Nearly eleven years ago, my daughter was born.

And like most new parents, I started doing the math on my life very quickly.

I had a stable job. Good pay. Outdoor work. Flexible hours.

But I was missing time with her. And that started to wear me down.

So I did what most people do and began to search for a new position.

I applied on the job boards, sent my resume to a recruiting agency, and asked around within my network. To my surprise, someone put a good word in for me to a friend that led the hiring function at a local tech startup.

I had no idea what it would entail other than it would be a sales job in the solar industry. Sounds cool, I thought.

I didn’t think much of it until I sent my resume to this new contact and he immediately scheduled a Skype interview with his recruiting team. Wow, is this how interviewing for a tech role works? I was pleasantly surprised! Within hours, I had an interview scheduled for the following week for a job in a sector I was excited about.

Come interview day, I prepped my introductory “tell me about yourself” pitch and got my outfit ready. At the time, my fiancé and I lived in a small studio apartment and she was kind enough to run some errands so I could focus on the interview.

I thought to myself, “This could be it! A new job I could grow into and have more time at home with my daughter…”

10 minutes until the Skype interview.

Wifi, good? Check.

Audio, good? Check.

I got up to walk around and shake off the nerves.

8 minutes until the interview.

Think positive. Check.

You got this! Check.

The clock kept ticking and the minutes felt like hours.

5 minutes until the interview. Check email for login instructions and get ready!

“Your interview has been canceled. Unfortunately, we feel you aren’t a fit for the role. Please check back at a later date for new roles that may fit your background and experience.”

I was crushed.

I emailed the sender.

No reply.

“What the heck just happened? Why did they cancel the interview? I’m totally qualified for this role. I know sales and solar. I know how to talk to people. I’m personable. I was referred by the Head of Talent!”

Then, I remembered the scene in “Pursuit of Happyness” where Will Smith’s character proves himself by showing up to the hiring manager’s office unannounced.

Well, I wanted the same. I wanted to be happy.

So, guess what I did?

Yep.

I went to the office and explained my story.

They thought I was crazy — and told me I STILL wasn’t qualified for the job.

Lesson learned. Don’t be me, or Will Smith.

At least don’t be Will Smith playing Chris Gardner — it won’t get you anywhere but looked at like a loony applicant transported from the 90s.

That was my very first candidate experience interviewing for a role in tech.

It happened to me. And it still happens to a lot of people.

We get rejected without feedback.

We spiral into self-doubt.

We wonder if we’ll ever find the right role and feel like we’re moving forward.

I didn’t have an answer that morning.

But that experience planted something.

I went on to become a recruiter in tech, working for amazing companies like Crunchyroll and Commure.

I’ve helped hundreds of people navigate the process — engineers, engineering managers, founders building their first teams. And the more I worked inside it, the more I saw that the system wasn’t just hard. It was broken. On both sides.

That’s why I'm building asmbld, my startup, and using this newsletter to share my journey.

Not to give you generic career advice. Not to tell you to “optimize your LinkedIn.”

But to share what I’ve learned from the inside — the stories, the patterns, the moments that nobody talks about — so that the next time you’re sitting across from a blank inbox five minutes before an interview, you’re not alone in it.

Every week: a quote, a real story, and a retrospective.

I’m glad you’re here.

avngrs. asmbld.

Henry 🤙

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