From the outside, job hunting looks simple.
Apply. Interview. Get hired.
From the inside, especially as an immigrant in Canada, it’s anything but.
Over the past year, I applied to 500+ roles across frontend, full stack, contract, and full-time positions. Some days brought callbacks and hope. Most days brought silence. No rejection. No feedback. Just… nothing.
This post is about what those 500 applications taught me — not just about the market, but about strategy, mindset, and growth.
The Early Mistake: Treating All Applications the Same
At the start, I applied fast and wide.
Same resume. Same approach. Different companies.
It felt productive. It wasn’t.
What I learned quickly:
- Volume alone doesn’t help
- Generic resumes disappear into ATS black holes
- Hiring managers can spot copy-paste applications instantly
The moment I slowed down and customized my resume even slightly, response rates changed.
The Canadian Resume Is a Different Game
One of the biggest lessons was unlearning what worked back home.
In Canada:
- Impact matters more than responsibility
- Numbers matter more than titles
- Clear communication beats flashy tech stacks
When I rewrote bullet points to focus on outcomes, not tasks, I started getting replies.
Instead of:
Built React components for dashboard
I wrote:
Built reusable React components used across 5 modules, reducing development time by 30%
That single shift made a real difference.
Referrals Are Not Optional
This one hurt to accept, but it’s true.
Cold applications had a very low success rate.
Referrals changed everything.
Most of my interview calls came from:
- LinkedIn conversations
- Community events
- Alumni connections
- Recruiters I followed up with respectfully
Canada’s job market runs heavily on trust. A warm intro beats a perfect resume every time.
Interviews Were Testing More Than Coding
I went in expecting deep technical grilling.
What I actually faced:
- “How do you handle unclear requirements?”
- “Tell me about a conflict with a teammate.”
- “How do you communicate trade-offs?”
Yes, tech mattered.
But communication, clarity, and ownership mattered more.
Once I stopped trying to sound perfect and started explaining my thinking, interviews felt more human — and went better.
Rejection Isn’t Feedback (Silence Isn’t Personal)
This was the hardest lesson.
Most rejections had nothing to do with skill. Sometimes it was:
- Internal hiring
- Budget changes
- Someone with local experience
- Timing
Early on, I took silence personally.
Later, I learned to treat it as noise, not judgment.
Consistency mattered more than motivation.
Building While Applying Saved My Sanity
What kept me going wasn’t motivation. It was momentum.
I:
- Built projects even without interviews
- Improved older work instead of starting new shiny things
- Freelanced instead of waiting for permission
- Kept learning, even on quiet weeks
Progress gave me confidence when external validation didn’t.
The Biggest Lesson: The Process Changes You
Those 500 applications taught me patience. They forced me to communicate better. They pushed me to ask for help. They made me resilient in ways I didn’t expect.
Landing offers felt great — but the growth that happened before that mattered more.
For Anyone Still in the Middle of It
If you’re applying and hearing nothing:
- You’re not broken
- You’re not behind
- You’re not alone
This market is tough. Especially if you’re new to it.
Keep refining. Keep building. Keep showing up.
Your “yes” often comes after a long stretch of silence.
And when it does, you’ll be ready for it.
If this resonated, feel free to connect with me on
LinkedIn or reach out via email.
More reflections coming soon.