Tejus

No loan. No backup. No safety net.

Just me, a one-year clock, and a spreadsheet full of rejections.

Coming from India, I chose the UK because it was closer to home and the course would be over in a year. It felt fast, efficient, and full of promise.

I decided to go all in. No part-time jobs. No distractions. Just academics and job search.

But I quickly learnt that giving everything doesn’t always mean getting something in return.

800 applications. 790 rejections. 5 interviews. 1 final round. 1 offer.

By the ninth month, I had barely heard back from anyone. I started questioning everything.

Did I choose the wrong country?

Was I simply not good enough?

There were days when I refreshed my inbox 30 times, hoping for one reply. Days when I didn’t speak to anyone because I couldn’t handle another rejection.

Around me, everyone seemed to be busy with something - taking up part-time jobs, gigs, going to clubs, attending hackathons. I felt like I was standing still while others moved forward.

Things only began to change when I stopped doing more and started doing better.

That shift came with Sharath and Unimad.

With their help, I rebuilt everything: my CV, my LinkedIn, my strategy.

The Resume Builder made my experience easier to understand. The LinkedIn framework helped me become visible to the right people. The cover letter tool helped me write with clarity and intent.

More importantly, I stopped applying to every job I saw. I started being intentional.

I attended small community events. I reached out to people who inspired me. I focused on quality, not quantity.

I learnt that the job market doesn’t reward hard work, it rewards the right approach.

You can apply to 1000 roles and still lose out to someone who applied to 10 with the right CV, the right outreach, and the right mindset.

I also realised that silence doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means your moment hasn’t arrived yet.

• Network like your job depends on it. Because it does.
• Show your work. Don’t just talk about it.
• Ask for help. I couldn’t have done this without Sharath and Unimad.

From 800 applications to one offer, my story isn’t perfect. But it’s real. And it’s proof that focused effort is always better than blind hustle.

No shortcuts. No plan B. Just the right tools, the right people, and the belief that it’s still possible even when it feels like everything is going wrong.