Insights from a FAANG PM

Wooden tiles spell 'Fail Your Way to Success' emphasizing perseverance.

Fail First: Why Failing Job Interviews Helps You Land Your Dream Job

Have you failed more than me?

Failure is often seen as the opposite of success, but in reality, it’s one of the most powerful tools for achieving your goals—especially when it comes to landing your dream job. The truth is, failure is inevitable. But how you handle it, learn from it, and grow from it will determine whether you eventually succeed. In this article, I’ll share why failing first, failing often, and getting comfortable with failure is the secret to unlocking your dream career.

When I first set out to land my dream job, I made the mistake of aiming too high too soon. I applied to top-tier companies like FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) without any real interview experience. Unsurprisingly, I failed—over and over again. In fact, I applied to more than 700+ jobs when I was first starting off my career. I’ve failed more than 80+ interviews in my career.

I applied to more than 700+ jobs when I was first starting off my career. I’ve failed more than 60+ interviews throughout my career.

But here’s the thing: those early failures were invaluable. They taught me how to handle rejection (in the words of Jay-Z, “you gotta get. that. dirt off ya shoulders.”), refine my interviewing skills, and understand what employers were looking for. If you’re just starting out, don’t aim for your dream job right away.

Start small.

Apply to smaller companies or roles that are slightly outside your comfort zone. Use these opportunities as practice runs to build confidence and learn the ropes.

Fail Again: Embrace the Learning Process

Failure isn’t a one-time event—it’s a process. Each time you fail, you gain new insights that bring you closer to success. For example, after every failed interview, I would reflect on what went wrong. Did I stumble on a technical question? Was my answer too vague? Did I fail to articulate my value?

Over time, I began to see patterns in my mistakes and worked to address them. I practiced mock interviews, sought feedback from mentors, and studied successful candidates. The more I failed, the more I learned, and the better I became.

The key is to treat failure as feedback, not as a final verdict. Every “no” brings you closer to a “yes.”

Get Used to Failure: Build Resilience

One of the most important skills you can develop in your career is resilience—the ability to bounce back from setbacks. The job search process is grueling (ESPECIALLY in today’s job market), and rejection can feel personal. But the sooner you get used to failure, the easier it becomes to handle.

I’ll be honest: failing 700+ interviews wasn’t easy. There were moments when I felt discouraged and doubted myself. But each failure taught me to detach my self-worth from the outcome. I learned to focus on the process rather than the result. Over time, I built a callus to all the rejections – I became more resilient, more confident, and more determined to keep going.

How Well Can You Handle Failure?

Your ability to handle failure will determine how far you go in your career. Here are a few strategies to help you build resilience and turn failure into fuel:

Reframe Failure as GROWTH
Instead of seeing failure as a setback, view it as an opportunity to grow. Ask yourself: What did I learn from this experience? How can I improve next time?
Seek Feedback
After a failed interview or rejection, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Most hiring managers won’t provide it, but when they do, it can be incredibly valuable.
Celebrate Small Wins
Did you land an interview? Did you make it past the recruiting screen? Did you progress to the final round of interviews? Did you receive positive feedback from a recruiter? Celebrate these small wins—they’re proof that you’re making progress.
Keep a Failure Journal
Document your failures and what you learned from each one. Over time, you’ll see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve grown.

Failure is the Bridge to Your Dream Job

Here’s the secret no one tells you: failure is the bridge to success. Every successful person has failed countless times—they just don’t talk about it as much as their wins. For me, failing 60+ interviews was the best thing that could have happened. It taught me humility, perseverance, and the importance of continuous improvement.

Here’s the secret no one tells you: failure is the bridge to success.

When you’re willing to fail, you open yourself up to opportunities you might otherwise avoid. You become more willing to take risks, try new things, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. And that’s where growth happens.

Final Thoughts: Failure is Your Superpower

If you’re on the journey to landing your dream job, don’t fear failure—embrace it. Fail first, fail again, and get used to failure. The more you fail, the closer you’ll get to your goals.

And remember, failure isn’t the end—it’s just the beginning. Each setback is a stepping stone to something greater. So keep going, keep learning, and keep failing. Your dream job is out there, and every failure is bringing you one step closer to it.

P.S. If you found this article helpful, stay tuned for more tips and strategies on navigating the job search process. I’m using this platform to help job seekers like you turn failure into success—and eventually, land your dream job. Together, we can turn setbacks into stepping stones.