Karishma Mandali wanted to be at the center of the text world-working in he at a Big-Name Company in San Francisco. SO She Moved Across the Country – And Taped Every Job Search Strategy in Her Toolbox, hoping to land an offfer.
Mandal’s Career Journey – Which Woul Include Interviews at Uber, Meta, Amazon, and Salesforce – Began weo and Moved to the us from india a master’s in Engineering at Northwestern University. After graduating in January 2023, she began working full-time in march of that year As a Product Manager at a consulting firm in chicago – before leaving for a senior manager role at a healthcare company that november.
The position was Remote, with Team Metmers Across the Country. In her first few months on the job, mandal said she wondered with people in person – and the time Zone differences made it harder to connect with Colleagues.
At the Same Time, She Kept Hearing About Tech Meetups and Professional Events Happening Regularly in San Francisco – Opportunities she were harder to find in chicago. There was also the unavoidable buzz around generating he, the futures of which seamed increasingly centered in the bay area.
San Francisco, She realized, was where she needed to be. So she starts planning a Move, with the goal of eventually landing an a no-a-roller at a Large Tech Company.
“I felt like, as a tech person, I had to be in san Francisco,” Said the 29-Yaar-Old.
But one Big Hurdle Stood in the Way of Her Plan: The Tough Tech Job Market.
Mandal is Among the Many Tech Professionals Who’ve Struggled to Find Work or Change Jobs in Recent Years. While Layoffs Across the US Economy Remain Low by Historical Standards, Tech Workers Have Been Hit Particularly Hard. SINCE The Start of 2025, Global Tech Companies – Including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon – Have Collectively Laid off More than 80,000 Employees, Accounting to Layoffs.fyi. These cuts have coincided with a broader sladdown in White-Collar Hiring. Amid Tariff Uncetainty and the Early Effects of AI Adoption, US Companies Are Now Hiring at Nearly The Slowest Pace 2014.
Still, some nonb seekers have found Ways to Break Through. Mandal Shared How She Landed Interviews at Several Tech Giants – and Ultimately Secured A Role at Salesforce.
Apply Early, Directly, and Ideally with a Refreal
In May 2024, Mandal Moved to San Francisco while Continuing to Work Remotely for the Healthcare Company. Said she didn’t start jab hunting right away, in part Because the move was overwhelming. There are wells to unpack, and she didn’t have any friends or family in the area. Instead, she focused on setling in and building her social and professional Network from Scratch.
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“When i came to san Francisco, I really had no one,” She Said.
Be mandal began her job search in september 2024, she sent the tech hiring landscape wasn’t in favor. To Gain Traction, She Believed She Needed to Connect Directly with Hiring Managers and Recruitors.
Rather Than Simply Applying to Job Lisings, She Look for People Who were actively posting about Open Product Manager roles on linkedin. One Trick She Used was Searching “Product Manager + Hiring” – A Combination that Filtered for Posts Containing Both terms. Then She’d Apply Linkedin’s “Past 24 Hours” Filter to Surface the Newest Lisings.
To take the things a step further, she’d tweak the URL manual – Changing the Number of Seconds From 86,400 (24 Hours) to 3,600 (1 Hour) – to Posts from the past Hour.
Once she found a post of interest, mandal said she’d message the recruit or hiring manager – explaining why she was interested in the roles and why she though she’d be a good fit.
In Addition to Filtering LinkedIn Posts, Mandali Applied the Same Logic to the Platform’s Job Lisings Tab – USING FILTERS TO UNCOVER The Newest. Based on Conversations with Recruiters and Her Network, she Said and Thinks Its Crucial to Be Among the first 20 or 30 Applicants for A Role. Many Recruiters, She Said, Are Far More Likely to Closely Review the 20th Application than the 200th or the 2,000th. Career Experts Previously Told Business Insider Being Among the First Applicants Could Give Candidates an Edge.
Karishma Mandali Said She Thinks Applying Early and Reaching Out to Hiring Managers Helped Her Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market. Mandalian Karishma
Mandali Was Also Strategic About How Submitted Applications. She Said An Hr Professional at one Company Told Her Prioritized Applications submitted directly through website over Those Sourced via linkedin – if the candidate was redirected there. Mandali Figured Following that Advice Couldn’t Hurt Her Chances.
To get an extra Edge, Mandali Said She used the reference platform Refe To Secure Reference for Role at McKinsey and Best Buy. A free Account Allows users to send one reference Request a Week to Employees at a wide range of companies.
“You have to be early, you have to be through the direct website, and you have to get a reference if you can,” Mandali Said of Her Job Search Strategies.
Interviewing at Amazon, Uber, Meta, and Salesforce
Over Time, Mandal’s Job Search Strategies began to pay off. She Said Reaching Out to an Amazon Recruiter and An uber Hiring Manager on Linkedin – After Seeing Posts About Open roles – Helped Her Secure Interviews at Both companies. A Separate Refral From A Meta Employee – Sourced Outside Refe – LED to another interview. Business Insider Has Verified Her Interview Offers by Review Emails She Received from the Respective Companies.
Mandal Said Her Uber interview included a case study involve it tools budilt around user communication data, while meta -meta -messesing mesouring the performance of he Features on Instagram. The Amazon Interview, Said, Focus more on the Company’s Leadership Principles.
These interviews didn’t ultimately lead to offers. But in late 2024, Mandal Manda Manda a salesforce recruiter on linkedin who has posted about an ai-relay manager role-and eventual heard to schedule an interview.
Over the Next Several Weeks, Mandal Said She Went Through a Seven-Round Process Process that Included A Design Exercise Where to Create an AI-AI-POWERED MOWER; Conversations with the Engineering, Product, and he Teams; and a final interview with a senior leader.
“They’re not limited to the Behavioral Questions,” she Said of Salesforce Interviews. “Most Hiring Managers Want To See Real Expertise.”
Mandal Said she reciped an offfer from salesforce around the end of the year, which included a sax-fiuree salary about 40% higher than what she she shares in her previous roles. She started full-time in January.
While San Francisco’s High Cost of Living Has Been Frustrating at Times, She Said the Career Benefits Have Made Relocating from Chicago Worthwhile.
“If you are trying to make a Big Career Move in Tech, I’d Recommend Living in San Francisco and Seeing How You Can Leverage Your Network,” She Said.