Series: A 30-Day Experiment to Land a Role in 2026
CV <> Interviews <> Rejections <> One Acceptance
If you’ve read Day 0, you already know why this series exists.
If you haven’t, today will still make sense because Day 1 isn’t about outcomes. Before I write about what I did today, there’s one thing worth saying upfront:
Understanding your mistakes matters only if you don’t repeat them blindly. Otherwise, awareness is just another form of procrastination.
I’ve read countless articles. I’ve watched more videos than I’d like to admit. I’ve taken advice from friends who landed roles before me. Over the next few weeks, I’ll try what feels right to me, but not everything at once, rather intentionally. If something shows no signal after a reasonable period, I’ll either adjust or stick with it longer instead of panicking and switching strategies overnight.
That’s already a change.
Understanding the Process (Before Touching Applications)
For the next 30 days, I’m treating job searching as a full-time responsibility, not just the act of applying, but observing how I react when:
- Giving up feels easier than continuing
- rejection are everywhere
- silence stretches longer
- doubt creeps in deeper
- and motivation drops more often
This isn’t the biggest challenge I’ll face in life. But it’s a good training ground for discomfort, patience, and consistency, skills I’ll need regardless of where I end up. Before applying, I wanted clarity on the process itself. So I broke it down backwards.
From application to acceptance (in reverse):
- Landing the role
- Clearing interview rounds
- Getting shortlisted after screening
- CV being selected by the recruiter
- CV actually reaching the recruiter or hiring manager
- Applying for the role
- Finding roles that align with the profile
- Having a strong profile to apply with
- Having a plan to follow
By the end of the day, one thing became obvious:
“If your profile is strong and it reaches the right people consistently, one yes is inevitable; not guaranteed in time, but inevitable in probability”.
Why Reach Matters (and Why It Messes With Morale)
Reach matters because job searching is a numbers game layered with psychology. The more you apply, the higher your chances. The more you apply, the more rejections you invite.
That’s where morale takes a hit.
Rejections, especially silent ones, have a way of making you question the strategy, then yourself. Self-doubt builds faster than confidence ever does.
So the balance I’m trying to strike is this:
- Apply widely enough to create reach
- Apply selectively enough to protect confidence
Before applying, I’m asking one simple question:
If I were on the hiring side, would I seriously consider this profile for this role?
If the answer is clearly no, I’m filtering it out. If it’s a reasonable yes, I’ll give it full effort instead of half-doing ten things.
Ways I’m creating reach:
- Company career portals
- Job portals (LinkedIn, Indeed, Google Jobs)
- Career fairs
- Direct outreach to recruiters, hiring managers, or founders
- LinkedIn and other professional platforms
(If you know other effective ways, drop them in the comments. I’m learning in public.)
Day 1 Focus: Revamping the Profile
Today wasn’t about applying to a single role. Today was about preparing something worth applying with.
What “revamping the profile” meant today:
- One-page CV
- Cover letter draft
- Job portal profiles
- LinkedIn profile
CV (The Hardest Part)
The CV is a snapshot, not of who you were, but of what value you bring now. I rebuilt mine from scratch. Structure, titles, experience bullets, skills, keywords, literally everything. I used AI only as a thinking aid, never as a final draft. Copy-paste CVs all look the same, and recruiters see through them instantly.
The goal wasn’t perfection.
It was confidence, knowing this is the best version I can produce today.
My CV checklist:
- One page
- ATS-friendly
- Role-aligned keywords
- Impact-driven experience bullets
- Technical + non-technical skills
- Certifications and extras
- Short professional summary (optional)
Cover Letter
I didn’t let AI write this for me. I wrote it myself first, which was messy, but honest then used AI only to help refine variations later. To build an all-purpose cover letter which I can customize.
A cover letter matters because it signals seriousness. It shows you cared enough to think, not just apply.
Job Portals & LinkedIn
Profiles matter more than we think. Recruiters often find candidates before applications do. Keywords, clarity, and completeness quietly increase discoverability.
Observations From Today (The Part That Matters Most)
I sat down for more than four hours today.
That might not sound impressive but for me, it’s rare. I haven’t focused this long on a single task since my academic days. I wasn’t productive every minute, but I noticed something new:
Because I knew my blockers, I could catch myself drifting and return.
I felt better by the end of the day. Not because I had results, but because I resisted old habits:
- scrolling
- chatting aimlessly
- postponing effort
It wasn’t easy. My morale dipped within 30 minutes. The brain hates this kind of discomfort, reviewing every line, every word, every decision. But I didn’t rush just to tick a box.
I didn’t finish my CV today. And that’s fine.
Tomorrow, I’ll finish the CV and update my profiles. Only after that will I start applying.
Closing Thoughts (End of Day 1)
Consistency isn’t about being perfect every day. It’s about showing up for the things that actually move the needle especially when motivation drops. Day 1 didn’t give me outcomes. But it gave me proof that I can sit with discomfort longer than before.
I couldn’t write the article the way I wanted to, in detail but it’s too late now and showing up matters more than delivering the perfect piece. I am happy and tired, I hope you all can feel the same joy, I’m feeling.
That’s enough for today.
Day 2 tomorrow.