What I Did After Getting Rejected By My Dream Companies
Honestly, I tried my hardest to get a normal internship.
I really did.
Most people said I went over the top (in a bad way). I could definitely see where they were coming from, but I was determined to work for a company that I actually believed in.
Was that such a bad thing? I wanted to work on something I could really sink my teeth into. I tried three times — and I found myself in a place I never thought was possible at my age.
Let me explain:
Last fall, I created a shortlist of companies that I wanted to work at. They included hot tech companies like Shyp, Airbnb, and Nest to work on a product team as a product manager.
Most people in tech know that it’s very tough to get a job at any hot tech company — especially as a product manager. The vast majority of these companies do not even have product management internships, often for good reason, so I knew what I was shooting for was not exactly realistic.
But nothing difficult was ever completed without a little ignorance.
So I asked myself: how could I provide value to these companies right now?
What could I DO to show that it would be absolutely ridiculous if they didn’t hire me?
Providing Value and Trying To Stand Out:
With Shyp, I was applying to a position that actually existed. They were looking for a product intern to work alongside their PM’s, designers, engineers, and founders to make Shyp more empowering to entrepreneurs using their product and consumers whose lives they improved.
I researched their company and analyzed their company and tried to figure out what their next move was.
How could I immediately add value to what they were going to work on next?
So, I downloaded Sketch 3 and taught myself some UI design to help design the product that I thought they would build next.
But, alas, I had no response.
Was it my resume that was the issue? Did I not spin my experiences well enough to show that I was a good fit?
Not even an interview?
Nonetheless, I pressed on. I sent more cold emails (that were opened) and eventually got a response:
The position has been filled. Thanks for applying.
Taking It Up A Notch:
“Okay”, I thought, “what if I went out to San Fransisco to see this next company face-to-face and provide value to the company in my application?”
So, I did it again. I dove deep into the next company I could sincerely buy into, Airbnb.
This time I would do it better. How could I take it up a notch?
I wanted to show Airbnb my approach and thought process — show them how I approach the role instead of telling them. I thought if I could show them that I was qualified through showing them my thought process from start to finish I would finally get my shot.
Here’s what I came up with: My Airbnb Application.
But, again, even after visiting their HQ in San Fransisco and making the site above, I got the response: better luck next year.
I was all out of options.
Where To Turn When Everyone Says No?
Airbnb, Nest, Shyp, IBM, Facebook. No, no, no, no, no.
I finally caught a break. A program at Penn State had been created for students to create their own internship.
My summer was not going to be about grabbing coffee and fetching lunch. Backed by some amazing entrepreneurs, there was finally a chance to do something awesome this summer.
And then I thought, here is a chance to make sure nobody has to go through what I just went through.
Hence, this was the inspiration to create resumeruby.com — a company that helps you make a stronger first impression through your personal brand and professional image.
ResumeRuby was made to help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. We started by creating a smart resume builder — but we’re going far past the resume in the months to come.
I learned all of this the hard way.
You don’t have to.
(EDIT: ResumeRuby is now Nametag)
