I started recovery by refocusing myself. What do I want to do? What type of place to I work in? Do I care about my salary, yet? I thought about answers to these questions and more for days on end, until I was hit by one of those "epiphany moments".
Up until now, I was looking for all the wrong things. I was looking for jobs that my degree could get me - not jobs that I necessarily wanted. Even though some of the job descriptions were outside of my qualifications, I was still just sitting back and leaning on this degree.
But that's not it. I also realized that there is a specific environment in which I need to be in order to really shine. I have this wide skill set that could very easily go to waste in the wrong work environment. When I finally let this thought set in, I realized that I can't work in a place that's large like HP or Mentor. I need, no, want a small company that would rely on more of skills than just what are apparent from my degree, and also challenge me to pick up new ones. I want to work with a small group of people, in which everyone does a little bit of everything. Sure, people at HP and Mentor work on teams, but they have very specific roles within those teams, and the teams have very specific tasks that need to be accomplished.
What I want is a job at a startup company.
But I immediately encountered a mental impasse when I realized this. When we hear about startup companies in the tech industry, we think of companies that were once made of small teams of elite engineers like Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc. It's easy to fall into the belief that every single team member is a relative genius, and I did just that. I was instantly discouraged, because I'm no genius. I'm only good at some things, and terrible at others. Ugh.
What's important to note is, while some of these companies are chock full of geniuses, they're also filled with great people who work hard and interact well with their team members. There's only one thing that's more important in small-team environment than cohesion in the team. That thing is enthusiasm.
Of course, I didn't know this at the time. I did know that I'm an excellent team player, and love working with other people. On top of that I'm a hard worker and a quick learner. Most grads should be able to say the same about themselves after leaving college... hopefully. These are great charms to have with you in your job search.
I set out looking for jobs with startup companies. A renewed interest in researching companies and applying for jobs lit up my weekends.
I quickly found a job post for a "small" startup called Expensify. The post blew me away, really. I'd never been drawn in by a job post like this one. The best part of the post, I think, was the list of application instructions. The task was to answer a few questions, and it was pretty obvious that they weren't the typical "HR Screening" questions. This worked out for me, because they encouraged me to write a LOT. They want their applicants to make it very obvious whether they should be considered as candidates or not. We all know that I enjoy writing.
I answered their questions pretty well, but when I went back and read over the answers, I wasn't convinced that I should hire myself. So after the questions, I continued to write about myself and why it's important Expensify considers me for the position. The entire email came out to about 3,400 words.
I got a response.
Two weeks later, after I had started to lose hope, Expensify CEO David Barrett emailed me back expressing an interest in talking with me over the phone. Success! 3,400 words, and every single one of them was important. My confidence jumped to new heights for a few reasons. Not only did he say I sounded cool, but I knew that this job opportunity wasn't based entirely on how I look on paper. There was very little in the email about how good I am at what I do. The majority of it was about who I am, and what I can do.
The phone interview did not go well.
From the first question, I was a bit intimidated. I was talking to the CEO of one of the most notable startups in recent times, and I knew that if it turned into a technical interview, I would waver. I tried to keep my cool for the first set of "Get to know me" questions, but the technical questions flowed in shortly after, and I found myself struggling. At some point I had to answer questions about an engineering decision I made on my senior project, and was met with very aggressive criticism. At this point I felt like I had "lost the game", and was ready for the interview to be over... and it felt like he was, also. The interview ended with "you aren't really what we're looking for." I thanked him, wished him luck, and then headed out to class to take my mind off of the result. Needless to say I felt a bit broken inside, and I wasn't really able to concentrate on anything for the rest of the day.
But I wasn't done. I knew the next step was to go back and figure out where I could have improved in the interview. The answer I came to was "be better at technical stuff". Very helpful. On the way to that answer, though, I realized there was one thing missing from the interview: me. I was so busy answering questions and trying to keep it together, that I forgot to be myself. I wasn't able to show the person that Expensify would be hiring... only the "skills" that would come with that person.
And the confidence grew again. If I did it once, I could do it again. It was time for another email. I got in bed and spent the rest of the night brainstorming ideas for the email, and the next day I consulted the Cofounder of another company that I had been talking to. It all came down to a thank-you email. I would thank David Barrett for the opportunity to interview with him, and very strongly encourage him to reconsider his summary of me, backed up with even more words than the first email. I wrote 3,700 words this time, and all of them were about what I learned in the interview, and how I could address every issue that came up, and how I really would be an excellent hire for his company.
Success again!
I received an email back the same day - something I wasn't expecting. He mentioned how he was glad I wrote the email, and that he was actually hoping I would write it. Then came the quote that made everything click:
More important than anything else -- literally, the most important trait, and the one from which all others derive -- is enthusiasm. Your writing this shows you have it, and that's an incredibly valuable asset.
Wow. I had done it. He asked me if I was interested in moving on to the next step, and I responded with a "yes", naturally.
In front of me now is a remote programming challenge for Expensify as that next step. It should be a real challenge, but I'm going to hurdle it like it's nothing... because I don't just need this job, I
want it.
Grades and experience and looking good on paper aren't the most important things in this sort of job search. As Mr. Barrett said, enthusiasm is more important than all else. I was straight up told that they are looking for someone with a much more extensive background in programming, and a much stronger interest for programming in the future, and I countered it with my desire to work for this company.
If you ever find yourself feeling down and out of a job opportunity, remember my story, and use it. Write that thank you letter, but don't resign yourself. Go back on the attack, and in no time you may find yourself in a position you didn't expect. Twelve months ago, I never would have considered the idea that I'd get past an interview with a startup company of this caliber. And all it took was a little display of enthusiasm and passion.
My, my. Enthusiasm is
everything.
