How Utkarsh Turned Cold Emails and Connections into Job Opportunities
Utkarsh (2024, University of Maryland - College Park)
MS in Human-Computer Interaction | Design Researcher at Delaware Public Media
Challenge:
Utkarsh's challenge began when he arrived in the U.S. and realized that many of his friends had already secured on-campus employment before the semester even started, and most of his classmates had similar work experiences. He tried applying for on-campus jobs through the school's portal, but it didn’t work out.
“The first meet and greet of all the people in our course, I was shocked that most of them had some sort of on-campus employment.”
During his 2023 summer internship search, the tech industry’s volatility and his need for visa sponsorship made things even harder. Despite his efforts with cold applications and cold emails, none of these strategies worked for him.
“I used the traditional method of applying and also did cold applications, cold emails, reached out to many people in that industry but that didn’t really work for me.”
Finally, Utkarsh faced the challenge of using a generic resume for every job application. His resume included irrelevant job titles and descriptions and lacked key metrics, making it less appealing to recruiters.
Solution:
Email Professors and Set Up Alerts
Tailor Your Resume
Connect, Don’t Just Network
General Advice:
Utkarsh's challenge began when he arrived in the U.S. and realized that many of his friends had already secured on-campus employment before the semester even started, and most of his classmates had similar work experiences. He tried applying for on-campus jobs through the school's portal, but it didn’t work out.
During his 2023 summer internship search, the tech industry’s volatility and his need for visa sponsorship made things even harder. Despite his efforts with cold applications and cold emails, none of these strategies worked for him.
Finally, Utkarsh faced the challenge of using a generic resume for every job application. His resume included irrelevant job titles and descriptions and lacked key metrics, making it less appealing to recruiters.
Solution:
Email Professors and Set Up Alerts
- Utkarsh reached out to all his professors, TAs, and GAs, attaching his resume and cover letter to seek opportunities. He also recommended applying early and setting up LinkedIn job alerts for preferred roles and companies to stay updated on new postings.
Tailor Your Resume
- He emphasized the importance of tailoring resumes for each role, removing irrelevant information, and quantifying achievements with metrics. Using AI tools to extract keywords from job descriptions also helped him optimize his resume for specific roles.
Connect, Don’t Just Network
- Instead of traditional networking, Utkarsh focused on building genuine relationships by requesting informational chats and connecting through conversations and email exchanges.
General Advice:
- Seek feedback from career services, peers, or industry professionals early and use FrogHire.ai's extension to filter jobs that offer visa sponsorship.
Highlights
Utkarsh discussed effective job-hunting strategies, including the power of cold emailing, crafting a standout resume, and the importance of internships and networking.
Seek feedback from career services, peers, or industry professionals early and use FrogHire.ai's extension to filter jobs that offer visa sponsorship - you’ll get the job!— Utkarsh (2024, University of Maryland - College Park)