Rakesh Babu

Germany wasn't a random choice for me. It was strategic right from the beginning.

I'd worked at Amazon before starting my master's, and during that time, I collaborated with a German operations team. The way they approached supply chain management was different, structured, and incredibly efficient. So it stuck with me.

When I decided to pursue a master's in supply chain and logistics, Germany made the most sense. The country is known for manufacturing excellence, and universities here let you gain industry experience while studying. I wasn't interested in just theory. I wanted real exposure.

So I took the loan and went for it. By my third semester, I started applying for internships. I was eager to get my foot in the door and start building my career.

Then everything fell apart. A few months into my search, I had to stop completely because of a medical emergency. Being an international student dealing with health issues far from home was frustrating. It drained me physically and mentally. My confidence took a hit, and honestly, I wasn't sure if I'd even recover in time to continue.

But I did, slowly, and by early 2025, I was back to applying again. I sent out 600 applications everywhere. Most went unanswered, a few led to interviews, but none turned into a real offer.

The worst part was when I made it to the fourth round with one company. On the day of the final interview, they told me the role had changed, and they weren't hiring anymore. Just like that, it was over!

I felt stuck and frustrated. Like I was doing everything right but getting nowhere. That's when I made a call that scared me. I quit my part-time job in May so I could focus entirely on finding a working student position. It was a risk I wasn't sure would pay off.

In June, I joined Unimad. I had one session with Sharath, and we completely rebuilt my resume. He helped me stop trying to appeal to everyone and instead focus on my strengths in supply chain and logistics. We also cleaned up my LinkedIn so recruiters could actually find me.

The shift was instant. I stopped applying to everything and started applying only to roles where I knew I was a strong match. Within a week, I got an interview call. By mid-July, I had an offer. On September 1st, I started my working student role.

What changed wasn't my qualifications. It was how I presented them. So, if you're grinding through applications right now and feeling stuck, here's what I'd say: stop chasing volume and focus on getting clarity.