A few months after graduating from college, I accepted a job offer at a small IT consulting company near Washington, DC. They promised they would provide free housing at their luxury apartment for the first few months and also give me the training I need to excel at my job. I flew across the country and found many unexpected turns and twists.

Day 1

What greeted me when I walked into their luxury apartment were flies circling around piles of unwashed dishes and utensils in the kitchen. When I stepped into the bathroom, I saw urine on the floor. Each room had bunk beds in it.

“You can just pick an empty bed,” said the HR staff who escorted me to the apartment.

There were many beds to choose from, but all of them had so much hair on them. As I sat there, organizing my belongings, I had this sinking feeling, the realization that I probably got scammed. This was no luxury apartment. The nearest grocery store was 35 minutes away on foot. How was I going to get food? Were they actually going to train me?

There was a part of me during the interview process that kept saying “walk away.” For one, they kept praising me for answering their questions; as a recent grad with a severe case of imposter syndrome, that felt really weird. But it was more than that. It almost seemed like they weren’t as interested in assessing my technical capabilities as they were in measuring my need for a job. Something just felt off.

When they told me they’d like to extend an offer, however, I did what most people desperate for a job would. I decided to take a chance. They gave me just four days to fly myself to Washington, DC.

My roommates, all 20-something men from wildly different backgrounds, came in to say hello to me. It felt to me that they saw each other more as family than coworkers. Having experienced themselves what the first day feels like, they tried to comfort me, almost successfully. One of them drove me to the grocery store so I could buy food for the week. They were some of the most friendly and kind people I have met.

That night, “David,” one of my roommates who recently finished the training program, assured me that everything was going to be alright.

Don’t worry, don’t worry. My hands and feet were shaking in the first few nights. Everything is going to be fine. I know what you’re thinking, but they’ll help you. They’ll help you. You just have to work hard in training. Then they’ll help you.

I am still thankful that David was there.

Day 2

On the first day of training, the trainees went around introducing themselves. Of the ~10 people there, a surprising number were CS majors from 4-year universities in America. Of course, there were many foreign talent as well.

Once everyone had their turn, the instructor laid out the expectations. They took a big chance with us. Not everyone would make it through. But if we put in the effort, we can succeed. They talked about how so-and-so became hugely successful in their career by getting assigned at a prestigious company and then getting a full time offer. Apparently, they now manage a lot of people.

Next, they went over the training material. Some