- Dhruv Loya came to the US to study in 2020, but he struggled to find a job for after he graduated.
- He landed a job at Tesla but had to field questions about visa sponsorships along the way, he said.
- International students face job searching hurdles when it comes to visa sponsorships, he said.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 22-year-old Dhruv Loya, from Buffalo, New York, about job searching and landing a role at Tesla. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I did over a year of job hunting before I landed my first job after college, working for Tesla.
I started looking for jobs in the summer of 2023. Back in 2020, I moved from Pune, India, to study biomedical engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo. I spent a lot of money, took student loans, and received financial support from my parents to study in the US, but it was really difficult for me to land a job. I applied to hundreds of listings, but I often didn’t hear back or got rejected.
Although I have a job now, I’m aware that it’s a very tough time for students looking for work. There are particular difficulties for international students who rely on companies to sponsor their visas.
I kept getting ghosted or rejected for jobs. Being an international student made things even tougher.
I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do after college, but growing up, I always wanted to get into a company where I could use my tech skills to do something innovative with an impact.
I did several internships while at university and also had an on-campus job helping students and faculty with tech problems. I wanted to use my time at college to figure out my future career.
In the summer of my third year, I started applying for full-time jobs. I wanted to be employed by December so I could enjoy my last semester and the following summer without worrying about finding a job.
I had an interest in entry-level sales engineer roles but wasn’t having much success because I didn’t have sales experience. I pivoted toward quality engineering roles because I’d done an internship in this area.
When I applied for jobs, I got ghosted or received automated rejection emails. I tried changing my résumé templates and making YouTube videos to sell myself to recruiters, but nothing seemed to be working.
Things seemed to improve in the fall of 2023 when I started optimizing my résumé for ATS, the tracking software employers use to assess whether your résumé matches the job description. I got ChatGPT premium and asked it to do an ATS analysis on my résumé using the job descriptions for the roles I was applying to. I’d try to keep my score at about 85% because I thought this could help me avoid automated rejections.
I don’t know for sure if ChatGPT helped, but when I started using the tool, I saw a difference and received more callbacks.
But I faced another obstacle too. During the application process or interviews with recruiters, there would be a question about whether I’d need a visa sponsorship now or in the future.
Because I was a STEM student, I had access to three years of OPT — optional practical training — with my student visa. This meant I wouldn’t need sponsorship for three years after graduation, but I’d still answer yes to the question because it asked if I needed sponsorship in the future. After admitting this, I’d receive rejection emails.
Being unemployed was difficult, but I eventually landed a job at Tesla
When I graduated in May 2024, I still didn’t have a job. My parents didn’t come to my graduation because they decided to financially support me in my unemployment instead of spending money on the trip from India. I was very upset about it.
My lease expired in August, and I had nowhere to go. I stayed with friends instead of spending money on rent.
I was job hunting on borrowed time. I had 90 days to find a job on my OPT, which took me to late October.
A friend who I studied with got a job at Tesla and recommended me to the recruiter. I sent my résumé, and they interviewed me.
When I spoke to the recruiter, I mentioned I’d have authorization to work for three years through OPT, and it was fine if they didn’t sponsor me after that. They gave me a job offer in October 2024 to work as a Powerwall technical support specialist. The role involves troubleshooting the Tesla battery product, which stores solar energy for powering people’s homes. It’s also more customer-facing than the quality engineering jobs I was applying for previously.
I’m hoping I can move up in the company and get a role where I’d be sponsored and take on more engineering and managerial responsibilities. However, if I have to move back to India after three years, I’d happily do that.
It’s a difficult time for students to find work
In the end, getting a job wasn’t as tough as the journey. Tesla was hiring new people, and the timing was right.
I have many friends who are struggling to find jobs right now, both international and domestic students. In 2023, there were so many layoffs at big companies that more people were put back in the market.
Companies are trying to cut costs, and it seems to me like they’re avoiding sponsorships for international candidates. There are a limited number of visas available in the US, so there’s much uncertainty around whether candidates will actually get a visa, even when the company is spending so much money on them.
I don’t think mass-applying to hundreds of jobs is effective in the current job market. Instead, candidates should focus on quality over quantity. Be strategic, reach out to people, and try to get referrals. Connections and referrals can significantly improve job search outcomes.
