Aaron Chen
- Aaron Chen lost an internship after bringing up pay, just five days before he was set to fly to NYC.
- The UC Berkeley student went to New York anyway, arriving with no job and no backup plan.
- He hustled through tech events, networked nonstop, and landed a new role in two weeks.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aaron Chen, a rising sophomore at UC Berkeley. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified Chen’s employment history. The startup that pulled his offer did not respond to a request for comment.
After a few calls with a crypto startup in New York, I was offered a summer internship over email in March. I signed the non-disclosure agreement with them.
I was really happy as that was pretty late for recruitment, and I was stressed. Most upperclassmen got an offer in December.
In June, I hopped on a call with the head of operations to talk about compensation.
I might have asked a little too much, but I left room to negotiate. Product management internships typically range from $40 to $50 per hour in New York. Considering my combined skills in frontend engineering, UX/UI design, and motion graphics, along with my ability to support marketing, I proposed an hourly rate of $45.
Five days before I was set to fly, they replied: “We do not have any budget for this internship, or any additional head count for that matter.”
I wrote in my email that I was open to discussing this, but they did not want to continue this conversation.
I had already booked a flight to New York, paid for rent, and found a roommate to share it with.
I was on a bus crossing the Bay Bridge when the email came in. I sent a goofy selfie to my sister saying, “Guess who’s unemployed now?” But within minutes, reality hit me, and I started crying at the back of the bus.
I called my parents, friends, and roommate. They were like, “Just go to New York and have fun.” They insisted on supporting me in following through, and now I’m here.
Straight off the plane and into networking
I was on my own, and I searched for things to do in New York, specifically in tech.
The first two weeks were pretty rough. I hopped around during New York Tech Week, which began the day I landed. I dropped off my bags and went straight from JFK Airport to IBM’s office, running on zero sleep.
Every day, I juggled different events, met different people, and networked, trying to get my foot in the door and establish myself in the city. I signed up for probably over 60 events in the span of a week.
In the second week, I attended a crypto conference. I met a part-time blockchain builder and part-time professor from Stanford, who offered to circulate my résumé.
By that time, I had already applied to around 50 companies and asked at least 20 people in my network to share my résumé and portfolio, hoping to find anyone who might be hiring — a long shot since it was already June.
Thanks to the Stanford professor and folks in my blockchain club, I interviewed with six companies, and I really connected with a founder from Axal, an Andressen Horowitz-backed crypto startup.
After our first interview, he messaged me at 3 a.m. on a Friday with the files for the take-home assignment. I was already awake, working, so I dove right in. Over the next two days, I pulled all-nighters designing, coding, and engineering the interface.
At the final interview on Monday, I walked him through my design process, code, repository, and everything I built. He offered me the role on the spot.
We went back and forth a bit on compensation, but things went smoothly. I got the official offer in my inbox, and this time, I signed it for real.
I’m their fastest hire ever, from first contact to offer in just four days.
It’s been a chain of networking that put me in the position to even interview for the role.
Everything happening literally within two weeks of me landing in New York with no job, no backup plan, still feels incredibly surreal to me.
Summer motto: I have nothing else to lose
It was really difficult to turn my mindset from being disappointed, anxious, and stressed to “I’ll just take whatever life gives me.”
Accepting and embracing that reality has helped me so much because that allowed me to not withhold any of my energy or hold back when I go to networking events.
I have nothing else to lose — that has been the motto of my summer.
I am so happy I came to New York to meet the people I met and be part of the opportunities I’ve had.
People who are older than me always tell me success comes in different ways, and I’ve always found it so corny. I truly believe that now.