CV of Failures

Inspired by Wendi Yan and Johannes Haushofer.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about failure and how important it’s been to my story. My relationship with it has improved immensely since my first big rejection back in high school. Now, failure is an important part of my life. Failing is an indication that I’m pushing myself, experimenting, and stepping out of my comfort zone. And that’s where true growth happens.

Creating this project has been surprisingly therapeutic. As I’m listing my failures, many of them felt like the end of the world for me at the time. Many of them I felt insecure about for years. It’s great that I can reflect on them and laugh.

This “CV of failures” is meant to be a dynamic document of all the failures that I’ve experienced in my life, and as encouragement to push myself, be adventurous, and fail often.

Degree Programs

2015 — Rejected from the University of Waterloo for Civil Engineering. I almost didn’t go to Waterloo as I accepted my offer for another school (I got into Waterloo on the waitlist).
2016 — Transfer request into Systems Design Engineering 2021 denied.
2017 — Transfer request into Systems Design Engineering 2022 denied.
2017 — Transfer request into Mechatronics Engineering 2021 denied.
2017-Present — Decision to transfer into Electrical and Computer Engineering 2022 (haha just kidding).

Extracurriculars, Clubs, and Fellowships I did not get

2020 — Interact Fellowship
2019 — Second time applying for Residence Life Don
2019 — Write of Passage Fellowship
2019 — Cansbridge Fellowship
2018 — Contrary Capital
2016 — Residence Life Don

Internships and Job Opportunities

2016-Present — 100+ “Thank you for applying but…” jobs.
2015-Present — I’ve only gotten “Ranked” in Waterlooworks, I’ve never gotten an “Offer”.
2019 — Nearly got my dream internship at 8VC, only to get rejected at the final stage because of my graduation date.
2017 — I struggled mightily to find my second internship. I had over 20 interviews and not a single offer. I was one of a few people in my class to enter that term without an internship. I was unemployed for a month into that co-op term before a friend offered me a job.
2016 — I got my first interview ever a week before the start of exams, I gave that interview everything I had but I got rejected.

Education

2018-2019 — Courses Failed: ECE 106, ECE 240
2015-2019 — Midterms Failed: CHEM 102, ECE 106, ECE 108, ECE 240 (I think I got a 20% on this midterm), ECE 224, ECE 222, ECE 207
2018 — I had no idea what was going on in half my courses in 1B ECE.
2018-2019 — I got completely carried in every Digital Computer Labs (ECE 124, ECE 222, ECE 224).

Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference

2017 — I was leading the team the next year and I asked many people to join, many said no.
2018 — The entire marketing team — a team I was responsible for — dropped out 2 weeks before we planned to open applications.
2017-2018 — Countless rejections from potential speakers and sponsors.
2018 — Extremely nervous delivering the opening and closing addresses, I think my voice was audibly shaking. I’ve never been that nervous in my life.
2018 — Screwing up on continuity.

Others L’s I’ve taken

2016-2017 — I started a Coding Meetup in Brampton but I was unable to continue it after only a couple months.
2017 — Friend and I worked on a startup that fizzled out after 2 meetings.
2017 — Coming in 15 minutes late to a 20 minute interview. I never knew it was a phone interview, and I was in the lobby of the interview centre, blasting music from my headphones, while the PA was frantically calling my name. I sprinted to the call centre and I was panting for half of the 5 minutes we had left in our call. Most cringey interview I’ve ever done.
2013-Present — My entire romantic life.