26A – Celebrating Failure

1) During this summer I have failed at small tasks here or there. But the only main failure I can recall is failing at an internship interview for next summer for a consulting company. I went through the first round of interviews with behavioral and sort of meet and greet but didn't get past the case study interview. I had previously studied the basics and main types of cases and frameworks and I felt confident with my knowledge and experience. Unfortunately it wasn't enough as I sounded unprepared and under-skilled in some aspects of the interview.

2) From it I learned a good lesson, there is no limit or minimum for the amount of preparation one can do for an interview. No matter how much you think you know or studied or prepared there can always be more to do. You could get a curveball in any interview that could possible derail the rest of your interview. Also to study does not you mean you know. One should go though multiple mock interviews to feel comfortable with your knowledge, confidence and skills.

3) I used to think failure was nothing but bad and looked down upon. This was until I watched this youtube series of a guy who does something everyday with the intent of fail with the sole purpose to feel comfortable failing. So he starts asking random people for cars, free houses, and other ridiculous things like asking for a medium stake at a Ben and Jerry's. But the whole purpose of this series was that he was trying, and if you are trying it means that can succeed. So since last year I figured the only way to succeed is to try and failure is just evidence of that. This class has become more of that, not every person i asked to get interviewed said yes, not every email was answered but that was okey, because maybe the next one will. This class definitely added to my new perspective on failure and my attitude towards it.