:58am PST