I quit my job to help you find yours | 70+ MAD stories & counting | Attend my free webinar to access the AI job search system that works.

My job search in the UK was exhausting. 

↳ Got ghosted. Rejected. Ignored.
↳ Applied easily to 1000+ jobs.
↳ Secured 17 interviews. 
↳ Converted 1 offer. 

Turns out, the problem wasn’t my skills.
It was my system.

International students are stuck in a broken job search loop:

- Paying “career coaches” £1000s for fluff
- Generic CVs and cover letters
- 100s of auto-rejections

That’s why I built Unimad.

Not a “template” library.
Not another course.

But a full-stack job search system built by international students—for international students. 

Today, 4000s of students use Unimad.
100+ have landed jobs in the UK, US, & Ireland.

If you want a AI career coach—try unimad.ai

If you wish to work 1-1 with me, DM Unicoach and let’s make you unignorable.

Sharath Leelakrishnan

The job market is getting more selective and more disheartening for many.

I recently came across a post from a job seeker who said:

"Unless you're the child of a VP or vacation with the CEO, you're not getting an interview in 2026."

It was raw, emotional, and brutally honest.
What struck me was the frustration and how many others related to it.

Every week, I speak with professionals who have the degree, the experience, the work ethic... and still can't get past the first stage.

They're applying, networking, tailoring resumes, following every bit of advice, and yet?

Silence.
Auto-rejections.
Ghosting after referrals.
This is no longer about effort.

It's about a hiring system that’s becoming increasingly getting more selective.

A system where the most qualified candidates often don’t even get seen.
The advice hasn’t evolved, but the job market has.
And the gap between them is growing.

If you're feeling disillusioned, you’re not alone, and it's not a reflection of your worth.

It's a reflection of a tough system.

I’ve lived this same experience, and that’s exactly why I host free masterclasses where I break down what actually works in today’s market.

So that qualified, hardworking professionals stop spinning their wheels and finally start seeing traction.

Link in the comments.

Quit my job to build Unimad | Your one stop solution for job search | 100+ MAD stories and counting | You can be the next 👇

It's been a tough couple of weeks. 

Early morning wakeups. 
Super late night sleeps. 
Working all the time. 

Sometimes I do feel is it even worthy enough?
Should I just quit it and take up a job?

But at those moments I get messages like these. 

Hey Shaki - You just changed my life. 
Your strategy worked and I got a job. 
I just got a visa sponsored role. 

Now it's not about how tired you get. 

But it's more about how much positive impact can you create?

You will have nothing for months even years. 
And you'll have it all at once. 

The real question is did you survive the lows?

Giving up is the only failure. 

If you haven't done that you're still in the game. 

Somedays you can sprint. 
Somedays you can walk. 
Somedays you can rest. 

But never get out of track. 

This is dedicated to all my fellow international students. 

You have all my love and respect for going through what you are going through. 

It always gets dark before you see the light. 
Just keep pushing. Only thing you can do. 

Any resonations?

We thought we were hitting rock bottom again.
As 2025 came to a close, everything slowed down.

→ Job seeker activity dropped.
→ Inbound queries disappeared.
→ Revenue took a nosedive.

We were staring down a tough reality:
team salaries, business expenses, and the creeping fear of having to scale back everything we’d built.

It felt like survival mode.

But instead of panicking, we doubled down.

We asked: “What do our people actually need right now?”
We focused on delivering real value.

In every masterclass, we went beyond surface-level advice.

We showed what it meant to truly serve: practical strategies, live breakdowns, no fluff.

And slowly, the shift began.

→ Bookings started to spike.
→ Students landed interviews.
→ Word of mouth kicked in.
→ DMs turned into consultations.
→ And we ended the year with 55 lakhs in revenue.

This happened by staying useful, consistent, and deeply committed to outcomes.

I want this post to be a reminder that your slowest season isn’t your final one.
When you lead with service, the results always follow.

Here’s to everyone building something meaningful in 2026.
Keep showing up.
Keep delivering.

The turnaround always comes.
You just have to keep going. 

Share it with a friend to tell them to keep going no matter the circumstances.

One of our students had what most would call a perfect resume.

Bullet points that hit all the right notes.

Yet he wasn’t getting interviews, even after sending application after application.

When he reached out to us, we immediately spotted the problem.

In 2026, a good resume alone won't get you far.

Hiring has evolved and gotten more selective.

And a good resume is no longer a differentiator.

AI screening tools normalise formatting, strip buzzwords, and match for keyword density.

Everyone has access to ChatGPT now.

But standing out is a different game.

Here’s what we helped him do instead:

1. We helped him rebuild his narrative

We crafted a clear story around his unique value backed by results, not alone titles.

2. He stopped hiding behind the ‘apply’ button

Cold outreach became a daily habit.

Thoughtful messages, tailored to real humans, not generic “networking” requests.

3. He built visibility

Short posts on LinkedIn sharing insights from his internships.

A few went nowhere, but one got noticed by a hiring manager.

That led to an interview, then an offer.

4. He practised real interviews

Role-played with coaches, got feedback, and refined his delivery.

Confidence is preparation.

Within six weeks, the rejections turned into callbacks.

The callbacks turned into offers.

He landed a role at a top-tier firm because he learned how to market himself, not just his experience.

So if you’re still polishing every bullet point, hoping this version will finally get noticed, pause.

The resume is step one.

But it’s everything else: your strategy, your outreach, your story that gets you hired in 2026.

I conduct free masterclasses on building a resume from scratch so that you can convert as many interviews as possible. 

Link in the comments. I’ll see you inside.

Here is a list of 10 sites that actually move the needle when it comes to landing a legit, high-paying remote job:

1. Himalayas – Transparent pay, detailed company profiles, and remote roles that don’t waste your time.

2. Pangian – One of the fastest-growing global remote work communities.

3. REMOTE OK – Tech-focused listings with salary filters that actually work.

4. FlexJobs – Curated and scam-free listings across industries.

5. Remotive – Built for remote-first companies in tech, marketing, and product.

6. Working Nomads – Get the best remote jobs delivered weekly to your inbox.

7. Jobspresso – High-quality roles at fast-growing tech companies.

8. Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent) – Startup jobs with remote flexibility and potential equity.

9. We Work Remotely – One of the largest boards for remote jobs that are actually remote.

10. PowerToFly – A go-to platform for tech professionals and underrepresented talent in remote roles.

Save this post, share it with your network, and follow Sharath for more informative posts like this.

I have been chasing my whole life. 

At 9 I was chasing to be a cricketer. 
At 14 I was chasing to be a chess player. 
At 18 I was chasing fun and parties. 
At 20 I was chasing to be an RJ. 
At 21 I was chasing promotions. 
At 23 I was chasing to enter the UK. 
At 24 I was chasing a full-time job in the UK. 

The second-most toughest chase of my life. 
And the most rewarding chase as well. 

At 28 I am chasing for others to be placed abroad. 

This is by far the most difficult chase of my lifetime. 

But I'm positive if done right, this would be the most rewarding one too. 

If there's one thing I'd say to everyone chasing now, just don't stop. 

Stopping is the only failure. 

As my god Alex Hormozi says, do so much volume of work that it's impossible for you to fail. 

Chase so hard, that you start attracting. 

You didn't come so far to just come so far. 
Keep going champ. You're already killing it. 

Dedicating this to all my fellow international students.

All my love, respect, and wishes for you guys. 

You guys are true champions. 

How's your chase going?

From repeated rejections to a job offer in his desired company, this is Kamesh’s story.

When Kamesh joined Unimad, he wasn’t lost.
He wasn’t confused about what he wanted either. 
In fact, he was one of the most clear-headed students I’ve worked with.

He knew the role he was chasing.
He had strong technical skills in data science.
His resume was already solid.

And yet he was facing rejection after rejection. 

The issue in his case, in fact, with most international students is: 
They don't realize that being good at your craft isn’t enough.

Kamesh’s biggest block was his was positioning.

So we started there:
1. Shifted his LinkedIn from “student” to domain expert
2. Made targeted changes to his resume to reflect his true depth
3. Had him start sharing content: his thoughts, his voice, his POV

He didn’t blow up overnight.
There were still plenty of no’s.
But slowly, people started to notice.

By January, he landed a role as a Software Engineer focused on AI/ML, a job that fit him.

This wasn’t luck.
This was clarity, visibility, and persistence finally meeting opportunity.

If you’re facing rejection after rejection, you might not need to do more.

You might just need to show up differently.

If you’re facing rejection after rejection, you might just need to show up differently.

I’m breaking all this down in a free masterclass on how to position yourself so you get noticed and get hired.

Link in comments.

100+ international students cracked interviews because of this checklist. 

Day 6 of what happens inside Unicoach?
Value Proposition Document & Interview Prep

Here’s how we make you a dominant candidate for any interview. 

First: The Value Proposition Document (VPD)

A VPD answers 3 questions:

How do you add value to the company?
How does the company add value to you?
How do you fit with the company culture?

Breakdown:

1️⃣ 4 Problem Statements & Solutions

Find out why the role exists.
List 4 real problems the company faces.

Give your solutions. Show you’ve done your homework.

2️⃣ 30-60-90 Day Plan

Imagine you’re hired.
What will you achieve in the first 3 months?

3️⃣ Company Value Proposition

How does this company help you grow?

4️⃣ Culture Fit

Why do you belong here?
Show you understand and match their values.

Then: Interview Preparation

Use AI to dominate interviews.
Practice with real questions and feedback.

Know how your role helps the company make money.
Understand the key metrics your role affects.
Identify your unique selling points (USPs).

Pro Tip:

Generate possible interview questions and craft stories using your metrics, impact, and USPs.

Walk in prepared. Walk out as a top candidate.

Use this framework and you’ll thank yourself later.

Repost to help another international student crack interviews.

Most career coaches charge $3,000–$5,000 for this.

We give it away for free inside the Unimad Masterclass.

In the last 90 days alone, 100+ students went from:

1. Constant resume rejections → Resume approvals + interview requests

2. Cold DMs getting ignored → Hiring managers replying + scheduling calls

3. “I’m stuck” → “I just got the offer!”

Because we’re not handing out fluff.

This masterclass breaks down exactly what’s working in 2026’s job market:

→ What to say in cold messages so people actually respond

→ Why your resume keeps getting filtered out (and how to fix it)

→ And how to shift from “hope I get noticed” to “they reached out to me.”

→ The new rules of standing out online, especially if you're not a content creator

We created this because we were tired of watching talented candidates spin their wheels.

Applying to 100+ jobs, getting ghosted, and wondering what they were doing wrong when the answer was simple: strategy.

Talent alone doesn’t get offers.

Messaging does.

Positioning does.

Visibility does.

And all of that is teachable, and we are offering that for Free.

So if you’ve been hearing nothing from recruiters, or if your resume looks “perfect” but still gets rejected this isn’t your fault.

But it is your responsibility to adapt.

The masterclass is open now. 107 others have already rewritten their job story.

You could be next.

Link to join the masterclass in the comments.

Amazon just laid off 16,000 people.
And if you’re one of them or if you’ve recently been laid off, read this before you do anything else.

Take a breath.
Step back.
Don’t start applying like your life depends on it.

Because when you’re in shock, grieving, or spiralling in self-blame,
You're not in the right headspace to make calculated career moves.

What do most people do?

They panic-apply.
50+ jobs in a day.
Without a strategy or clarity.

And that desperation usually leads to more rejections, more self-doubt, and a vicious cycle that’s hard to break.

So here’s what you should do instead:

— Take 2–3 days off.
— Let the news land. Let yourself feel it.
— Remind yourself: this was not about your worth.

Layoffs are not personal.
They’re systemic, economic, strategic, but not personal.

When you’re ready, you’ll come back clearer and stronger.
And when you move, it’ll be intentional.
That’s how you win the next chapter.
You’ve got this.

I was overconfident. 

That I would crack a UK job easily. 

That was the biggest mistake I could have ever made. 

I am going in. 
From day 1 I started applying to jobs. 

For the first 6 months it was silence. 

I was being rejected for roles which I know I'm over qualified for.

That's when I understood. 

Just applying isn't enough. 
Because everyone is doing that.

I have to stand apart. 

That's when I accidentally started building a brand online. 

I never knew I was building one.

I was just trying to maximise the platform. 

I was doing everything:

- Connecting with people 
- Commenting on different posts 
- Posting super authentic content

Turns out that is Personal branding. 

Something which saved me from being unemployed in the UK.

It can save you too. If you want a little more guidance on how to do this. 

You can attend my free webinar. 

Where I'll walk you through the system that has helped hundreds of international students get placed. 

I'll put the link in the comments if you are interested. 

You got nothing to lose. 
Everything to gain.

Personal branding is the freedom ticket to all international students. 

Day 5 of what happens inside Unicoach?

Built resumes. 
Optimised LinkedIn. 
Developed a Portfolio.
Started making applications. 

Next? Personal Branding.

Time to make yourself unignorable online.
The 3 Pillars: Connections. Content. Comments.

1) Connections

Send 18–20 connection requests every day.
Target people in your role
Founders hiring for your roles
HRs hiring for your roles

2) Comments

Add real, thought-provoking comments on posts in your niche.

Skip the “Great post!” fluff. Share insights. Start conversations.

3) Content

This is where you stand out.

Top Funnel: 
Educational content, industry research, thought leadership

Middle Funnel: 
Your story, why you chose your role, proof of work

Bottom Funnel: 
Value-driven posts. 
Show companies how you can help (not just sell)

Daily Routine:

20 connections
10–15 valuable comments
1 post every alternate day

Do this for 90 days. 
You’ll be impossible to ignore.

And you can do all of this for free on unimad.ai.

Just log in and get moving. 
Don’t wait. Take action today.

Make your parents proud. 
For all that they went through. 
This is the least you could do in return. 

If you are reading this post and signed up to Unimad.ai, just comment "I'm going to dominate my job search" and I'll know .

Get yourself a mad story to tell. 

Mad Life Mad Vibes.

The exact checklist my students use to receive interviews in less than 30 days of joining Unicoach. 

Day 4 of what happens inside Unicoach?

Resume? Done
LinkedIn? Optimised
Portfolio? Live

Now comes the real game which is applications.
Quality or quantity? You need both.

Quality Application Checklist:

1) Optimise your resume for the JD

2) Build a solid cover letter

3) Complete the online application

4) Use Apollo to find the recruiting manager’s email

5) Draft and send a cold email

6) Reach out to employees inside the company

7) Follow up with recruiters at 5, 10, and 15 days

Daily Target:
3 quality applications
7 quantity applications

Do this, and you’ll see the difference.

Try it out and let me know how it goes.

You can do all of this for free using Unimad.ai

If want to learn more about how to do it, attend my free webinar to learn more. 

Link in the comments. 

PS - Here's the structure of a cover letter that actually converts interviews.

Highly passionate about Supply chain management, Planning and Design with an eye for detail and devising solutions.I would like to apply my skills and experience to an organization where they will have a significant impact on the bottom line and produce an ever improving level of quality service towards its customer base.

taplio

The Battle

Sharath Leelakrishnan

Richard VJ

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