Pooja More

The UK wasn't my dream destination, but it made the most sense financially.

My family wanted me to get a master's degree, and the UK checked all the boxes. The program was just one year, which meant lower overall costs.

I didn't need to take the GRE, and by the time I was deciding, US applications had already closed. The counselor painted a convincing picture of opportunities with the Post-Study Work visa, so I committed.

When I started applying for jobs during my program, someone advised me to wait. "Finish your studies first, then focus on the job search." It sounded reasonable at the time, so I stopped applying and focused on my degree.

Looking back, that might've been the worst advice I followed.

After graduation, I threw myself into the job search. I sent out hundreds of applications, over 800 at least. I stopped counting after a while because it became too depressing. Out of all those applications, only seven companies called me back.

The rejections were relentless. Some said they couldn't sponsor visas. Others had closed positions due to budget cuts. A few just ghosted me entirely.

One of my earliest interviews came through a referral in early 2023. I thought having an inside connection would give me an edge, but I was rejected at the first screening because they couldn't sponsor my visa. That crushed me because I'd believed referrals were supposed to be the golden ticket.

By mid-2023, I was exhausted and running out of ideas. That's when I connected with Shaki from Unimad. He looked at my portfolio and offered me a chance to volunteer as a UX Designer with them. It wasn't paid, but it kept me engaged and visible.

More importantly, he helped me rebuild my CV and fix my LinkedIn. After optimising it properly, recruiters started finding me in their searches. That one shift opened doors I didn't even know existed.

In 2025, I finally landed an interview based purely on my updated CV. I cleared the first round, and they were exploring visa sponsorship options. But after the technical interview, they went with someone who had experience with a specific tool they used internally. I was sad, just too sad.

But a few months later, a friend connected me with the founder of an AdTech startup. The founder had seen some work I'd done and liked it enough to bring me in for an interview. I got the job and joined on probation.

While I was there, I decided to participate in a design hackathon. I made it to the offline round, and that's where everything shifted. I met the co-founder of another company at the event. He saw my work, liked my approach, and asked his HR team to reach out.

I cracked the interview and finally landed my perfect role which I'm still in till date.

My advice? Never wait till after graduation to begin your search. Start as early as possible!