Indian techie shares how he landed a job at Amazon after 10 months of job search: ‘My strategy was flawed in beginning’

Bhatt moved to the US from India in 2024 to pursue a master’s degree in computer science at the University of Illinois. He told Business Insider that he began his job search 8 months before his May 2025 graduation, believing his approach was sound. However, despite starting early during what he had heard were peak hiring months, his applications failed to generate interviews.

“I thought my job search approach was solid, but in hindsight, it was holding me back,” Bhatt said, reflecting on months of cold-applying for roles using the same resume and limited outreach to recruiters or referrals.

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How did Bhatt land a job at Amazon?

It was only toward the end of 2024 that Bhatt decided to change his strategy. He said that he began actively networking on LinkedIn, focusing on recruiters, hiring managers and current employees at companies he wanted to work for. Using Boolean search techniques, he searched roles like “recruiter” or “hiring manager” alongside company names to identify people involved in hiring decisions, he shared.

Bhatt said that he created a list of 100 to 150 target companies and spent time each morning connecting with professionals from those firms. “I’d comment on their LinkedIn posts to get on their radar — and eventually reach out about roles of interest. I think the comments served their purpose because conversations seemed to flow more naturally when they were familiar with me,” he said.

Another key change Bhatt made was to tailor his resume for each application. He also became more active on LinkedIn, regularly posting about his projects and sharing thoughts on startup products. The increased visibility brought recruiter messages and interview calls. “This strategy helped me land my first job interviews, including one for a founding software engineer role at the startup LiteLLM,” he said, adding that he eventually accepted a full-time offer at the firm to start after graduation.

Even after joining LiteLLM, Bhatt said that he remained in touch with an Amazon recruiter who had earlier contacted him. Then, in March, he spotted several roles that matched his experience. After an online assessment and multiple interviews, Bhatt revealed that he received an offer from Amazon in July, following which he resigned from LiteLLM.

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Bhatt’s advice for Amazon applicants

Now based in Phoenix, Bhatt believes his recruiter connections played a crucial role. “Now that I work at Amazon, I’ve seen how recruiters can flag promising candidates and help their applications stand out,” he said.

He also advised aspiring Amazon candidates to identify relevant recruiters and hiring managers, build genuine connections, and prepare thoroughly.

“Reflecting on my time at Amazon, the work has definitely been challenging — but in some ways, the interview preparation was harder than the job itself,” he said.