1. Timing & Luck
Markets shift year to year in ways that are hard to predict. Headcount opens and closes based on macro forces far outside your control. This isn't discouraging β it just means the outcome isn't purely a referendum on how hard you worked.
Luck is a real variable. The same resume, the same prep, a different week β a different outcome. Accept this, don't internalize every rejection as a personal failing.
What you can control: build real foundations, stay consistent, and when an opening appears β be ready.
2. Information
Knowing a position opened β before most people do β is itself an advantage. A lot of opportunities have already closed by the time they show up in your feed.
Act first, iterate after
- Submit the imperfect resume. A submitted resume can move; a draft in Google Docs can't.
- Treat daily applications like a recurring task, not a milestone you do once.
- Debrief after each stage β resume screen, phone screen, final round. What pattern do you see? What's the next lever to pull?
3. Connection
Targeted outreach beats volume applications. A referral routed to the right team β not just dropped in the general portal β is worth many cold applications. Alumni who graduated a few years ago, seniors already in the industry: they know the landscape and often want to help.
Low-stakes conversations have unexpectedly high returns. Catching up with someone you already know β what they're working on, what you're working on β sometimes opens doors you didn't know existed. It doesn't have to be transactional to be useful.
On study communities
The most valuable thing isn't a community that shares job listings β it's one where people share information, hold each other accountable, and keep each other going through the hard parts.
4. Mindset
Job hunting has a low feedback rate and a long time horizon. You will send things into the void and hear nothing. You will do well in an interview and not move forward. This is normal β it doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.
Many people don't land an offer until May or June. A slow start isn't a sign that something has gone wrong. The finish line is the same regardless of when you left the gate.
5. Notes for China Recruiting
Domestic recruiting is dense β summer internships, early admission, fall and spring recruiting all overlap. Map out the phases early so you don't end up with five OAs on the same weekend. Foreign companies (Microsoft, NVIDIA, Google, Amazon) often run on different schedules than domestic tech β check their sites and official accounts, don't assume the timelines match.
Within the same company, different teams are very different. If you have any connections inside, ask specifically about the team β culture, work style, growth path. Push for a referral directly to the team, not just the company portal.
Interview is a two-way process. You're also evaluating them. If you don't know something, say so β don't invent. Redirect to what you do know. Confidence and honesty read better than a nervous attempt to fill every blank.
6. US Interviews
US technical interviews care as much about how you think as what you produce. Explain your reasoning out loud. When you choose an approach, say why. Interviewers are also asking: would I enjoy working with this person? Communication is not a soft add-on β it's part of the signal.
Career fairs, info sessions, tech talks: most produce nothing directly. Go anyway β occasionally. All you need is one useful conversation.
School mailing lists, department Slack channels, faculty talks β these often carry opportunities that never get posted publicly. Worth staying plugged in, or asking a friend in the right department to forward relevant emails.
The path has more flexibility than it looks β an extra semester, a domestic internship, converting early, working under OPT. These aren't failures; they're options. Think through the tradeoffs and act deliberately.
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
"All problems are people problems."
"Sometimes, it's okay to give yourself grace."
Hope we all find our own rhythm, pass through the fog, and reach the light.