{"id":24851,"date":"2025-08-15T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/?p=24851"},"modified":"2025-10-02T15:33:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T19:33:02","slug":"plot-twist-i-didnt-get-the-job-i-applied-for-and-that-was-perfect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/plot-twist-i-didnt-get-the-job-i-applied-for-and-that-was-perfect\/","title":{"rendered":"Plot Twist: I didn\u2019t Get the Job I Applied For\u2026 and That Was Perfect\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In this blog, April talks about her unexpected journey of getting hired as a design researcher at the iHub (a job she didn\u2019t apply for), and the lessons she learned along the way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by April Li, Design Researcher, Master of Education, Developmental Psychology and Education<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always thought I had a pretty good idea of how job applications go; finding a position that matches my experience, tailoring my resume, preparing for the interview, and hoping for the best. That\u2019s exactly what I did when I applied for a community engagement role at the Innovation Hub . I was confident, prepared, and ready to dive in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what unfolded next completely shifted my expectations. The iHub hiring process changed my perspective on finding the right role, staying flexible, and what it really means to put people first. What started as a mismatch ultimately became one of the most fulfilling decisions of my job-seeking journey. Here’s how I landed a role I hadn\u2019t even applied for, yet one that is perfectly made for me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community Engagement? More Like Accidental Research Pitch <\/h2>\n\n\n
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When I first came across the work-study job posting for the community engagement role at the Innovation Hub, I knew right away this could be something special. The description checked all the boxes. I had the right background, a real enthusiasm for the work, and a strong belief in the power of community. I was confident that this was the role for me. So, I tailored my resume, wrote a cover letter and sent in my application. I was delighted to be asked to attend an interview and felt good but nervous. But the interview did not go as planned. The questions weren\u2019t necessarily difficult, but I could feel myself tripping over my own words. Instead of talking about community tasks or engagement plans passionately, I kept circling back to my experiences in research, talking about my experiences gathering data, performing interviews, and concluding research findings. The more I tried to talk about community engagement, the more I would talk about research and data. After the interview, I quit the Zoom call with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I felt disappointed, and maybe even a bit embarrassed. It was clear to me that I had unintentionally pitched myself for the wrong job. I remember thinking, \u201cThat is the end of this job.\u201d Little did I know, that\u2019s when fate started doing its thing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Follow-Up Email That Felt Like a Plot Twist <\/h2>\n\n\n
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Just when I had finally convinced myself to stop thinking about the \u201cfailed\u201d interview, an unexpected message appeared in my inbox. But it wasn\u2019t from the community engagement team; it was from the design research team. They had reviewed my application and interview responses and saw potential in a different direction. Instead of saying \u201cno thanks,\u201d they invited me to a brief follow-up interview for a role they believed might be a better fit. That email felt like the universe had hit \u201cpause\u201d and decided to redirect me. The gears of fate were beginning to turn. The second interview was short, but it left a lasting impression. What surprised me most wasn\u2019t the questions or even the eventual offer. It was how much they genuinely cared about me. Would I be happy switching roles? Did this new path align with my interests? Would I feel comfortable stepping into a different position than the one I originally applied for? For once, it didn\u2019t feel like I was being squeezed into a job description. I was invited into a conversation. In that moment, it became clear that iHub wasn\u2019t just hiring roles. They were building a team with intention. My voice mattered. That one conversation spoke volumes about the iHub\u2019s human-centred values. The conversation was thoughtful, unexpected, and honestly, the most seen I\u2019d ever felt in an interview. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler Alert: I\u2019m Exactly Where I\u2019m Meant to Be <\/h2>\n\n\n
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After working with the design research team at iHub for over a month, it\u2019s become clear to me that this role suits me far better than the one I initially applied for. What started as an unexpected shift turned out to be a much better alignment with my interests and strengths. In my role now, I get to ask questions that matter, digging into the experiences of U of T students and staff, listening closely to their stories, and trying to understand how to improve their experience on campus. I love that this role gives me a way to not only study problems but also contribute to meaningful change. Change that could make university life a little smoother, more equitable, or just a bit closer to human experiences. What surprised me most was how natural it felt to be working here. I didn\u2019t have to force anything. The best part? I\u2019m genuinely excited to be here. Excited to be a design researcher. Excited to help shape better systems, spaces, and experiences across our campus. The work aligns with how I think, how I collaborate, and how I want to grow. This isn\u2019t just a good match on paper, but in practice. Looking back, the hiring process did not take a wrong turn, but an unexpected one. And that made all the difference.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth Comes from the Unexpected <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you had told me that a slightly awkward interview would lead me to the best-fitting role I\u2019ve had so far, I probably would\u2019ve laughed. At the time, I was convinced I had missed my chance. I had applied for one thing, talked about something else, and walked away thinking I\u2019d blown it.  Looking back, the switch to design research wasn\u2019t a detour but a redirection. And the right one. It showed me that sometimes the path that makes the most sense doesn\u2019t announce itself right away. Sometimes it sneaks in through a follow-up email and a quick chat with a team you didn\u2019t expect to meet. I\u2019m grateful that iHub didn\u2019t see my application as fixed or final. They saw potential and were open to exploring where I might fit best, not just where I thought I did. Their flexibility opened the door to something I hadn\u2019t planned for, but it turned out to be exactly the right fit <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cPerfect Fit\u201d is Where you Thrive <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned, it\u2019s that the \u201cperfect fit\u201d isn\u2019t always the one you apply for. It\u2019s the one that aligns with who you are and where you will thrive. So, if you’re considering applying to iHub, or anywhere else for that matter, don\u2019t be afraid to be honest about your interests, your strengths, and even your uncertainties. Be open to shifts. Be open to surprises. Learn more about the roles offered at the iHub below and apply today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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In this blog, April talks about her unexpected journey of getting hired as a design researcher at the iHub (a job she didn\u2019t apply for), and the lessons she learned along the way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by April Li, Design Researcher, Master of Education, Developmental Psychology and Education<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading “Plot Twist: I didn\u2019t Get the Job I Applied For\u2026 and That Was Perfect\u00a0”<\/span>…<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":502,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[10878],"tags":[34735],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24851"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/502"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24851"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25194,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24851\/revisions\/25194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca\/innovationhub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}