500 Jobs Applied and ZERO Interviews – An Indian Students Job Search Journey
Success. I’ve been running behind it without knowing what it actually was.
As defined by a typical middle-class Indian above the age of 21, it is the status of a person who has a good job, and who is able to spend money for his luxuries and also give a lump sum amount to his family for monthly bills. And that is just the beginning. A person also has to buy a car and probably a home to prove himself successful in the society.
I could have done that too, at least that’s what I think. But I felt that kind of success has already been achieved by a billion people in my country. I planned to do something else.
My Story
You might be thinking that I opted for something that is totally out of the box. You are wrong.
[highlight]I did what 90% of Bachelor’s graduates wish to do, 70% actually try to do, 50% get the requirements satisfied to do, and 10% execute perfectly.[/highlight]
I came, along with that 30%, to the United States to earn my Masters Degree, wishing for a better life than just an extra tag on my name.
I will write about the pains and gains of my entire overseas education in another post. But for now, I will continue from the day of my graduation.
I was overjoyed to realize that I was finally going to work.
I was going to get paid and help my family out of the middle class crisis.
Maybe the joy of graduation was just a meager 10% of my happiness.
The Full Time job After Masters Degree
I had already made my decision to join a consulting firm that would help me get a job. I arrived just after Christmas expecting a job by February at the latest. Yet here I am writing this post in mid-April. I am exhausted. I have applied for at least 500 positions altogether. Nothing has actually gotten me a job, at least not yet. Maybe it’s because I’m not skilled enough, but I definitely feel that I deserve an opportunity.
I have made good friends here at the firm. All are doing their best to overcome these obstacles. But as the holy books of most cultures say, “Maybe you should try your best and leave the rest”.
When the alarm rings every morning, each of us is reminded that we still haven’t got a job. Pressure seeps in.
Our Mindset (Job Seekers)
I don’t think we will get jobs with this kind of mindset. As we get ready, each of us has this deep feeling inside that today might be the big day.
You eat whatever is right in front of you. It may be the frozen food from the fridge or the night before’s leftovers. Maybe this diet isn’t giving us enough energy to overcome the hurdles of the day to come.
We rush to the firm, look for new job postings, and apply. Holding stubbornly onto your phone waiting for that phone call isn’t going to actually make the phone ring.
The rest of the day is spent just waiting for someone to call us for an interview on those positions. We spend our time looking at each other’s faces, and the question of whether an interviewer has called is the only one that is going to be answered in the vast number of questions that arise each day.
I go back home after a depressing day since no one has called me yet. I am reminded on the way home that ANOTHER day of my limited time in the States has passed with no SUCCESS in it.
ANOTHER day has been added to the monthly interest generated for the student loan I have taken. I make ANOTHER phone call to home and let them know that I still haven’t gotten the job. I eat ANOTHER meal, all the while thinking, “When will I get the job?”.
Five days pass by with the speed of light, and ANOTHER weekend arrives. I try to make the best of it and feel that maybe I can wait a little longer.
This typical lifestyle of mine has left me broken inside. I am trying to float through it, convincing myself that I will get a job tomorrow.
Many tomorrows have gone by, but what can I do except wait?
Maybe this is not just my problem, but is something that thousands of MS Graduates from India in this land of opportunity are going through. All I can say to you is this: Don’t worry with a gloomy face. Bye until Next time.
Written by Sai Nag (Indian student with MS Degree searching for a Full-Time or consulting job).
Comments from Raghu:
I feel sorry for guys for Sai and guys like Sai who are desperately looking for their first break in their career here in the U.S. If you are reading the contents from Happy Schools, watched the videos, you should know by now about my approach and advice.
I spoke to Sai over the phone right after I read his experience. I invited him as a Guest for Career Lab live group calls. Sai spoke in detail about how the interview process works if you are a consultant. I was totally blown away by the negative energy they deal with every day. [READ: Desi Consultants offer classes on how to fake your resume]
Job market (even for Computer Science) grads are tough. The landscape of job search has changed. You can’t expect to hide behind your resume and expect a job interview these days.
- Job Search is a skill. You have to learn and master it.
- Masters degree doesn’t give that job search skills to land a job.
- Your First Day in the USA should be your Day 1 of your job search.
[Highlight]Sai started applying for jobs in Oct 2015 when he was graduating in Dec 2015. Sorry, that’s not way too late.[/highlight]
The Job Search Reality for F1 Students
I spoke to my cousin (he’s in Rutgers University, M.S. In Computer Science). He just got an internship and had interviews at Google and Amazon. He said that most of his friends don’t even think of about going to a Consulting Company.
Then I spoke to students like Sai and countless others who think consultants are the only way to find a job.
Why?
Exposure and Skills.
How to Apply for full-time Jobs?
- You will learn how to find a Full-Time Job
- Course Delivered via Email for 10 Straight Days (followed by an Online Event where you will learn how F1 Student Went for Internship Interview, but walked out of the interview with Full-Time Job.
- Click Here to Join 10 Days Job Search Boot Camp
Sorry to hear your story. I am in the same situation. I applied to hundreds of jobs after my masters, did many internships but it not get a job.
I’m sorry i’m being harsh here but the person to blame in this situation is himself. I came without even knowing how to write a Hello World program and I was still successful. Its never because of your current skills, its almost always because of your approach to things. If you think about job only after you graduate or couple of months before graduating, you will end up in this situation, you should start enquiring and planning for a full time job from the day you land here, that way you can make a plan on how to crack the interview and how to make your resume appealing to employers.
I disagree on statements that jobs are hard to find, tech market is insanely hot, people are dying to find talented developers and not everyone is looking for experienced people, in fact i think being a new grad adds to your favor of getting hired.
https://www.happyschools.com/019-pr-canada-green-card-usa/
I had 2 years of experience in Java development back in india. That helped me a lot. Java is in high demand in USA. I am pursuing MS in MIS which has nearly nothing to do with development, still I got 2 internship offers one from Verizon and one from IBM. That is all because of my past work experience. Now one of my friend 3 years of solid experience in Mainframe and he didn’t get any internship. Why? probably because they don’t have much jobs in Mainframe as compared to Java.
What if you don’t have work experience? Many of us come straight after our bachelors. So I would say to get a full time you must grab an internship at any cost. I feel that getting an internship is much difficult than getting a full time. But once you got you foot in there, then it will be easy to get a full time.
Summary:
Hot profile (Past work experience in good technology) = Easy internship/ full time
You have to build your profile either via work experience or doing some good projects during Masters.
The perfect answer i was about to reply. +1
Going to job fairs will also help. I completed my Masters in May 2014 and I’m still looking for job. Joined 2 consultancies in the span of 2 years. They both weren’t able to get me a job. So, I left those and started applying for jobs by going to job fairs and applying on job portals. Btw I have 3.5 gpa and did Masters in CS. Hopefully I will get
job by July atleast.
No offense but Hyderabad based consultants are the biggest thieves, it’s a broad daylight robbery with these consultancy, they make you apply to jobs where they get the biggest cut, they don’t care for your future or career… Apply on your own used websites like indeed or LinkedIn, I have been through the same rough times for 4 months after I graduated even when I started looking for a job 6 months before my graduation, 3 months is just cutting it too close… I don’t have sympathy for you because when you are sympathetic to someone you are actually encouraging them to be week, buckle up and get the job done…
I got a job in the top reputed company as a contractor .
4 months passes by , I have done and delivered whatever they asked for.
Then they fire me and hire a US citizen on full time basis because they don’t have to go through immigration problems or Pay higher.
Luck plays a major role .
Its been a month searching for a new Gig . Its tough but i know i will get it .
What was his degree in? That is not mentioned in this article. For instance, computer science and EE are great for getting jobs here in US, but Mechanical Engineering,Civil, Industrial , not so much. And what was his GPA? If he did poorly in his school, there is no way a company is going to sponsor him to hire him. If consulting firm was his first choice, I can only imagine what his grades are. And university matters also. If he got his degree from some unknown university, he will have a tough time no doubt.
I find it amazing that people saying that they can’t find work, always conveniently leaving out the most important information, such as: their age (shouldn’t matter but it does), degree obtained, and the university they graduated from (a tier 4 school + 2.5 gpa isn’t the same as a Caltech or MIT grad who earned a graduate degree in Engineering Physics with a 3.8 gpa). Wake up people.
This is a sad case but I would say not completely unwarranted. Today the CS job market is hot. If you are having a Masters from a reputed university, 90+ % get internships in good companies and most of them get converted to full time jobs. (This is from my experience in my university and friends in other universities – which have good established courses, not a jugaad masters. ).
Firstly, Im sorry to hear about what you’re going through. That brings to mind my Chinese friend who graduated a year ago, and was out of OPT time, having finished it on a 12 month long internship. He hunted for jobs for 3 months and after several false dawns of failed interviews, he got the job he applied for what would have been the last click of his mouse for jobs in the US before he was planning to head back to China. He literally had days before he was out of status. Now he’s happy with his job in Iowa City and drives a nice car. I’ve seen his pain when all the time he tried to stay calm and keep it all in. You aren’t alone, and there are dozens who are out there like you. Keep up the hope and something will surely come up.
Why is meeting a consultant your first point of call when looking for a job ? I have a couple of Indian friends and unfortunately getting a consultant to look for a job for them is the first thing they think about. ( Job searching is a skill you can learn and acquire and not rocket science). When you first point of call is running to a Consultant, it goes a long way to tell the kind of person you are (myopinion)
Searching for a job right from your first stay is school is the best thing to do.
Preparing a RESUME and Linkedin profile ( not adding fake skills and experiences ) is also very key
Looking for Internships before you graduate will also help you through the process
And most importantly trusting God to help you through the process
Two things:
1) Having some prior experience like an internship or an full time gig back in India before searching for a FT job in USA helps a ton! And if you don’t have that, you can always “intern” after you graduate. May be that can convert to a FT role.
2) 90% people do think consultancies and job sites are the way to go. Try something different. Few ideas: Get an Alumni referral, Use a Site like HIred.com or RefrMe.co with unique hiring approach, Use LinkedIn to connect with Hiring managers, Attend a meetup/conference…
Hope that helps!