A software engineer's candid post about repeatedly facing rejection before landing a role at Google has struck a chord with social media users.
Taking to X, Soumyadeep Paul, a 27-year-old software engineer at Amazon, caught the internet's attention after revealing that he was rejected by Google 12 times before finally securing a job with the company on his 13th attempt. "I got into Google after getting rejected 12 times. 13th time was the charm," Paul wrote.
He shared that his experience wasn't limited to Google. Paul said he received an offer from Amazon only after 3 rejections and landed a role at Microsoft after being turned down 16 times. He added that he never even received a callback from Apple or Oracle.
"Not just Google, Amazon - got the offer after 3 rejections. Microsoft - got the offer after 16 rejections. Apple - never got a call back. Oracle - never got a call back," he wrote.
Sharing what he learned from the process, Paul described job applications at major technology companies as "literally a numbers game". "You have to keep applying with referrals and work hard enough to keep luck in your corner," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Sharing what he learned from the process, Paul described job applications at major technology companies as "literally a numbers game". "You have to keep applying with referrals and work hard enough to keep luck in your corner," he said.
{{/usCountry}}He also advised job seekers against applying to roles at random, urging them instead to carefully match their resumes with job descriptions. "Don't apply to jobs just randomly. See if there is a legitimate fit between your resume and the job requirements," he wrote.
Paul further suggested reaching out to people within target companies. "If you have friends working there, then get emails of HRs and mail them directly with the job Id and your resume after applying," he said.
He also recommended messaging hiring managers on LinkedIn, saying it could sometimes open doors, although he clarified that he had not personally used that strategy.
"Also message managers of your target companies on LinkedIn. That may also open some doors if you're lucky. Though I haven't done this ever but I've seen people succeed with this," he added.
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Social media reactions
The post quickly gained traction on X, with many users congratulating him for his new role at Google.
The post also sparked a discussion, with one user arguing that success at top technology firms is influenced not just by persistence but also by a candidate's background. "t's not a number game it's just they need big names in your resume. A fresher needs atleast icpc or a tier 1 college even with referral. An experienced guy needs some big mnc names like amazon, Microsoft or something like that. Its just my opinion I may be wrong about this totally, correct me if I am," the user wrote.