Anya Roodnitsky, 22, is a senior at Dartmouth College. She made a video about her job search that got more than 500,000 views on Instagram and eventually led to an offer at an energy startup. Business Insider verified her identity and employment. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
I’m an econ and environmental studies double major, graduating in June. By the end of the fall, I was interviewing with some places, but they didn’t work out. Then I was still applying in January and February, and wasn’t getting any interviews. I was just getting auto-rejected.
The job-search process can be exhausting. I was stressed and crying all the time. I worked super hard to get here, and my parents worked hard to support me all along as well. I felt like I failed.
I was sitting in the kitchen, and had just hit “submit” on my 300th application. I was like, “This isn’t working.” It hit me that I should create a funny presentation video.
It probably took me 30 minutes to throw the PowerPoint slides together. It had funny aspects like comparing my teaching-assistant position to being an “elite babysitter,” but I also presented my résumé in a clear way.
When I posted the video on Instagram, I thought that it was something that my friends would see. I didn’t think that I would take off. By the end of 24 hours, it had hit 100,000 views. I was like, “This is crazy.” Dartmouth is a pretty small school — 4,000 people — and now when I go to the gym or the dining hall, people are like, “You’re the job girl.”
I think it succeeded because I was willing to put myself out there. I got some comments like it’s on me that I don’t have a job because I’m at an Ivy League school. Then I had people saying how it was relatable, that the job market is terrible, and a good school doesn’t necessarily get you a job.
I remember receiving my first DM from a Dartmouth alum. They said they’d seen the video, thought it funny, and offered to connect me with people. My mind was blown that someone was willing to help me take the next step, because it was just a cry for help at that point.
For weeks, I would sift through DMs of people who sounded legit, connect with them on LinkedIn, and schedule coffee chats. It’d be a lot of researching companies in advance.
In mid-March, a student at another school who’d seen the video sent a link to a job posting for an analyst position. I applied, and the company’s recruiter reached out the next day.
Learning what helps you be successful
The hiring process happened really quickly. I had several rounds of interviews. One morning, the recruiter called and asked if I was ready for my round-one interview. So I prepped as fast as I could in four hours. Then I did an online assessment of math problems and vocabulary, and the next day, a Friday, I had more interviews.
The weekend came, and I was in Purgatory, thinking that seven months of recruiting might end. It was right before spring break, and I did everything I could to keep my mind busy. I was taking two-hour walks and watching Netflix. I was playing piano when I got the call from the recruiter saying they were going to offer me the job.
I’m now working part time for this company. I recently went to Costa Rica to meet my coworkers on our spring off-site, which was an incredible experience.
I’m working about 10 to 15 hours a week, and also taking a full course load. I’ve enjoyed having half of a transition to a job. I go to the gym in the morning, and I log on for work. I have classes in the afternoon. I finish my work, and then I do homework.
Not only did I get a job by going viral, but I also learned a lot about the job-search process and what actually helps someone be successful. Because it’s really hard to get any yield from blind applying. It wasn’t just like, “I got lucky. Someone handed me a job.” I had to really prep for the interviews.
I told students and other people who reach out to me to go to their alumni network and see where they work.
Then hit them up and be like, “Hi, I’m XYZ. This is how I’m related to you.” It might be by college, interest, or whatever. Then say, “I’m interested in your company. I saw that there is an open position. Before applying, I’d love to talk to you about it if you have just 10 minutes.” That is crucial because half an hour is too much. Ten minutes is enough for someone to hear your voice and remember you.
Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there, because the universe will hear you.
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