'600 Cold Emails & 80 Odd Phone Calls': 23-Yr-Old Boy On How He Got Job At World Bank After Series Of Rejections

In today's era, many students prefer studying foreign at a prominent institute or university to get a recognised qualification and lucrative job. No matter which institute or university someone is from, there is no shortcut to success.

Setting an example for the same, Vatsal Nahata, who comes from Delhi, bagged a job at the World Bank after graduating from Yale University, the United States (US). The 23-year-old travelled to the US from India expecting exposure to industry-oriented education and easy job placement, but things weren't easy.

Taking to LinkedIn, he shared his challenging journey. He mentioned that he started applying for jobs at the end of his course at Yale University in 2020. It was the COVID-19 pandemic phase when companies worldwide were firing their employees, and the hiring process came to a halt.

'I Was A Student At Yale With No Job In Hand'

Vatsal mentioned that being a student at Yale with no job in hand was awkward. He said, "I thought to myself: what was the point of coming to Yale when I can't secure a job here? It became harder to sound strong to my parents when they called and asked me how I was doing."

The young man, despite facing darkness, decided not to return to India and give up as he was determined that his first paycheck would be in Dollars. He started networking with people, sent 1,500 connection requests, wrote 600 cold emails, and tried 80 odd calls within two months. He faced the highest number of rejections during the process, which often used to make him feel low.

After more than two months of effort, he ended up with four job offers and decided to select World Bank. He said, "They were willing to sponsor my Visa after my OPT, and my manager offered me co-authorship on a Machine Learning paper with the World Bank's current Director of Research (something unheard of for a 23-year-old)."

Learning Outcomes From Vatsal's Experience

In his post, Vatsal mentioned that he shared his experience in public to encourage people stuck in similar situations. He said, "If you're going through something similar where the world seems to be collapsing on you: carry on - do not go gentle into that good night. Better days will come if you learn from your mistakes and knock on enough doors."

He added that people should do networking as much as they can because it has the potential to bring opportunities for anyone. The time of the pandemic and his situation made him a stronger person than he was earlier. He also pointed out that foreign degrees won't help, but consistent effort will do.

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh: Dalit Boy Allegedly Beaten By Teacher For Wrong Answer Dies, Violent Protests In Auraiya