"Eight months before graduation, I began searching for a software engineering role. I thought my job search approach was solid, but in hindsight, it was holding me back. In 2024, I moved to the US from India to pursue a master's in computer science at the University of Illinois. I kicked off my job search that September - not just to give myself time before my May 2025 graduation, but because I'd heard that August, September, and October were peak hiring months."
"I struggled to gain traction, and for the first few months, I didn't land any interviews. Slowly but surely, I realized I needed to make a change. After implementing a new approach that incorporated Boolean search techniques, strategic networking, and targeted LinkedIn posting, I began receiving interviews. My strategy eventually helped me land a software engineering role at Amazon. My initial approach was flawed."
Jugal Bhatt moved to the US in 2024 to pursue a master's in computer science at the University of Illinois and began job hunting eight months before graduation. He initially cold-applied to many software-engineering openings, reused the same résumé, and rarely sought referrals or recruiter outreach, yielding no interviews for several months. He then built a list of over 100 target companies and shifted tactics to Boolean search techniques, strategic networking, connecting with recruiters and employees, and targeted LinkedIn posts. Those changes produced interview opportunities and ultimately led to a software-engineering position at Amazon.
Read at Business Insider
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