Rudy is a film about many things. Courage, determination, faith, and underdogs all come to mind. How about job seeking? Okay, this movie isn’t exactly about that, but I think we can liken it to the current challenges of the job market. In the process, we might even discover that there’s hope.

Making the Grade

Think of Rudy Ruettiger as a job candidate. In the first half of the film, he applies at the prestigious University of Notre Dame many times. He works hard to improve his grades, participate in extracurricular activities, and make friends to help him get into that university. At the end of each semester he’s at the smaller Holy Cross Junior College, he submits an application at Notre Dame. The first three times are met with failure.

His fourth attempt is the last opportunity because after that he won’t be eligible to complete his last two years of college there. After all he can do, it’s entirely out of his hands whether or not he gets in. Happily, a miracle takes place and he’s admitted into the university. All his hard work finally pays off.

The scenes where Rudy pours his heart and soul into his education and keeps getting brushed off probably look familiar to anyone who’s struggling to find employment at the moment. Indifference to pain and effort is the hardest type of response to take.

Like Rudy, we can hope and pray that our efforts will pay off. God is never indifferent to the prayers of the penitent. I hope that the scene where Rudy cries out, “Thank God,” to the letter of acceptance into Notre Dame will also look familiar to every humble job seeker.

Making the Team

Getting into Notre Dame is only half the battle for Rudy. He then needs to get onto their football team, and that’s a lot easier said than done. Thankfully, while he was hitting the books, he was also hitting tackle dummies and doing other things to get on the team. He makes a good impression on the coaches, and he gets to participate in football practice. And he never lets up on his efforts to contribute to the team.

Because of his diligence, he’s promised that he can play one game during his senior year. However, due to miscommunication and a leadership change, that promise looks like it won’t be kept. Every week, Rudy looks at the roster to see if his name is on the list of players at the next game. And every week he is disappointed.

When the roster of the final game of the season is posted and Rudy’s name isn’t on it, he’s finally had enough. His first reaction is to quit the team and curse the coach. How many job seekers have been tempted to do the same when they go through numerous interviews for positions they’re hopeful about, only to be rejected? The rollercoaster ride of rejection is hurtful to endure.

Christlike Sacrifice

In Rudy’s case, something miraculous takes place once again. His teammates step in and offer to sacrifice their own spots on the roster for Rudy’s sake. They know what it means to him to play in the final game of his college career, and they want to make it happen. Do you know what this reminds me of? Our own Teammate Jesus Christ who stepped in and sacrificed His life for us. He took upon Himself our sins to intercede on our behalf with the Father.

Thanks to Him, all of our sorrows will be swallowed up by joy. That’s a bit beyond my job-seeker analogy, but I think it still fits pretty well. He knows we have need of employment, and He won’t let us suffer forever.

2 Ways of Getting a Job

You could say that Rudy is a film with two climaxes. It’s an absolute nail-biter in the first half, seeing Rudy try over and over to get into Notre Dame. Then, once he has accomplished that milestone, he sets his sights on the football team. In order to prove to himself and his family that he’s worth something, he needs to make just one play on the football field during a game. Seeing Rudy’s teammates sacrifice themselves to get him into the final game and then actually get him onto the field for the final moments is inspiring.

When it comes to getting a job right now, I’ve heard that it’s next to impossible without help from friends. People who are already employed at a company can speak up for those who are trying to get in. An applicant’s character shines through when they’re vouched for by trusted voices. It shows that their actions in the past can be trusted to lead to good results in the future.

In a way, Rudy demonstrates both ways of getting a job. When he gets into Notre Dame on his own merits, it’s purely on his own. Sure, he has help from a priest, a tutor, and a maintenance worker. But none of them are in charge of the actual admissions process. That’s all on Rudy himself.

After he gets into the school, he makes friends with a lot of people on the team. Some of them resent his die-hard attitude, but most of them come around to his infectiously good heart. And they all give him the strongest recommendation possible, enabling him to finally achieve his greatest desire.

Getting a job sure feels like a herculean effort. But we’re not alone. If Rudy Ruettiger could achieve his dream with some outside help, perhaps we can, too.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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