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Land the Role: A Practical Guide to Applications, Networking, and Interviews

Made for students and new grads — clear steps, proven tactics, and links that actually help.

Start with the Right Strategy

  • Portfolio first, then applications: ship one or two real, specific projects (demo, repo, short case study). Link them everywhere.
  • Quality over quantity: 5 tailored applications with referrals > 50 generic ones.
  • Weekly cadence: (Mon) target roles, (Tue–Wed) outreach, (Thu) apply & track, (Fri) practice interviews, (Weekend) build/iterate portfolio.

Applications that Get Seen (ATS + Human)

1) Target the right roles

  • Match your experience to the top 5 skills in the posting. If you hit 70%+, apply.
  • Use the job description’s wording in your resume (keywords = ATS fuel).

2) Tailor your resume in 10 minutes

  • Top third = your pitch: target title, 3–5 skill tags, portfolio links.
  • Bullets = impact + proof: Verb + what you did + measurable outcome (“Increased signups 18% by…”).
  • Order bullets by relevance to the posting, not chronology.

3) Portfolio & links that convert

  • Include live demos, screenshots, and a 90–120 sec walkthrough video per project.
  • Write a 5–7 sentence mini case study: Context → Problem → Approach → Outcome → What I’d improve next.

4) Where to apply (bookmark these)

Pro tip: After you apply, immediately ask for a referral (see script below). Your odds 2–3× with a warm intro.

Networking that Doesn’t Feel Awkward

Think of networking as asking for context, not favors. You’re learning how teams ship, decide, and hire — and whether you’re a fit.

Find the right people

  • Search LinkedIn for “[Target role]” at [Company] → filter by school, location, or mutuals.
  • Join communities: Slack/Discord groups, meetups, hackathons, online cohorts.
  • Comment thoughtfully on posts from hiring managers or founders; then DM.

DM script (copy/paste)

Hi [Name] — I’m a [student/new grad in X] interested in [team/problem space]. I loved your post on [specific insight].
Would you be open to a 15-min chat about how your team evaluates [skill/portfolio]? I’ve built [1-line project], and I’m exploring roles like [role].
Either way, thanks for sharing your work!

What to ask in 15 minutes

  • “What does strong early-career work look like on your team?”
  • “If you were me, what project would you ship next?”
  • “How do new grads ramp in the first 90 days?”

Follow-up: send a 3-line thank-you + one concrete action you took based on their advice (with a link). That’s how you build real advocates.

Acing the Interview

Behavioral = your impact stories

  • Use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or CAR (Context, Action, Result).
  • Prepare 6–8 stories: conflict, ownership, ambiguity, learning fast, leadership without title, customer impact, failing & iterating, working across functions.
  • Quantify outcomes: metrics, before/after, time saved, revenue/users moved.

Technical/Case = think out loud

  • Clarify: restate the problem in your own words, list constraints, confirm success metrics.
  • Structure: outline options first, then dive deep; narrate trade-offs.
  • Sanity-check: “If we had 2 more weeks, what would we improve?”

Prep checklist (night before)

  • Review the job description & align 3 stories to the top 3 requirements.
  • Rehearse your 60-sec pitch: Who you are → what you ship → why this role now.
  • Open tabs: portfolio, key project notes, company values, interviewer LinkedIn.
  • Logistics: test your mic/camera, quiet space, water, notebook, time zone.

After the interview

  • Send a concise thank-you within 24 hours: 2–3 bullets on what you learned + how you’d add value.
  • If rejected, ask for feedback and one thing to strengthen before reapplying.

Track It So You Can Improve It

  • Create a simple tracker (sheet or Notion): company, role, link, contact, status, date applied, follow-ups, outcome, notes.
  • Every Friday, review metrics: response rate, interview-to-offer rate, common gaps to fix next week.

Templates & Extras

60-Second Portfolio Walkthrough

  1. Context: who it’s for, the problem
  2. Approach: what you built and why
  3. Outcome: metrics, user quotes, before/after
  4. Next: what you’d improve with 1–2 more weeks

30/60/90 Day Sketch (share after onsite)

  • 30: learn stack, shadow, ship small fix
  • 60: own a clear area, ship a meaningful improvement
  • 90: drive a small initiative end-to-end with metrics

You’ve Got This

Pick one role, one project to showcase, and message three people today. Momentum beats perfection — and you’re closer than you think.

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