Highlights for the week
Hitting my goals and seeing a bunch of progress with the workouts. While I'm patiently waiting for BrainPOP, the job market is m'eh.
Ended another great week feeling good about myself. I hate not having a job, but I don't miss working at a crappy place, for a bad manager.
Once I get done with AI Pen Testing, I'll probably take the certification, then move to cloud stuff.
MONDAY
Affirmation: THE UNIVERSE IS NOT DONE WITH YOU
Kicked off the week with a new set of goals and highlights. Got to read a little and write a little, as well as addressing outstanding issues.
The "Memory Poison" module was great, but a metric ton of information it digest. I solved
TUESDAY
Affirmation: ACT AS IF GOD IS WITHIN YOU
...because he is.
So I got 2 U-Test tickets rejected as Works As Designed - Will Not Fix. This was after waiting two months deliberating the decision. The rage and frustration is beyond! What I am not going to do is take it personal, because as I learned the other day, the judgement of the issue is not an indictment of my worth, even when the platform statistics say otherwise. So here is where I want to celebrate the win, despite the outcome:
- What Went Well
- Tested a couple of decent applications for Android.
- Learned some new skills to keep an eye out for apps.
- Found some bugs that should have been accepted.
- Presented the issues in a way that was easy to follow; strong improvement on communications skills .. something you had been lacking for a while.
- When it came time to dispute the issues, you presented the facts in a clear and concise manner.
- You went up the chain of command and presented your case devoid of emotional rage.
- What Went Wrong
- 4 Tickets were rejected which sent my rating to the absolute lowest.
- Of the 4 tickets, 1 was accepted with a $3 payout, 2 were WAD despite the validity and context provided, and the last is a valid issue that is waiting for a final outcome.
- It took several months of back-and-forth communication to get to some kind of resolution.
- Still at a "Proven" rating, possibly worse since my graph is scraping the bottom of the ratings graph.
- Actionable Next-Steps
- Continue to upskill in manual testing ... you did good, but you can always be better.
- Keep working on bug reporting ... you presented your issues well.
- Keep it professional: Yes, your bugs were rejected. No, it isn't personal. In the absence of proper project documentation, you presented what you thought were valid issues in a clear and concise manner. Keep up the good work!
WEDNESDAY
Affirmation: THE VOICE IN YOUR MIND IS NOT THE ONE DRIVING
Avoid the unnecessary distraction of listening to the thoughts that don't serve you. Focus on what moves you forward.
Calmness is not avoidance, but rather a proper state of being when everything is chaotic. You don't react impulsively. Instead, you read, relax, then respond. The stillness becomes the magnet most will gravitate to when things go tits-up!
THURSDAY
Affirmation: GREAT LEADERSHIP!
The nuance of great leadership: greatness comes from setting high standards, maintaining high accountability and developing meaningful relationships. All with a smile!!
In not-so-great news, I did not get the job at BrainPOP! Seems like they went with the standard line of "found other candidates that better align with the role" bs. While I am disappointed, I'm not fretting. I prepped for the job like a boss, answered the questions the right way, and made a solid impression. After that, it is truly in God's hands. Also, they have a 3.8 rating on Glassdoor, with several comments about crappy management and disorganized systems .. so there's that. On to the next!!
FRIDAY
Affirmation: HACKING SELF SABOTAGE
Perfect way to close out the week with this proper 4-step method to overcome the past instances of self-sabotage, feeling like a failure, and not achieiving my true potential:
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GOAL: BECOME WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOUR HISTORY SAYS YOU ARE (Nietze)
- Change the self-image that you are a failure by feeding it evidence of accomplishments and "wins"
- Set the finish date far into the future.
- Pick 1 thing that matters and give it 100% commitment.
- Estimate the cost of failure properly. Imagine worse case scenario
What We’re Grateful For
- Grateful to still have money in the bank, even while I patiently wait for the opportunities to present themselves.
- Food and family.
- Seeing my fitness progressing steadily.
What We Loved
- Proud to have Wife part of the testing program.
- Proud to see Lorenzo making progress, both in fitness and in Spanish.
- Loved the "Job Hunting Like A Hacker" All-Day Session with Jason Blanchard. I didn't really learn anything new, because I was already doing most of it, but it was a great lecture.
What We Learned
- Network Security - MODULE 2
- AI PT - Wraith Module 11 [Status: TO DO!]
- Google Cloud (Coursera) ... still in the backlog.
- WRite - Substack Article .. need a fresh idea.
IN PROGRESS
- API PT - Canva [Status: BLOCKED!] .. filed support ticket requesting clarification on scope
- Writing - Completed first part of "Husb" chapter 72 .. got more good ideas in the works
- Reading - "Zorro" ... started the last section.
- Android PT - Android BBH. This is applicable to the native .apk produced by google. It is a bit complex and requires a lot of time to get good at.
- Network Security https://skills.yourlearning.ibm.com/activity/ALM-COURSE_3947264 .. started this on Wednesday 8/26 {MODULE 1 - DONE}
- BBH - 3 support tickets on Bugcrowd
- WEB PT - Canva
- AI PT - Wraith Module 10
- QA - U-Test: 1 Bug Accepted; 2 Bugs Rejected; 1 Dispute. Total Payout: $3.00 ... I fully intend to quit U-Test the nanosecond I land a job.
- Write - Next Medium [DONE!] Wrote a decent article about anger management when reports get rejected.
TO DO
DONE
What We Longed For
- Looking forward to BSidesNYC in October.
- As always .. longing for that Security Consultant job. Happily accept QA Engineer as a close second.
- Waiting to hear back from BrainPOP. Will probably give it until Friday before the follow-up email. [UPDATE!!] Didn't get it
- Waiting to hear back from the pending bug ticket in U-Test.
What We Loathed
- 2026 Job Market is the worst and not getting better as we creep into September.
- Seeing old jobs I've applied to get reposted weeks, if not months later, is really irritating.
- U-TEST is literally the worst. For some, it has been great. Speaking for myself, it has been trash.
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