A Bengaluru based data engineer has struck a chord on social media after sharing how he faced repeated rejections from Amazon before eventually landing a job at the tech giant.
(Also read: Amazon employee says company tracks office hours, calls it ‘infantalizing’)
Taking to Instagram, the man, identified as Aritra, shared a clip in which he spoke about the emotional toll of job rejections and the importance of persistence. In the video, he introduced himself as a data engineer at Amazon and recalled how he had applied to the company several times over five years.
“No matter how much we tweak our resume, take referrals or prepare, we are still going to get rejected. Someone commented this on one of my Instagram videos. Hi, I am Aritra and I work as a data engineer at Amazon. And today I want to tell you guys a very small story. I applied to Amazon more than 7-8 times over a period of 5 years,” he said.
Aritra added that he tried multiple routes, including referrals and the company’s job portal, but nothing worked for a long time. “I applied through referrals, through the job portal, and every single time my resume didn't even get shortlisted. I used to get auto rejection mails again and again,” he said.
‘I chose to keep going’
{{/usCountry}}Aritra added that he tried multiple routes, including referrals and the company’s job portal, but nothing worked for a long time. “I applied through referrals, through the job portal, and every single time my resume didn't even get shortlisted. I used to get auto rejection mails again and again,” he said.
‘I chose to keep going’
{{/usCountry}}The Amazon employee said there came a point when he had to decide whether to stop trying or continue despite the repeated setbacks.
(Also read: Amazon employee says her mother 'manifested' them working at same company 10 years ago: 'My biggest role model')
“At one point, I had two options: stop trying or keep going. I chose to keep going, and one day I finally got the interview call. This time, I was prepared enough to crack it,” he said.
He then shared a message for those dealing with rejection in their career. “Life is unfair, competitive, and exhausting sometimes. We cannot control every rejection, but what we can control is our consistency, our preparation, and our hard work. Trust me, hard work can take us to places we have never imagined. Never stop believing in yourself and never give up,” he added.
The clip was shared with a caption in which Aritra wrote, “I applied to Amazon so many times. And every single time… my resume got rejected before even getting screened. No OA link. No interview. Nothing. Honestly, it hurt. It felt like I wasn’t even getting the chance to prove myself or my worth. But did I give up? No. I kept learning. Kept improving. Kept applying. And today, here I am, working at Amazon. Sometimes success takes longer than expected. That doesn’t mean you stop believing in yourself.”
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The video has received several reactions from social media users, with many calling his journey inspiring. One user wrote, “Felt like my own journey of getting into a product company. I don't care how many years it takes. If we truly want something, we work for it for years. Happy for you.” Another said, “Consistency really matters more than one rejection.” A third commented, “Auto rejection mails hurt the most, but this gives hope.” Another user wrote, “Hard work and patience always pay off.” Someone else added, “Needed to hear this today.” Another said, “This proves that delayed success is still success.”
HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)