#82: I was rejected from a job that I really wanted

But I got what I really needed.

Created with the Midjourney bot using the prompt: “I was rejected from a job that I really wanted”

Today, I was rejected from a job that I really wanted. My top pick — a Silicon Valley unicorn, lauded by both venture capitalists and users — sounded perfect on paper.

The rejection email said the following:

Thanks so much for your patience while the team had a hard time making a decision. While we really enjoyed getting to know you throughout the process, we've decided not to move forward with your candidacy at this time. We really enjoyed getting to know you and we'd love to keep in touch for future opportunities as our team continues to grow, especially our comms & marketing team.

Womp… womp…womp.

Of course, I am disappointed and I won’t sugar coat this less-than-desirable outcome. But, I’m still feeling okay and hopeful — had I received the rejection email a few weeks ago, I would have felt differently.

Last week, I had an experience that changed my mind about my job search. Actually, not just my job search, but the job search — the job market and, more broadly, the future of work.

I was in Denver, Colorado last week attending MCON, MetaCartel’s annual conference that brings together the best and the brightest DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) operators to talk about all things DAO. If you are not familiar with DAOs, the best way to think about them is like a club with a shared bank account, mission and purpose. Members are compensated via co-ownership with NFTs, and are paid for their work in either a stable coin or the DAO’s native crypto token. Membership also comes with governance (voting) rights.

DAOs are creating the future of work.

They are building a new economy (using crypto as the exchange layer) and new employment structures that give people greater autonomy, flexibility, and ownership in their work. The financial reward for participating in this new economy is appealing — along with the intellectual satisfaction and the potential to leave a long-lasting positive impact on society.

However, traveling the road less traveled is always scary. For a long time, I felt a lot of resistance.

I still feel resistance.

When shared a post, about two months ago, about my untraditional way of searching for a job, I received a lot of inbounds from DAOs that sounded something like this:

We’re looking for content writers and could really use your help. Come write for us!

But, I respectfully declined these offers and explained that I’m only looking for full-time roles.

My friend Yalor from MetaCartel said to me:

Are you sure?!

“Yes, Yalor, I am sure…” I told him.

Well, at the time, I was sure —but now I recognize Yalor’s foresight.

As a friend, mentor, and colleague, Yalor helped me to secure a grant to write a short story anthology about DAOs.

I admire Yalor’s candor and direct communication style. I am also reminded of the Rolling Stone songs that goes like this:

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes, well, you might find

You get what you need

What I need now is to stop being a fool and to go write some incredible awe-inspiring stories about the innovation happening within DAOs.

I didn’t get what I wanted, but I tried and I got what I needed.

Stay tuned, friends. The future is bright.