I would really value input from women here who are highly ambitious and accomplished in their careers.
I am very driven and usually operate with a lot of agency, but I lost momentum over the past few months due to really hard personal circumstances.
Context:
In early January, I was in process with a company I am very interested in. The feedback was strong overall, with one clear gap: deepen my AI understanding through more hands-on, practical work and then come back.
I took that seriously, but I did not execute at the level or speed I normally would during that period. I am now actively building again. I also stayed close to the space through things like hackathons, including reaching the finalist stage in that company’s track.
My question is about positioning:
If you were re-approaching a company after a gap like this, how would you ensure you are perceived as focused and high-agency, rather than someone who deprioritized the opportunity?
Would you acknowledge the gap directly, or focus purely on demonstrating progress and value?
I am especially interested in how you would personally handle this in a high-bar environment. It is a fast-growing AI company and they are hiring.
Thank you.