Back
Shobhith

Shobhith

I never uploaded my CV.

While most international students send out hundreds, sometimes thousands of job applications, I sent around 100. But that’s not what got me the job.

What worked was the content I created. It brought the job to me.

Like many others, I came to the UK on an education loan, ready to chase big dreams through a Master’s degree. I started applying for jobs as soon as the course began, thinking I was being smart by starting early.

But the responses I got were confusing.

Some companies said I didn’t have enough experience. Others said I had too much, counting my freelance work against me. It felt like I was stuck in the middle, never quite the right fit.

Time wasn’t on my side either. Between classes and part-time work, I had to manage everything tightly. I followed a schedule and used the Pomodoro technique - working in focused 25-minute bursts to juggle applications, studying, and shifts.

Things finally changed when I changed my approach.

Instead of sending endless applications, I started sharing what I knew. I posted regularly on LinkedIn: small insights, industry thoughts, things I was genuinely interested in.

That’s when Unimad stepped in. Their LinkedIn optimisation framework showed me what actually matters to recruiters. Their portfolio method helped me showcase my work clearly and confidently.

I didn’t know it then, but I was building a magnet.

While I was busy studying or sleeping, my content was working for me, getting seen by people I’d never even reached out to.

Then it happened. A headhunter messaged me.

They’d seen my posts, checked my profile, and wanted to talk.

No CV. No application. Just a conversation and an offer for a contract role.

Looking back, I do wish I’d reached out to more people directly. Because networking isn’t about collecting contacts; it’s about building real connections with people who care about the same things you do.

This is the one thing I will tell to those looking for a job:

Network. Talk to people. Share what you know.

Don’t just apply for jobs. Show people what you bring to the table.

Let your knowledge do the talking, even when you’re not in the room.

Sometimes, the best way to get hired isn’t by knocking on doors, it’s by becoming the door people want to walk through.