Janhavi Jathar

I started applying three months into my course.

It felt early back then. Now I wish I had started even earlier.

Over time, I sent out around 1800 applications.

Heard back from barely a handful.

Only one reached the final round.

And that one became the one*.*

In the middle of it all, I worked part-time in warehouses, at football matches, in sales wherever I could.

My days were long. My motivation? Fading.

The worst part? Some companies rejected me saying I didn’t “match their values.”

How do you even respond to that?

Then I found Unimad.

And suddenly, everything made more sense.

I wasn’t just “unlucky.”

My application wasn’t standing out, and I didn’t know how to fix it.

With Unibot Drafts, I built a value proposition doc and a proper portfolio.

I learnt to present myself better*.*

I'm naturally introverted, so networking felt terrifying.

But I took it step by step.

First friends. Then acquaintances. Then strangers.

Eventually, one referral led me to an interview.

And this one felt different.

Octopus didn’t ask for a boring interview.

They gave me team activities, real-world tasks, things that brought out the best in me.

It wasn’t about perfect answers. It was about showing up as I am. And I thrived.

And for the first time, I felt seen*.*

To anyone in this journey,

It will get worse before it gets better.

You’ll want to quit.

But please, keep going.

All it takes is one yes to change everything.