Abbhi S.

I Make Networking Your Competitive Advantage | Helping young jobseekers land interviews & jobs through networking | Need help? Join 5000+ readers at Career Confidence👇

Growth & AI Product Manager with 5+ years of experience owning product vision, strategy, and execution for SaaS & AI products driving activation, retention, and revenue. I’ve delivered 9+ features from conception to launch (0-1) used by 1M+ users generating $2.1M+ in revenue. I transform customer discovery and data analysis into product roadmaps. 

AI Product Portfolio: https://v0-abbhisekar-ai-pm.vercel.app/
AI Products: https://ai-cooking-pal.vercel.app/

Skills:

AI Product Management, Product Strategy, Product Vision, Product Roadmapping, 0->1 Product Delivery, Agile Sprint Planning, Product Requirement Doc (PRDs), Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management, Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy, A/B Testing, Customer Discovery, Data Analysis, SQL, BigQuery, Hex, Amplitude, OKRs, KPIs, North Star Metrics, Activation & Retention, User Research & Interviews, Voice of Customer, Competitive Analysis, Jira, Confluence, Figma, Asana, Excel, Backlog Prioritization, Scrum

Founder

You've gotten 100s of rejections. 

You only have a few months to get a new job. Or you’ll get kicked out of the country. 

You're exhausted, burned out, and ready to give up... 

And you're afraid if things don't change, you'll lose everything.

I've helped clients get jobs & interviews at Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Deloitte, Bain and more... 

Here's what my clients are saying: 

"Abbhi did a phenomenal job in helping me network, find jobs to apply for, tailor my resume, and guide me in interview prep. I've gained confidence in myself, my skills, and speaking about my experiences" - Product Manager @ Microsoft 

"Abbhi helped me perfect my resume, improve my LinkedIn profile, and prepare for interviews. I was able to get 5+ interviews within the first 2 months of applying to jobs after implementing his tips" - Product Manager @ American Express 

"He helped me form an amazing resume, master networking, and prepare for interviews. It all helped me get my role at Google" - Peoples Associate @ Google

And here's how I can help you: 

▪️CAREER CLARITY (Helping you identify your target role and create your job search strategy)

▪️RESUME REVAMP (Reviewing your resume using the same techniques I've used to get interviews at Google, Bain, and Deloitte)

▪️LINKEDIN PROFILE OPTIMIZATION (Reviewing your LinkedIn profile and suggesting engagement strategies to get you 10+ relevant DMs for your target jobs per week)

▪️NETWORKING STRATEGY SESSION (Teaching my Roadmap to Referrals Framework that helped me build a 500+ person network and got me multiple referrals at companies like Bain and Deloitte) 

▪️INTERVIEW PREP SESSION (Teaching you how to prepare for your interviews and tell unforgettable stories to start converting your interviews into offers) 

Now, are you serious about landing your target job in the next 3 months? 

Let's make it happen.

👉🏼 DM me “referrals” or fill out this form (https://tally.so/r/mVp5Ll) and let's chat. 

I'll speak to you soon!

Abbhi Sekar 🤝

Simplified 1:1 higher education and admissions mentoring | I help ambitious people reach leading universities | University of Michigan alum

I'm on a mission to help research students craft at top 1% CV, that gets them accepted into selective opportunities. 

As an international admissions mentor, help proplspective students and professionals reach top universities (master's and PhD) globally.

I also share high-quality resources to help you elevate the quality of your applications, and achieve a stress-free application process. 

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Over 140 of my mentees have received offers from leading programs across 12 countries, mainly the US and UK.

Personalized support: My core strength is highlighting your unique story and achievements, ensuring your application is tailored to the program and stands out.

Diverse fields: I've assisted in applications for many fields, including but not limited to computer science, robotics, creative writing, civil engineering, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, entrepreneurship, finance, and even fashion design!

Check out some of my clients' success stories: https://rbnedu.com/results/

My motto? "Your success is my success." Let's work together to make your academic dreams a reality!

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My journey began in 2014 when I sought help from a consultancy, only to find myself doing most of the work despite paying them quite a bit.

This experience taught me the importance of genuine support in the application process.

In 2017, as a graduate student at the University of Michigan, I started assisting friends and other people with their applications through Facebook groups.

The results were incredible, and I received heartfelt thanks from those I helped.

This sparked a strong desire to help others achieve their academic dreams.

By 2021, I decided to dedicate myself full-time to mentoring prospective students! 

Feel free to reach out :)

Rubin Sagar

The CV templates I recommend to master's and PhD applicants: 
Are the ones that top universities like MIT, Harvard, INSEAD, etc. recommend to their students. 

Which means that the templates popular resume builder websites suggest are pointless.
Plain and simple black and white templates are the best. 

Why? Because these templates focus on:
 
- The content
- ATS optimizations
- Standard formatting
- Are easily skimmable
- Work well across industries
- Can accommodate varying experience levels
- Small and manageable PDFs to be sent/uploaded

With a little help from your favourite AI tool, you have everything to craft a top 1% CV. 

---

Examples by MIT below. 

P.S. The only typical case for a design CV/resume is for programmes and industries that value creativity, even in your resume. 

And in such a case, using a template beats the creative need!

Comment and repost to help a friend!

I help with crafting a world-class CV, admission into top universities & scholarships • RBN Education Consulting • University of Michigan

MIT Resume Examples

I've helped Indians get into top universities WITH funding. 

What works in 2026, worked in 2018. 

It almost always boils down to 4 factors. 

And universities across the world recognise the value of these, especially for international students. 

1. You guessed it. Academic performance. 

I don't care what anyone else tells you. A high GPA always places you above someone else with equally impressive non-academic credentials. 

But, the recognition of your undergraduate program/university may matter too! 

2. International exposure. 

Exploration and experiential learning abroad is a huge positive. 

Can be research, semester exchange, anything that places you among a new academic community. 

3. Real professional achievements. 

Youngest to get a promotion at a Big4? Works. 

Patented an invention? Brilliant! 

Published in a highly reputed journal? Meaningful too. 
Anything that shouts you've done well at your workplace, is important. 

4. Non-academic "spikes" 

Sometimes, unique activities that prove your skills in a different domain helps build personality. 

It can be teaching, photography, hackathon organising or even folk music! 

Bonus: 

5. A truly meaningful career goal with potential to contribute to your field of study/profession (the above are indicative of this)! 

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Remember, the rules of being impressive haven't changed. 

And you can do all the above to maximise your chances of getting through to a top university, with a scholarship!

Choosing a small town over a big city was a superb decision for me. 

Let me explain, with an example: 


New York City is one of the most terrifying cities I visited. 

Especially if you're an international graduate student. 

No, I don't mean in terms of safety or racism.

Simply because it's expensive and has a very different, super-fast paced culture. 

---

Two key observations: 

1. Living in NYC on a budget is a challenge. 

I've seen 4-5 students share a 1 BHK with 1 bathroom. 
Often, kitchens are abysmal. 

It's a real stretch to cook and prepare proper meals.
So, most order from restaurants. 
I wonder how much more expensive living becomes?


2. People are so busy all the time. 

Networking as a student can be a nightmare. 

While I was there, I observed my friends leave their campus immediately after classes.
No one really sticks around to talk or chat. 

I don't mean to generalize, just sharing observations and hearsay. 

---

Having lived in Ann Arbor, a smaller "university town," NYC was a whole different beast. 

Noisy, too fast, day-to-day hurdles in terms of cutting costs, etc. 

---

It's a dream city for many. 

And that's why I'm sharing this. 

If you're considering moving to NYC or an expensive metropolis for your master's, please be aware of the life that comes with such cities. 

I'm sure there are several positives too. 

But in my experience, those who can spend experience those positives better.

---

What are your thoughts on living in NYC as an international student?

*Very* strong letters of recommendation are paramount to your master's and PhD applications. Here are 4 factors that determine their strength: 


1. Depth of interaction: 

• Since when does the recommender know you? 

• In what capacity? 

• How often do you talk? 

• The stronger the depth of interaction, the better they can write about you. 

---

2. Skills and performance: 

• Naturally, doing well at your job/in the class is a default prerequisite. 

• The recommender must be able to demonstrate your suitability for the program, in terms of knowledge, skills and productivity! 

• This very much includes communication!

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3. Relevant personal characteristics: 

• It's important for admissions to know about qualities such as grit, curiosity, perseverance, resourcefulness etc. 

• In the longer term, ability to achieve is closely tied to these qualities!

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4. Your future: 

• Insights into your future plans, such as your research interests, PhD plan, etc. help the recommender write in favour of you. 

• This is where my proposal comes into the picture! 

• Reviewing my project proposal could help him tailor the recommendation for the specific program. 

---

Did you know that sometime professors consider LORs more important than your statement (SOP)?

Have you ever struggled with your recommenders? 

P.S. Help your friend or colleague by sharing this post with them :)

I've reviewed well over 750 CVs. Here are 3 pro tips for your CV for research that shouts: 

Attention to detail (based on the most common mistakes)!

--

1. Duration of experiences: 

• Consistency in your format is extremely important. 

• I recommend month year - month year (spell out the entire month) or mmm yyyy - mmm yyyy (use the first three letters only). I.e., January 2025 - December 2025 OR Jan 2025 - Dec 2025. 

--

2. Correctly referencing research productivity: 

• Journal articles vs. conference proceedings vs. conference presentations vs. book chapters—all of these are different. 

• Use a style most suited to your field of study, and be consistent! 

--

3. Indendation and line spacing: 

• These are important visual factors that make a CV look clean, professional and high quality. 

• Solid work in a shabby CV leaves a bad impression. Consistent indentation and line spacing between sections, sub sections and within them stand out! 

--

Noticed the work consistent in each of the 3 points? 

That's the 4th bonus pro tip. Be consistent throughout your CV, seriously!

3 pro tips on paying attention to detail in your CV, based on the most common mistakes from 750+ CVs of applicants that made it to top universities globally. 

If you haven't heard from a professor you cold emailed, here's what you can do (5 suggestions, save for future!): 



1. Send a polite reminder, perhaps 2 times with a gap of about a week between each email (but only if the poins below are fulfilled). 

Reminders got me till the opportunity to interview at the University of Cambridge, and the final scholarship round at University of British Columbia. 

If you have an alternate email ID (preferably an organizational email), you may send a fresh email.

2. Cross check whether your email has the correct requisite information. 

Scour the professor's website. Sometimes there are code words, sometimes it can be objective requirements like English proficiency test score or even securing a scholarship first.

See the attached image. 

This can also mean typos, such as "Dead" instead of "Dear" or getting names wrong! 

3. If your email was generic, fix it. 

Mass emails are often pointless. This doesn't mean good or bad. 

Tailor it enough to show that you care. That's all. 

Here's how: https://lnkd.in/g5Zf9kDh

4. Attach an updated, high quality CV (unless specified otherwise). 

Many prefer this in the first email. Some don't. 

But if the former applies, get to work now! 

Check whether your CV is upto the mark: https://lnkd.in/gYVmHANY

5. You may contact a current student in the group you're seeking to join. 

Sometimes professors are occupied or in leave. You may not know this! 

So, reaching out to a current student in the group may help you understand if there is any situation or information you need to know. 

But please be precise and consise. Don't bother them too much. 

---

Anything you would like to add?

Here's what the higher end of PhD student stipends in the US looks like (and which universities pay those). 

Firstly, this is by no means a thorough analysis or cross verified. It's just my (quick) observations based on the resources. 

---

The highest legit PhD stipend reported: $63,000/Yr

By the Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University. 

And the range of stipends on the higher end was largely between $50,000 and $60,000. 

On average, PhD stipends lie in the low to mid $30,000 range. 

---

However! 

It is important to consider adjusted numbers based on the cost of living. 

For example, $50,000 in Stanford, California gets you a similar lifestyle as $35,000 in Chicago. 

And you'd need to make $73,000 to maintain that lifestyle, if you're in Manhattan, New York City. 

So $50,000+ can mean very different standards of living, depending on where you live! 

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This was post no. 8 in my Student Finance Fridays series. 

Here are some previous posts: 

Breaking down an international student's expenses (North Carolina State University): https://lnkd.in/gkumzxCt

A hack to save big: https://lnkd.in/g7__M_vh

A look into assistantships and their stipends: https://lnkd.in/ghxvea2P

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Planning to apply to any of these universities? Check my profile (Rubin) for my guide to build a top-notch CV!

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The Battle

Abbhi Sekar 🤝

Rubin Sagar

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The Battle

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Rubin Sagar

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