I’ve been 25 for a full three months now and I’ve come to realize a few things since I *officially* entered my mid-twenties. I’ve been working my first industry job for a little over a year and a half and have since uprooted from my hometown of Seattle to the Bay Area, back in October 2018. While my outlook on life hasn’t changed too drastically since writing my last “coming-of-age” post, I wanted to share some thoughts on how I’ve been navigating adulthood (so far).

I’ve made quite a of few lifestyle changes since I moved. These changes include (but are not limited to): trying out Veganism 🌱, becoming a “minimalist” 🧹, and practicing meditation 🧘🏻. This is not my version of “Eat, Pray, Love”, nor is it a path to find some form of spiritual enlightenment. This is simply about how I’m adapting to the new challenges I’ve come to face at this current point in time. My goal is to continue to prepare for the “unknown future” with as much grace, resilience, and pragmatism as I can.

Less Small Talk

There comes a point in time in early adulthood when you realize that there are only a handful of people you truly enjoy spending time with. While I’ve experienced this already, others many experience this later on. People change and that will always remain true because we are dynamic creatures who are constantly evolving. And at the end of the day, life is too short to not be your authentic self.

As we grow, this doesn’t always mean others are growing with you. This means that sometimes, you have to learn to let go of people who won’t embrace your growth. You will meet people throughout your lifetime who will leave an impact on you, but that doesn’t always mean they’re here to stay. And the best thing to do is to wish them well and let them go. This will help preserve your own energy and hopefully set you on a path to invest in the relationships that you do want to prioritize.

Less Waste

With the convenience of two-day shipping and the rise of delivery services, it’s never been easier for us to consume stuff. And I am probably just as guilty (if not more), than anyone in my generation of buying into this new wave of consumerism. With the rise in “minimalism” (thank you Marie Kondo) and movements like “Zero Waste”, I think it’s safe to say that our generation is very much the anti-Baby-Boomer generation. We don’t necessarily feel the need to buy home with excess living space and for the most part, only buy what we need.

I can’t pinpoint the exact moment where I felt like my life was cluttered, but it probably started one Saturday afternoon when I watched “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix with my roommate. I took a look around my room and felt this instrisic need to empty my closet before decluttering all of my other belongings. It made me aware of just how much unnecessary stuff I owned. Throughout this process, I’ve also implemented a few lifestyle changes to reduce my carbon footprint such as:

• Carrying a reusable water bottle and coffee mug.
• Using reusable bags (or paper bags) when I shop.
• Buying in bulk to save myself from un-recyclable packaging.

Decluttering has had some unforeseen positive impacts in my day-to-day. In a weird way, I feel a sense of clarity when I come home to a clean room and a clean wardrobe. I’m much more conscious of the waste that I produce whenever I want to buy something. I’ve adopted the “One in, one out” rule when it comes to my clothes — where I donate or sell a piece of clothing for every new on I purchase. To me, minimalism means getting the most out of what you already have, keeping only the things you need, and getting rid of everything else.

Less Meat

I can show you a lot of data points on how eating less meat is better for your health, the environment, and our planet. But, I simply want to share why I decided to give Veganism a try. Over the last couple of years, I’ve learned a few things about my body:

• I’m lactose-intolerant.
• I don’t like feeling sluggish after eating red meat.
• I gained over 10 pounds in a year.

I wanted to combat all the negative changes by exploring Veganism and since I was already allergic to dairy, giving up animal products was pretty easy. Adapting to this lifestyle change has been a creative and educational process. I learned that my stomach had a hard time digesting enzymes from foods like beans and beets. And thanks to a fellow Vegan (soon-to-be-doctor) friend, I have a new list of supplements to take now that I’ve given up meat. I do feel much better after each meal and I have more energy too! Knowing that this lifestyle change benefits the environment and creates a more sustainable planet for future generation also gives me a small sense of pride.

Less Screen Time

I’m usually pretty good about not checking my phone when I’m around other people, but sometimes it’s hard to control the FOMO (fear of missing out). For a short period of time, I would delete apps like Instagram and LinkedIn from my phone because I was in a constant state of FOMO and occasionally felt the imposter syndrome. While I would always end up re-downloading the apps, I thought it’d make more sense to refresh my feed.

I began following more friends, artists and minimalists and unfollowed big brands, influencers, and trends. This has brought a sense of lightness in my feed and I feel better about the content I consume. Less screen time means allowing yourself to be present and engaged. I make it a habit to monitor the screen time on my iPhone to make sure it’s slowly decreasing over time. Behaviors like this becomes easier the more you practice mindful device usage.

Less Stress

This one is tough.

I’ll admit that I’m a workaholic. Since I’ve only been in my current role for a little over a year and a half, and I’m constantly learning how to overcome new challenges. My goal this year is to find a good work-life balance. This may sound strange considering that this is only the beginning of my career, but, I want to start establishing what a healthy balance looks like for the future.

For about a month, I would bring work home. I would talk endlessly to my roommates, my friends, and my partner about my work day. This was not only negatively impacting my relationships, but this was becoming a cyclical pattern that I had to break. I’ve now allowed myself to:

• Talk about up until a certain time in the evening.
• Take one day of the week for self-care.
• Let go of the need to “be productive” on my days off.

As a creature of habit, this is a way for me to develop a strategy to combat work-related stress and fatigue. I realized I simply needed more time to unwind and unplug from work and I wasn’t allowing myself to do that up until now. Of all the things I’ve learned to let go of this year, stress is the most difficult one.

But I know it can only get better from here.

(Images from pexels.com)

I turned 23 in March which means 2017 is my MJ year.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably already graduated from college and are embarking on post-grad adulthood.

Before turning 23, I started making small changes that have significantly impacted my well-being.

As I reflect on the first half of 2017, I’d like to share with you a list of 10 things I’ve done before I turned 23.

1. Stop comparing yourself to other people

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt

I was surrounded by peers who were ambitious, talented, and successful. I looked to them as people I aspired to be. Their passion for wanting to make an impact in the world made me want to do more. No matter how much I respected my peers, I never compared myself to them. I’m a firm believer of the fact that we define our own success and everyone reaches success at their own pace. Throughout college, my goal was never to be better than the person next to me. My goal has always been to be the best person I could be and invest all of my efforts into doing that. It’s human nature to want to compare yourself to other people (trust me I’m very competitive), but the sooner you stop obsessing over someone else’s success, the sooner you’ll be able to focus on your own successes.

2. Break unhealthy habits

Whether it’s late-night munchies or too much caffeine, we all need to start investing in our mental, physical, and financial health. Right now. We’re not 16 anymore — we can’t eat 20 pieces of McNuggets everyday and still have a six pack. It may seem tough especially when you turn 21 and go through a late-night-meal-eating phase followed by the inevitable binge-drinking phase. How do I know this? Because I’ve been there and done that more times than I’d like to admit.

I’m also guilty of buying random and unnecessary things from the internet and being too lazy to return it after I realize they bring me no value. No matter what your unhealthy habits are, it’s time to start breaking them, one by one. This doesn’t have to happen overnight. The key is to ween off each unhealthy addiction little by little. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. 😉

3. Distance yourself from toxic relationships

Hopefully at this point in your life, you’ve met a few people who you know will always have your back. Life will always get in the way of you forming new relationships but I believe that there will always be opportunities to meet new people and make new friends. As we grow older, our views of the world will change. If you suddenly feel like some people around you are not helping you grow to the person you want to be, then maybe it’s time to rethink your relationship. Breaking up from friends, family, and partners will always be hard, but, at the end of the day, you have to look out for yourself.

4. Set (realistic) yearly goals

I’m the type of person who doesn’t like to settle. That’s why every time I cross off a goal, I always set a new one. It gives me something to work towards and keeps me motivated. Some of my goals for 2017 are:

• ✅ Graduate
• ✅ Get a job
• ✅ Exercise at least 3 days a week, every week
• ✅ Read 6 books by the end of the year
• Spend less money on clothes than the previous year (working on it)
• Eat out less no more than 2 days a week (also still working on it)

These goals should be realistic and achievable — which means you should specify the details of each one. If my exercise goal was instead “exercise more”, then it’s a little nebulas and I’m less likely to work towards meeting it.

5. Try something new

We’re still young. We are capable of taking risks.
Now that we have graduated and have stability in our lives, we can finally make time to try new things. That’s why I decided to take up writing this year. I’ve always wanted to be a blogger but can’t find the time to commit to taking high-quality photos. I wanted to discover my voice and find an avenue where I can express my thoughts by creating interesting content first. I guess the “risky” part of this venture for me is writing content that people don’t want to read.

6. Travel

If you’ve saved enough money or have the opportunity to travel or study abroad, go. Studying abroad in Shanghai and Beijing my Sophomore year was the best decision I ever made. Not only did I get to experience different cultures, it was also the time when I decided to pursue Design as a career. The program I was a part of in Beijing introduced me to the world of Product Design and I’ve never looked back since. I also had the opportunity to visit Europe for the very first time in December as well as back to Japan with a good friend of mine. When you travel, you open yourself up to new cultures, new experiences, and new memories. These opportunities will be harder to come by as we get busier, so travel when you can!

7. Reconnect with your parents

As an only child to a single mom, it was tough for me to find time to connect with my mom during college. After going through a whirlwind my first two years of college, I had focused my attention on performing well in my classes. It took me a while to realize how lonely my mom was without me. Sometimes we can be consumed by how fast-paced our lives are. As we age, our parents age too. It’s a terrifying reality that we have to face. Take it from someone who has experienced loss — hug your parents, call them more often, tell them you love them. Don’t wait for a special occasion, you don’t need a reason — just do it. Right now.

8. Take care of your mental health

Mental health can be a touchy subject, but, it’s an important one. If you ever feel like it’s becoming more difficult to be happy, it’s never too early to start taking steps in creating a peaceful state of mind. For example, I went through my Instagram profile and unfollowed “influencers” and people who I don’t really have a relationship with. This may sound a little silly but it’s actually made me a lot happier.

I realized that I was comparing myself (#1) to the people I saw on social media. Constantly asking myself why I didn’t look a certain way or had this much fun in my life. I realized that I wasn’t living my life according to my needs but instead doing it to prove to people on social media how fabulous my life was/is. I stopped posting on social media — very few pictures on Instagram, no updates on Facebook, and still haven’t changed my title on LinkedIn. Once I did this, I found myself less dependent on social media and less interested in what other people were doing. I started to find joy in the things (big and small) in my life and reached a better state of mind.

9. Let go of your ego

I went into my last year of college thinking that it would be a breeze. Looking back, I can say that this outlook was a huge mistake. It can be hard to turn back after getting a taste of success (however you define it), but I let my ego get the best of me. After a string of roadblocks, It became difficult for me to internalize everything that went wrong and easier to just focus on new opportunities. I had to get myself out of a depressing slump because once your ego has been hurt, it can impact your state of mind and how you perceive yourself. Here’s what I learned from my lessons on ego:

• Never give up
• Don’t think you’re not as valuable as you know you are
• Never assume you deserve something you didn’t work for

10. Do things that make you happy

So what if you weren’t able to graduate with the major you wanted? So what if you didn’t get your dream job after graduation? The best part about post-grad adulthood is that it’s the beginning of a new chapter. You’re done with school and you’re ready to move on. You get to reinvent yourself in the way that makes you happy. I stopped focusing on doing things to impress people and found friends who value the same things I do. I started working on things that make me happy (writing, reading, trying new foods). There’s so many ways to occupy your time now, and it’s up to you to make the most of it. Don’t spend time doing things that you don’t like and do more of what you love.

When I started college, I had just finished two years in community college as part of my school’s Running Start program. I got my Associates alongside my diploma and went in to the University of Washington with a ton of credits. I was thinking, “Sweet. Only two years of college.”

Nope. Here I am, almost five years later and taking my last Business class as a designer. So, what’s the point of me telling you this?

I’m telling you all of this for two reasons.

1. I chose passion over job security

Growing up with Asian parents I was always told to pursue stability over creativity. I fell in love with the first graphics design class I took in high school but my parents (like many other Asian parents) thought art/design was a hobby, not a career. So I ended up majoring in Business because my parents thought with my knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, it would be worthwhile to explore jobs in International Business. The only classes that kept me going were my Marketing classes because I found consumer behavior and retail strategy such fascinating topics. But I knew it wasn’t enough for me. Sorry mom, that accounting life is just not sexy.

When I went abroad to study at a Product Design seminar at Peking University, the summer of my sophomore year, I worked on a project that introduced me to User Experience Design. And it was that summer that I knew I had found my calling. I approached this project as a Business Analyst, which meant that I was in charge of figuring out a scalable business model for our product. Even though I didn’t get to help create the product, I did learn a lot about UX.

Approaching our project from a business perspective but also engaging with my teammates who were the actual creators of our product gave me a short, but extensive look in to the process of taking an idea and turning it in to something tangible. So I decided to pursue UX design through Information Science when I got back from my trip, built a portfolio from scratch (crashing and burning at first), and applying for internships that I didn’t know if I was qualified for. Two years (and many interviews) later, I discovered something that I think is interesting enough to share.

2. Design interviews are a lot like case competitions

Let me explain. If you are unfamiliar with case competitions, I’ll give you a quick run-down. Basically, a company will give you a business case (prompt) and some operation, financial, marketing logistics. It’s up to you (and/or your team) to analyze the details that you’re given and come up with a solution to the case with decision rationales. Sound familiar?

Yes, design challenges are structured the same way in that you’re (almost always) given a super vague prompt, in which you have to ask clarifying questions to define the scope and make assumptions while backing up every design decisions you make. In both cases, there “is no right answer” because what interviewers are looking for is your rationale. And for some reason, I just couldn’t seem to crack these design challenges.

I didn’t really make the connection until my (former consultant) friend started helping me prep for my interviews. One day while we were talking through a imaginary design challenge, he said to me, “Wow, this sounds exactly like a case interview.” He then proceeded to tell me how he structured his answers for these cases and I tailored them to be more relevant to design challenges. Here is our structure:

• Rephrase the prompt to make sure you’re not missing any key information. (Tbh, it may help to do a sanity check in case you were too nervous and missed the prompt)
• Begin asking the interviewer clarifying questions that will help you narrow the scope of the problem.
• Once you have a specific target and enough constraints and before you start sketching, make assumptions as you explain your thought process.
• When appropriate, give example scenarios of why your rationale makes the most sense.
• Provide tradeoffs to show you’ve considered other solutions.

If this structure doesn’t work for you, here is an article by some very smart people at Google that may be of use.

For a more in-depth view on design challenges in the interview process, read Nishtha’s Facebook interview experience.

(Major) Key Takeaways:

I get it, design can be very subjective and unlike case studies, you aren’t guaranteed any data or numbers that can help you make a great solution. And in case you made it to this section without reading anything above, here are the things I want you to take away from this post.

1. Business and design go hand-in-hand (refer to #2).
2. In both case analyses and design challenges, it is important that you learn how to tell a good story.
3. It is not about the end result but more importantly, how you got there and why your solution is the best.*

*The same thing could be said about life and how it’s about the journey not the destination but who am I to get all philosophical on you?

The objective of any internship is for you to gain valuable hands-on experience by learning from the people you work with and the project(s) you’re working on. Your managers and co-workers will know that it may be the first or second time you’ve been an intern or worked in a real-world environment so they will do their best to mentor and coach you through any obstacles. That said, you should always put your best foot forward and not be intimidated by tasks that you’re asked to accomplish. You want to prove to your team that you are the right person for this job.

2. Keep an open mind.

You may love your project, or you may not. But what’s important is that you keep an open mind to learning about new things. Don’t gauge your project by the amount of information you can put on your resume. Really understanding the purpose of the project and being able to thoroughly research and execute at the end of your internship is going to be what’s important.

3. Say “Yes” to just about anything.

Whether you’re used to dining with coworkers or getting happy hour with them, this is your opportunity to do it. Say yes to team lunches, tours, events, and happy hours. It’s the best opportunity to get to know your team (and other interns and employees) on a more personal basis. Never eat lunch alone, even if it means you’re the one inviting others. And when you have free time, ask your coworkers if they need help — this shows initiative and who knows, you just might learn something new.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

When you’re unsure of something, just ask for advice. No one will think you’re incompetent for wanting to make sure you’re doing something right.

5. Have fun

As much learning as you will be doing during the summer, it’s also important to have fun. Explore the city, enjoy the nature because who knows, this may be your new home post-grad. Mingle with other interns and learn from their experiences.

I was in the state of trying to find the perfect summer internship that aligned with my career objectives as closely as possible, preferably at a tech company that was going to give me great mentorship as well. Rejections are difficult and after a few of them, you start to feel less confident about your decisions and who knows, you may even begin to doubt your abilities as a candidate.

Pick a skill & become a master at it
If you find yourself in my social circle during this time of the year, you would know that all I can talk about is recruiting. When I didn’t get the interview/offer, that’s when conversations got really fun.

For the friends who ask me about tech internships, my best advice has always been to pick a skill, whether that’s coding, designing, presenting, selling, etc., and get really good at it. Build a portfolio, record presentations, however you choose to sell yourself, be prepared to back it up; before your application and especially once you get an interview. Doing so makes you an attractive candidate.

Passion. Matters.
Interviewers love to hear that you’re passionate about something. Anything. I once interviewed for a Business Analyst position and all I could talk about was how much I loved design. I got the offer. Always do research on the companies you’re interviewing for (duh) and read recent company news. Learn leadership principals and mission statements because this shows employers you are passionate to learn about their business. For me, my passion has always been design. I specialize in UX and dabble in visual design. I instantaneously fell in love with the very first graphics design course I took in high school. After being in business school for 2 years, I took a study abroad trip that completely changed my perspective and now I’m double majoring in Human-Computer Interaction. Whatever that passion is for you, make sure you sell it, and do it well.

Rejections are part of the process
Over the summer I was so ambitious in my search that I think I applied to about 20+ internships. From the Bay to my home in Seattle, I think I was too anxious to secure something before recruiting even began. I guess it’s always good to be prepared, but unfortunately, I only got a handful of emails back and I eventually had to move on.

This is the most difficult part of the entire process; dealing with emotions. Psyching yourself out before even applying to a position will undeniably add unnecessary stress. So just don’t do it. Don’t forget to exude the confidence you know you have from the very beginning. Recruiters and interviewers can smell confidence (and fear) from miles away.

Keep trying, even when you want to give up

‘Nuff said. Even when you think you bombed an interview, remember there are always more opportunities. And always write down as much as you can remember from your interviews. Reflecting on them (whether they went well or not) is going to be extremely helpful. Keep in mind that whatever position is offered to you is not and will not be your last.

Learn to value yourself & your time
I had a few offers throughout the beginning of October but due to time and academic constraints, I couldn’t uproot from school to intern for 6 months in another state. Some time after school had began, I finally realized that I am capable of getting the types of internships I wanted, even though I had been rejected more times than I’d like to admit. Once I started getting interviews, I got really excited and started to build a little momentum. They were the positions that I thought I didn’t have a chance of getting because so many other companies had rejected me for the same position. I eventually found myself rejecting offers, just to have those companies wanting to change my mind.

Understand that as long as you possess a skill or have a strong passion towards something, you can land that job/internship.

No B.S.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s no secret formula for success, but I can tell you that there are times when I thought I bombed the interview when I really didn’t. Employers want to see that you have confidence in your work (aka you know your sh**). Always be prepared to back up whatever you said you can do on your resume because interviewers are always testing to see how legit you really are. I don’t have much experience with technical/coding interviews but I can at least say that for design, interviewers want to get inside your head during design challenges. So let them. All they wanted to see was whether I could make design decisions in addition to analyzing my thinking process (very important in the design world). So my advice to you would be to always have a reasoning behind your decisions. And to be honest, I think this applies to almost every role you can apply for, not just design.

Good Luck!

Update: I’m will be joining Google this summer as a UX Design Intern in Mountain View, CA!

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