SEO is a long process, don't expect to conquer the first place. 3 months is the optimum time for your keyword to gain bearing on ranking. also it ranking is depends on the number of competitors and how broad it is. I suggest use Geo Targeting + your keyword. mentions, contents etc will do.
For File Upload, I imagine it would take a while 1-2 years simply because there are some high rankings sites that are PR8 with great SEO and if you're just starting to try and get higher, it can take a long time.
He was being sarcastic. No one can tell you a fixed time to get your keyword to #1, that's now how SEO works there are no guarantees. Too many external factors come into play to make any assurances that your site will be ranked anywhere, if anyone makes those sort of promises to you avoid at all costs.
SEO is long process to bring top ranks in google search result. It takes 3 to 4 months to rank your site.
If you followed this tutorial - http://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/tutorials/the-ultimate-guide-to-tiered-link-building-part-1/ I would estimate it would take between 5-7 months to do it properly and ensure the ranking sticks for the long term. I rank similiar competition keywords like this all the time (in the payday loan niche).