I feel like this is a trope that has to have been remarked upon but can't think of any concrete examples at the moment. It goes like this:
There is a young man who wants a position or job badly so that he can move up in the world. In order to get the position he waits outside the relevant building for hours or days until somebody in power comes by. Then he either introduces himself to the person-in-power or is "drafted" by them to fill in for someone. In the rest of the book/movie he demonstrates that he was born to do said job, rises quickly in the ranks, and perhaps (by the end) also falls.
For me, the critical element here is the waiting.
Is anyone aware if this trope has a name or has been discussed elsewhere?