Jahnavi Shah applied to over 500 jobs before graduating in 2023 and secured five interviews without an immediate full-time offer. After a rejected interview at Persona, Shah connected with the recruiter on LinkedIn and later accepted a part-time contract role while continuing to seek full-time work. When Persona posted a new position, Shah applied, interviewed once, provided three references, and received an offer because the team was already familiar with her. Previous interview experience and ongoing contact accelerated the hiring process. The US job market has slowed amid economic uncertainty and early AI impacts, causing open roles to take longer to fill and many applicants to receive no responses.
In the months before graduating from Cornell University in 2023, Jahnavi Shah said she applied to over 500 jobs and secured five interviews, but none led to a full-time offer - at least not right away. Several months later, she'd be fast-tracked into a role thanks to a contact she'd made during that stretch. All it took was a good initial application, a LinkedIn connection - and a little patience.
"It's a great reminder that even if an opportunity doesn't work out immediately, staying on the radar can make a difference," said the 24-year-old, who lives in San Francisco. Here's what happened: Disappointed to not land a role she'd interviewed for at identity verification startup Persona, Shah connected with the recruiter on LinkedIn anyway. Months later, she'd accepted a part-time contract role but was still looking for full-time employment.
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