“Dancing, Julebord, and Meta Dreams: Lessons from a Rejection”

On October 23rd, I got a message from a Meta recruiter. My first thought? “Cool, another LinkedIn headhunt.” It happens often, so I didn’t give it much weight. But after our first chat, my enthusiasm skyrocketed. This wasn’t just any tech job—it was Meta! I suddenly saw myself working alongside some of the smartest people in the world.

The recruiter suggested a coding interview date of November 18th. But there was a tiny problem: my calendar looked like a tetris game of fun chaos. Between Ph.D. ceremonies, dancing, choir rehearsals, and Christmas parties (aka “julebord”), I was double- and triple-booked. So, I asked to postpone until December 2nd to make room for some serious LeetCode grind.

What followed was a whirlwind. I squeezed every spare moment into coding prep—chaining algorithms while skipping breakdance gatherings and choir parties. But LeetCode doesn’t magically transform you into a coding wizard overnight. When December 2nd rolled around, I just gave it my best shot.

The interview itself? Not terrible. I solved a BST problem solo and managed a linked list problem with the interviewer’s help. But when the rejection email came, I wasn’t surprised—it stung, sure, but I knew I hadn’t fully prepared.

Here’s what I learned: to be among the best, you can’t do everything. You need focus. My dreams of working at a big tech company—Meta, Google, or the like—require serious, targeted effort. At 28, with a goal of FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), time’s ticking. It’s time to prioritize, deepen my skills, and get back at it.

Meta didn’t work out this time, but the dream is far from over. Onward and upward!