It is always so easy to look back in hindsight and say things like, “It was worth it.”

Yes, while it was worth it, the truth is that when I was going through all those loopsie-loops, I was always struggling to see around the next corner. I had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side. I think that’s the thing that people never really get to see, especially when recruiters/hirers look at our resumes. That piece of paper will never be able to tell you the number of times I have taken a risk to try something new and then failed again and again and again. It can never tell you just how close I had come to giving up and walking away for good. It can never tell you the strength and courage that it would take for me to pick myself up after a major failure and to try again. It can never show you the times when I was so broke, I had no money for food or the bus. It will never be able to show you the kinds of jobs I had to do in order to survive so that I can hold on long enough to realize my next goal. It can never show you all the sleepless nights where I just laid in bed, wondering how I was ever going to survive another day.

But that is also what I have to endure, sacrifice just to get to where I am today. Frankly, I feel like my real journey is only just beginning now that I’m here.

2005 – Got my first job

2006 – Lost my job, but discovered my passion for UX. Superiors said I was wasting my time.

’06~’07 – Freelancing. Experienced my first few successes and failures.

’07~’09 – First real job

’09~’10 – Had first leadership experience.

’10~’11 – Went back down to a junior role

’11 – Closed my first 5 figure freelance gig.

’12 – First Senior role + 2nd 5-figure gig

’13 – 3rd 5-figure gig, and failed one other gig. Considered leaving the industry.

’14 – Found a job, but realized I was underpaid. Quit it to follow my passion.

’15 – First major career breakthrough + 3X salary + Recognition as Top Front-end Dev + First major Freelance gig.

’16 – become Youngest Certified Thought Leader in Agile UX + secured my next two international freelance clients.

’17 – Lost my job, failed one freelance gig, succeeded at one.

’18 – Consultancy business failed. Lost my portfolio and all my work. Closed my first 50K contract as a freelancer.

’19 – Left the industry to rediscover myself.

’20 – Pandemic + worked in cust svc.

’21 – Lost my job

’22~’23 – Decided to specialized. Sent out > 300 applications but was ghosted and rejected by most of them.

’23 – Did odd jobs & took on small-scaled freelance gigs.

’24 – Found a Front-end Dev job but it didn’t last.

’25 – Become #1 UX Engineer + #1 Rising Voice in both Fields (UX Engineering + FED)