It simply shows that you can be relied on to show up and perform your tasks that are expected of you.

Setting yourself up for upward growth isn't easy, it requires a lot of persistence and a willingness to take your failures in stride and continue forward. Yes it does involve networking, that is something you have to accept as nothing ever really comes easy or fairly in these regards.

I can personally give you an example from my own life. I had graduated college with a certificate in Electronics only to find out it wasn't very valuable, or I just didn't know how to sell myself.

To make ends meet I signed up with a Temp agency and ended up stacking pallets in a warehouse for $12/hr. The work was very physical and tiring, but at least I had a steady 40 hrs a week. This warehouse was owned by a local trucking company, and after working at the temp position for about 3 months I looked into the Trucking companies website and found job postings, and saw an opening for a position as a washbay attendant for their fleet. I approached the warehouse supervisor I worked under and asked him for a reference to apply to this company, as I thought well of their workplace culture, even as a lowly temp as I was treated respectfully.

I got an interview and got the job. I spent 1.5 years in that washbay just showing willingness to learn and acquire skills... got forklift certified, learned to operate a front-end loader to shovel snow off the property, learned a lot about trucks and the trucking industry, and helped mechanics do basic fluid changes and replace mud flaps or lights.

I was offered a job as a mechanic's assistant but ended up inquiring about getting my CDL-A and found a provincial Canadian program to get funding for your license, as long as you could find a prospective employer. The company gave me a written offer of employment, I got my schooling fully funded and am now an OTR Trucker.

It's not a great lifestyle for the time being but it's pretty good money compared to $12/hr I can tell you that.