On December 10, 2014, Time announced its Person of the Year, The Ebola Fighter. I can think of no better Person of the Year. How can we argue against the brave people who fought against the most deadly disease I’ve witnessed in my lifetime–official death count is higher than 6,300 people.

The disease that continues to ravage Africa invaded the rest of the world, requiring people worldwide to combat it. The Ebola Fighters were courageous as they risked death to help those in need. That said, I will not argue with Time’s choice. The Ebola Fighters truly deserve the nod. But as traditions go, I want to honor The Jobseeker as Person of the Year Runner-Up.

The Jobseeker. Although the Jobseeker is not the Ebola Fighter–he or she demonstrated dignity and professionalism, networked and paid it forward, wrote compelling marketing material resulting in interviews, and finally (after more than a year, in some cases), did their best to land. There were many Jobseekers who demonstrated true heroism throughout the entire year, simply by the way they handled themselves. They:

• Woke up every morning to put in a full day of hunting for work, leaving no stones upturned and considering every possibility.
• Maintained that screw-the-economy-I-will-get-a-job attitude.
• Knew that every day was a day when they might have run into a person who could hire them, or someone who knew a person who could hire them.
• Took a break every once and awhile to recharge their batteries, but not too long of a break. A day or two at the most. They even networked during the holidays.
• Followed their career plan of revising their résumé, creating a list of companies they research and contacted, building a LinkedIn profile that meets today’s standards, and other best practices.
• Attended workshops and took advantage of job-search pundits’ advice, learning that things have changed in the past ten years, but, nonetheless, trudge on.
• Accepted and embraced the Hidden Job Market, making penetrating it a priority in their job-search plan.
• Attended interview after interview until they hit a home run with an employer smart enough to hire them. The Jobseeker will never give up, despite the challenges they encounter.
• Never forgot the important things in life, like family and friends, and taking care of their health. They didn’t let the job search consume them.
• They stayed positive and upbeat in all their interactions, knowing that people can sense a positive attitude.
• Faced despondency or depression with courage and perseverance.

These are just a few of the reasons why The Jobseeker  is my Person of the Year Runner-Up. If you think of other reasons, let me know by commenting on this article. I think I should send my reasons to Time and demand a recount.