That's how I'm feeling right now. Rejection sucks, it unleashes a giant cloud of “what went wrong?”, “I thought it was good”, “What did I miss?”, “Am I really that bad?”, “Was I too full of myself?” thoughts that impairs visions on day 1, but it eventually subsides as a the days go by.

It's been three days since I got rejected from AI Singapore for their Apprenticeship Programme. When I attended the briefing about two months back it felt like something achievable – they were looking to build AI talent in Singapore and you didn't need to be of computer science background nor of any particular age to get selected. I really thought that it was a way for me to build my portfolio and credibility in this competitive sector, and have always had a dream of helping Singapore build her AI competency in a global landscape. I was suddenly brought back to my twenties, when after graduating NUS with a degree in Real Estate, I dreamt about helping shape Singapore's urban landscape by joining the URA. I was rejected then.

Although life presented me with many nice surprises and opportunities after, now 20 plus years later, that “dream unfulfilled” still resides in the back of my mind. I thought that now this time I could try again, this time with AI instead of Real Estate. But maybe life keeps pointing me somewhere better.

Today is Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 11:35am. I'll just grieve over my self-doubt for a few more minutes, then start thinking about different options. I'm deathly focused on committing the next chapter of my life to figuring AI (machine learning, large language models) out, because I believe this is truly the next wave in tech, just like how the age of Internet and digital marketing transformed businesses in the 2000s.

My purpose is not to be housed in a datacentre (like I envisioned), but to get out there to help businesses understand this new transformation. This will be my new focus.

Let's continue building.

#Rejection #Apprenticeship #AISingapore #AIAP #CareerPivot