Joanna McDonald

How to fail upwards as a computer science grad

May 21, 2026

My journey from being a complete and utter career failure to finding success and myself.

1. Don't get enough relevant internships

Yes I had internships. One that was relevant to software but not great, and one in IT for my future employer. For a while I regretted the IT one, it felt like I was moving in the wrong direction. At the time, I had been applying to internships late in the cycle, so I was behind the curve. I missed all the good, competitive software internships that I wished I could get.

The reason for my applying late is that I had been considering a career goal pivot into healthcare or medical school, and I had just redirected my compass towards computer science once again. By that time, it was almost summer and I didn't end up starting my internship until June.

I felt like a failure and I didn't feel like I got much value out of that internship due to how it was structured, as well as my own outlook on it. It didn't give me a reason to want to pursue IT, I'll just say that.

A huge way that software engineers get their first jobs out of school is the concept of a return offer: perform well in the internship that is probably positioned before your senior year and you may get that sweet sweet new grad position offer for after you graduate.

2. Don't do enough leetcode

I almost NEVER practiced leetcode while I was in school. Unfortunately, if you have interest in software engineering, leetcode is an absolute requirement. I blindly trusted the programming skills I acquired through my years before and during school and didn't take the initiative to practice. In reality, I should have been practicing nearly the entire time.

Data structures and algorithms as a class is not enough practice. This shit gets so complicated and I didn't understand while I was in school how deep of an understanding of these fundamentals are required in order to apply them for the types of problems presented in coding interviews.

The pressure of coding interviews is enough to give one nerves, so having very solid background knowledge to back you up brings you the confidence required to adapt to the questions they ask and succeed.

3. Drop out of grad school

After school, I applied to go to grad school for a master's in computer science. I went for a couple months and realized it was absolutely not for me and dropped out.

It was a very tough time and I didn't take the decision lightly, but I knew it wasn't going to be worth it for me. I still stand by that decision, although it was weird to reach the point of time where I would have been graduating. Like, "I could have a master's degree right now..."

But by both choosing grad school and subsequently dropping out, I had lost out on the sweet spot of applying for new grad software roles during my senior year. This meant it would be even more of a challenge to get that first job.

4. Fail coding screenings and interviews

On coding interviews, as I mentioned, I lacked leetcode experience. Yes I had done coding interviews for internships before, but I had no idea how far behind I was. I used the study tool "Grokking the Coding Interview," which I still think is an INCREDIBLE resource. I refreshed my memory and learned all about data structures and algorithms, and I practiced nonstop. I did a lot of leetcode, and I progressively got better. Towards the end of this period where I did a lot of studying, I felt I finally had a solid grasp of the concepts and knew how to apply them.

Coding interviews are like puzzles, but there are many ways to solve them. You also have to consider the dreaded time complexity of the solutions and applying the optimal solution. You can solve the puzzle, but in a shit way with bad time complexity and no one will want to hire you.

I had an excellent opportunity come up with Roblox. I did kind of poorly on the coding portion of the screening, honestly, but Roblox has a second part of their screening. You literally go on Roblox and complete games they've created that challenge your mind and make you think of multiple solutions. It's a lot of problem solving and showing you have the mind of an engineer. Thankfully, I've played games for years and been doing puzzle-esque games my entire life, so I apparently passed this part with flying colors and landed the coding interview.

The coding interview went fine. There were two problems to solve, led by two different engineers. The first one had a confusing prompt and while I produced a solution, I don't feel that my solution nor my thought process showcased my problem solving skills in an exemplar way. The second part I definitely nailed. I knew if I didn't nail either, someone else would. Unfortunately, this was the case and I received a rejection.

For a long time I dwelled on this opportunity I lost. I felt disappointed in myself and by this point felt like I had fucked up every good opportunity that had come my way. The job search was brutal, especially for the market of new graduates and entry level software engineers. It's cutthroat and I didn't pass this time.

5. Settle for your new grad job

The job search dragged on for months, and I was getting to the point where I just needed to get SOMETHING. I was getting close to one year post grad and as you get further away from your graduation date, it is harder and harder to land these specific roles. I really really missed the golden window my senior year and that impacted my job search in a major way. I needed to get my foot in the door somehow somewhere.

I looked at the open positions at the company where I did my IT internship, and saw a full time IT analyst position open at a hospital. I waited and hesitated to apply because it felt so much like settling for less than what I wanted. I had a feeling that if I applied, especially given my experience, I was going to get the job. I applied, and to my surprise, my old boss from my internship emailed me. He was now working at this hospital and would be my boss if I were to get the role. I was an obvious fit to him for the position and landed the job.

6. Accidentally fall in love with IT

I was happy to have a job, but as I said, I felt like I had settled big time. I compared myself to my peers from my graduating class that had landed the shiny software engineering jobs I so desperately wanted at the time, even the classmates that I so foolishly considered as less intelligent or deserving as me. It was very humbling, but I think as a human, I needed that reality check.

As I became more acquainted with the systems and processes of the job, I started to actually enjoy it. I was good at it! I've always been good at troubleshooting in many avenues, through the very different jobs I've held over the years. I built relationships with the staff I was supporting and became a highly trusted resource.

I started to see IT as a field I could develop and grow in, rather than something I was settling for. I had just truly never considered it as an option, I had blinders on. I fell in love with networking, and started to aspire towards a career in something like network engineering. I worked hard and earned certifications in A+ and Network+, and started studying for my CCNA. My boss supported my aspirations and I felt like I had a future finally. I had goals to work towards, and I was working hard. When I'm truly determined to accomplish something, I can be laser focused, and I put in so many hours studying for these certifications.

7. Lose it all and gain it back

If you read my post about how I left this job, you'll see how this opportunity came to an unfortunate end. That was a rock-bottom moment for me. But, I think that gave me the push I needed to find a better opportunity in IT. At this company, there were indeed growth opportunities in my future, but it was going to take a loooong time. It would have been years and years before I could even dream of being promoted to a position I wanted. I had one good decent promotion opportunity during my tenure there that would have helped get me started, and came in second place. That was a reality check. I'll have to share more about that experience in a future post.

After leaving my job, humbled as ever, I paused for a moment. I was awarded unemployment after it was determined that I was not let go for misconduct. I got a serving job after a couple of months for money and to occupy my time, and actually enjoyed it. I felt reinvigorated and like there was hope in the world again. It took me a second to start applying for jobs again after losing my job, but with my own motivation and a little bit of familial pressure, I began applying again.

I ended up interviewing for another IT analyst position, and landed it! I was so relieved, but also so scared to almost start over again. It was intimidating thinking of returning to another corporate role after almost 5 months. But, I'm loving it. It's been 3 weeks now and I feel at home.

As I continue to work in my new role, I feel more certain that my previous company was absolutely not for me. They frankly treated me like dogshit and the job was extremely stressful with a lot of pressure put onto me. I was the primary employee supporting an entire hospital, and in healthcare IT, the issues can truly become life or death. It wasn't unusual for me to be called into work at 2 am while on call for an emergency, and then have to come into work at 6:30 am just a few hours later. It was intense. I feel like I've found my new home, and it's somewhere that I believe I will actually grow.

8. Become yourself

Over the last year or so I've achieved radical growth. I left a long term relationship early in 2025 and that began a self discovery journey for me. I've become more confident in myself as an individual and more self-assured. I've put myself out there so many times to meet new people, make new friends, and develop myself by engaging in the things I actually enjoy. It's so very important to be your own person.

I've been in a new phase of my life the last couple years, entering that post grad new adult life. Learning to live as an adult and then as a single individual has been a learning process. I am ever so grateful for everything that has happened to me, because it's led me to the place I'm in today. The deep regrets I used to feel career wise no longer exist.

I'm happy with the person I have become and the person that I'm becoming. I know myself and trust myself. I see a future for myself.