Partner at EngSim | I help US immigrants boost their income in three ways at Beyond Grad 🎓 -- land a new job, get promoted, and earn on the side.

Are you struggling to land that leap job:

● Even after being a top performer?
● Even after having relevant experience/skills?
● Even after working at top brands in your domain?

On top of that, you have people in your family and friends group doubting you and questioning your talent.

How can’t they when you are scratching your head as well?

I know the frustration…

The fact is – job search has changed.

(Especially if you’re going after top jobs.)

● There are many top performers in the market.
● Having just a resume is not enough for a leap job.
● Companies are looking for perfect fits after layoffs.

So, then what’s working?

Hi, my name is Varun.

And I have helped professionals land interviews at Google, Meta, Instacart, State Street, AMEX, and many other exciting companies.

I’ve talked 1-1 with 100+ top performers in the past year (no hyperbole).

The current job market confounds all of them.

● Online applications seem to go nowhere
● High competition from everywhere
● Even referrals are not working

So how are my mentees landing interviews at the top companies?

They are leading their job search as a product business. Where they are the excellent product.

Like you.

● I help you build your marketing strategy: resume, LinkedIn, pitch deck
● I help you build you sales strategy: networking, interviewing
● I help build your confidence in negotiating a fair value

Above all, I help you rediscover and communicate why YOU are a top candidate. 

💪🏽

3 ways you can start working with me:

1. 1-1 Job LeapCoaching Program
2. 1-1 Power Hour - 1 hour, ask me anything
3. My free content - learn for $0 on LinkedIn, IG or YouTube

Interested?

My pricing and availability are available here:

● 1-1 Coaching Program: https://www.beyondgrad.com/job-leap
● 1-1 Power Hour: https://www.beyondgrad.com/power-hour

For everything else, I'm one DM away.

Thanks for reading up until here. You are amazing!

All you need are 5 stories to crush your interview!

Situational interviews can be overwhelming.

In the book, “Cracking the PM Interview," authors, Gayle and Jackie, group typical situational questions into five buckets.

A. Successes:

Tell me about a time when you:
• Had to show innovation.
• Solved a problem in a creative way.
• Reached a goal that was important.
• Were proud of an accomplishment.
• Gained a specific insight outside of work.

B. Leadership:

Tell me about a time when you:
• Had to sell your idea to another team. 
• To motivate employees or coworkers. 
• To make an unpopular decision. 
• Showed initiative. 
• Built a team.

C. Failures:

Tell me about a time when you:
• Failed.
• Made a mistake.
• Improperly analyzed a situation.
• Were disappointed with yourself.
• Could not juggle all your responsibilities.

D. Challenges:

Tell me about a time when you:
• Used a lot of data in a short period of time.
• Had to decide with insufficient data. 
• Faced a challenge and overcame it. 
• Weren’t able to reach a deadline. 
• Handled a risky situation.

E. Teamwork:

Tell me about a time when you:
• Had to do something you didn’t want to do. 
• Mentored or aided a coworker. 
• Had a disagreement at work. 
• Had to resolve a conflict. 
• Had to compromise.
__

Rather than preparing for each question and getting overwhelmed.

Have a strong answer for each bucket and mentally edit the specifics.

This is the 20% that will take you 80% of the way there.

My mentees have successfully used this strategy for interviews at Google, Apple, State Street, CVS, and others. 

Good luck interviewing 💪🏽

♻️ Repost to help job seekers in your network. 🙏🏽

Varun Negandhi

How I help immigrant professionals boost their income (with intention) in three ways:

A] Land a New Job: From resume review to negotiation coaching. So you can make the next big career jump and fulfill the dreams with which you came to the US or Canada. 
 * Cohort course for US international students (to start in Oct 2023)
 * Cohort course for Immigrant professionals (to start in Nov 2023)

B] Get Promoted: We are technically impressive, but leadership takes more than that. I help you develop the intangibles: People, communication, mindset, and entrepreneurial skills. I also help you negotiate a raise that follows the promotion.
 * On-demand video course: The Promotion Fast-track

C] Earn on the Side: I have earned over $40k with my freelancing and online business Beyond Grad. I help you start a side income with 1-1 coaching. (DM to learn more)

---

Here's the WHY:
We, immigrants, excel at solving well-defined technical problems. But when faced with the many unknowns of organizational dynamics and career development, you and I are like a fish out of water.

It doesn’t help when all we’ve done is communicate via numericals and code when the art of self-promotion and relationships are equally important in the real world.

Like me, it leaves you uncertain whether you can go from an individual contributor to a technical leader, manager, or even entrepreneur.

And how many *years* it would take to get there.

I got stuck in my career, and it sucked!

At a point where I was desperate for help, I got lucky to cross paths and invest in Seth Godin and Wes Kao's altMBA, Ramit Sethi's programs, and develop relationships with many incredible mentors.

I could go from an entry-level engineer to a business owner with multiple income streams by taking action, failing, improving, and repeating.

Walking on this path gave me the self-confidence to create a career aligned with my desired lifestyle.

And I want to help do the same for you.

Engineer -​> Education Entrepreneur | On a mission to guide professionals in building career skills Beyond Grad -- job search, personal brand, side business.

Sidharth Kriplani

Job seeker PSA: Two hacks to apply for a job as soon as it's posted.
___

1. LinkedIn hack

• Go to the Jobs tab and enter desired job
• Filter for, "Past 24 hours"
• In the URL, change "86400" to "3600". 
• Browse all the jobs that have been posted within 1 hour!

86,400 are the seconds in 24 hours. 

Change it to 3,600 (without the comma) and you will see jobs posted within an hour.

S/O to Michael Yan for sharing this hack.

2. Google Alerts. 

• Go to google[dot]com/alerts
• Create a Google Alert by using the “site” search operator followed by the domain of the job openings page
• Take it a step further by adding a the keyword of a role you’re interested in

E.g., site:jobs[.]apple[.]com “software”

(Remove the [] brackets)

You can set this up for all target companies and roles.

When a job is posted on this site, it will instantly send you an email.

Disclaimer: It isn't 100% accurate so check the job sites manually as well.

S/O to Jeff Su for sharing this strategy.
___

That's it. 2 powerful hacks.

In this competitive job market, speed is a differentiator.


PS. Know someone who can benefit from this post?

Like, Comment, or Repost ♻️

Help me spread valuable content for free. 🙏🏽

Meta is hiring multiple remote roles in the US.

Software Engineer, Infrastructure
https://lnkd.in/e6QFTCDG

Product Manager
https://lnkd.in/eNf-n_ij

Product Manager
https://lnkd.in/eF6tDtpw

Software Engineer, Product
https://lnkd.in/e4iUAjh8

Software Engineer, Infrastructure
https://lnkd.in/eGC9DcNK

Software Engineer, Machine Learning
https://lnkd.in/epgcmdFX

Software Engineer, Machine Learning
https://lnkd.in/eb5QDfPp

Data Scientist, Product Analytics
https://lnkd.in/efZW8ZWk

Software Engineer, Product
https://lnkd.in/eNjX236X

UX Researcher, Qualitative
https://lnkd.in/e2crspRR

Software Engineer, iOS
https://lnkd.in/eMDGzqbZ

Software Engineer, Android
https://lnkd.in/eX_WYSsT

Product Manager
https://lnkd.in/eRhQsvAf

Security Engineer - IR Threat Intelligence
https://lnkd.in/egzijiiD

Software Engineer, Product
https://lnkd.in/efp-mc39

Software Engineer (Leadership) - Infrastructure
https://lnkd.in/ecCj6RkV

Software Engineer, Infrastructure
https://lnkd.in/etEWdJcn

Software Engineering Manager, Infrastructure
https://lnkd.in/eZMzyDYz

Data Scientist, Product Analytics
https://lnkd.in/eYfNen4B

There are many more roles available that are remote-friendly.

To put yourself in the best position:
1. Apply early
2. Apply with a RARe resume: https://lnkd.in/g3dk5rhD
3. You might not have a referral yet, but build referrals using the Mentor Talks strategy: https://lnkd.in/epEEbinB

Good luck 🚀

♻️ Not looking right now? Please engage with this post or repost to help job seekers in your network. Help me help them. 

-Varun 😃

I'm pumped that my friends Sohan Sethi and Ritika Saraswat are launching:
Re-Defined: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀!

And I am honored to be invited as a panelist for the virtual launch tomorrow. 

Along with Soundarya, Shreya, and someone whom I have not met before but am excited to meet, Veeraj Gadda.

You can find more about this event here:
📍 Date & Time: ​February 28, Saturday at 1 PM EST
👉 Event Link: https://luma.com/c2suhvod

Format: Virtual 60-min panel + 30-min live Q&A where you get the chance to ask your questions 1:1 directly with the mentors

---

I came to the US in 2010 for my Master's, so it has been a while since I was an international student 😆

But it was such a seminal time in my life that I remember it as if it were yesterday.

If there was one thing that helped me survive and thrive, it was the community of friends around me.

So I am cheering Sohan and Ritika on because I know the people they are, and if you are an international student, this community will be a life-changer.

No hyperbole.

-Varun 😃

Our LinkedIn profile is as important as our resume.

So, will your profile appear in searches, and will it get you an interview?

Here is a 11-step checklist to make sure:


☐ Upload a Decent Headshot

Keep it simple: 

↳Head and shoulders
↳Undistracted background
↳Play safe with clothing and appearance 


☐ Write an Impressive Headline

Template:
Title | Skills | I help X type of companies do Y which results in Z

Example:
Data Analyst at Google | SQL, Python, Tableau | I help fintechs transform complex data into actionable insights that drive product strategy

(Metrics are a bonus.)


☐ Create a Striking Banner

Use Canva. Search for LinkedIn Banner Templates and edit.

Ideas of what you can include:

↳Conferences and media featured in
↳Tool stack and skills
↳Past companies
↳VDP


☐ Write an Actionable About Section

Think of it as a 3-box summary:

↳Who you are and your 𝘞𝘩𝘺
↳5 key case studies
↳Core skills

Example: https://lnkd.in/gsnCSzXX


☐ Create a Credibility Portfolio using the Featured Section

A place to “Show, don’t tell.”

Showcase:

↳Project case studies
↳Academic projects
↳Tool breakdowns
↳Articles or posts

Example in the post linked above.

Framework on how to build a credibility portfolio: https://lnkd.in/gJ_VNSu3


☐ Build up your Experience Section

Leverage your resume bullets.

WHW framework is a great way to write these: https://lnkd.in/gdcXcGSZ


☐ Showcase Skills and Endorsements

LinkedIn uses that to stack-rank people in search results.

↳Develop relevant skills
↳Add them to your profile
↳Create an endorsement group


☐ Join Pertinent LinkedIn Groups

Joining relevant LinkedIn groups allows you to send an InMail to a group member without needing a premium account. 

There are so many valuable groups to join.

↳Alumni
↳Tool-specific
↳Industry-specific
↳Soft-skills groups

If the group is active, commenting and contributing is a great way to improve your personal brand.


☐ Get Recommended

The trick to recommendations is not to ask someone to write one from scratch.

↳Ask what they like about you and write a draft
↳Get approval
↳Give complete editing rights
↳Share instructions on how to post it
↳Return the favor


☐ Ensure Keywords are Aligned

Use all the above sections to highlight the most important keywords for you.


☐ Signal interest

Set 10 target companies

↳Go to their company page
↳Go to About
↳Hit “I’m interested.”


Build a solid LinkedIn profile once and let it work for you daily.

Good luck 💪🏽

I'm going live solo this week to break down how to create an interview-winning resume.

We'll cover:

* What actually gets your resume noticed (and what gets it tossed)
* How to format for both humans and ATS

📆 Wednesday, Feb 25 at 12 PM EST | 9 AM PST

Join me live on LinkedIn (event attached) or YouTube (link in comments).

Bring your resume questions. I'll answer as many as I can.

When it comes to data science technical interviewing, you can drown in an avalanche of things to prepare for: ML, Python, SQL, and more.

To create order in the chaos:

I'm sitting down with Karun Thankachan, Sr. Data Scientist at Walmart, for a live episode of The Beyond Grad Show.

We're breaking down how to crack data science interviews.

In this episode, you'll learn:
* What interviewers are actually looking for in data science candidates
* How to prepare for technical and case study questions
* Common mistakes that kill your chances

📆 Thursday, Feb 26 at 6 PM EST | 3 PM PST

Join us live on LinkedIn (event attached) or YouTube (link in comments).

Drop your data science interview questions, we'll tackle them live.

Tanuja Lanka, Varun Negandhi and 8 other connections attending

Walmart Sr. Data Scientist On How To Crack Data Science Interviews

120-second hack to transform your resume! 

No hyperbole -- no clickbait!

A. Go to Claude or an AI tool of your choice.

B. Copy-paste this prompt.

"I am a [current title] going after [desired role] in the [desired industry]. Here is the target job description [link, attach, or copy-paste below]. Here is my resume [attached]. I want you to run a thorough analysis and feedback of my resume using these 3 steps:
1. Rate the first page of my resume on a scale of 5 using Varun Negandhi's RARe framework -- Readability, Applicability, and Remarkability (https://lnkd.in/gJDAq7Zv). Be balanced, with a lean towards the critical, as the market is quite competitive. [Copy-paste the framework from the post linked if your AI tool cannot search for it.]
2. Using the RARe framework, tell me how you would reorganize or re-size the sections of the first page of my resume to improve my readability and applicability.
3. Transform each of my bullets using the XYZ or the RAS framework. Keep it under 300 characters and use the highest tier of Bloom's Taxonomy for the action verbs. Make sure each bullet is a micro-story of the Why-How-What of that part of the project and has either a technical metric, or a business metric, or both."

C. Review the bullets for fact and specificity.

That's it.

Test it and let me know. 🚀

♻️ Repost this post to share it with other job seekers 😃

It's been one year for me as a full-time solopreneur.

This is what I have missed about my 9-5.

• Paid holidays
• Healthcare support
• Consistent paycheck
• Ability to shut off completely
• Offboarding strategic decision-making

There are days when solopreneurship is painful.

Would I continue to run Beyond Grad?

Absolutely yes!

I have seen massive self-growth in the past year.

And it has led me to amazing opportunities.

Recently, Ishi Sodhi reached out to me and wanted to do a paid call to learn more about how she can build a business.

(It was inspiring for me that someone wanted to learn entrepreneurship from me and paid 10X of what I was paid hourly in my day job.)

I shared many tactical specific steps, and she told me afterwards that this call helped her save 3 months in build time and 4X the value she invested for the call.

One of the things I shared is:

The Levels of Monetization.

(See the visual below.)

When you start a side business, here are the levels:

1. Money to experiment
2. Money to feel excited
3. Enough to replace income
4. Enough to hire full-time, long-term
5. Money you thought you could never earn

The biggest chasms are between levels 0-1 and levels 2-3

If you want to build income beyond 9-5, here's my challenge for you.

Invest time, money, or both in learning how to build your desired product. It could be a physical product, a saas AI tool, or a teaching program. 

Specific challenge: invest $100+ in a program from a person you trust this weekend.
___

Here's why this challenge:

Post the call, Ishi has landed her first enterprise client!

The contract was 100X what she paid me.

Which gives me a lot of joy. Because:

Earning on the side = More degrees of freedom.

If you have a friend considering a side-income, share this post with them (or save it for yourself).


PS. What is the no.1 question you have about building on the side? Share it with me in the comments below. 

PPS. In a 2026 LinkedIn Workforce Confidence survey, about 30% of U.S. employees said they have at least one side hustle in addition to their main job. It's not as unusual or taboo as you think it is. 1 in 3 chance that your boss has a side-hustle.

I was talking with an undergrad friend the other day, and he mentioned, “I will not be traveling out of the US in this presidency.” 

How many of you feel this way?

What if I tell you: “Sorry, boss, you can’t travel!”

You can’t fly away to:
* Visit your family
* Celebrate a special occasion
* Vacation after a long, hard year

You have the means, the desire, the passion.

But no.

Don’t travel if you absolutely don’t need to.

This is the fate for millions of US immigrants this year.

Every single lawyer in the US is asking their clients to avoid travel if possible.

Because what if:
* You can’t get your H1B stamped
* Or your visa date gets postponed by 3 months
* Or you are denied entry to your home of 10+ years

For millions, residency is temporary residency!

And many events throughout the year will not let you forget that.

So if you are in this boat, my heart goes out to you.

I know how handcuffed you are feeling right now.

And I wish you still have a great year of travel within the 50 states till things get better.

But if you are also working toward a day when "going back home" doesn't mean risking everything you've built, then I have an amazing resource for you. 

My partners at Manifest Law have created a community specifically for this: The Extraordinary Ability Club (EAC). 🏆

It’s a space designed to help immigrants transition from "temporary" to "permanent" freedom. The best part? It’s not just for people who already have an O-1 or EB-1—it’s for those who are "ready-ish" and want to build their profile the right way.

Inside the Club, you get access to:

* Legendary Mentors: Advice from people who literally ran the system, like Emilio Gonzalez (Former Director of USCIS) and Perry Rhew (Former Chief of the Administrative Appeals Office).
* Real Stories: Insights from peers who successfully navigated the "extraordinary" path.
* A Community of Trailblazers: Join fellow aspirants who are proactively building their profiles today so they can apply for talent visas tomorrow.

[Link in the 📌comment.]

Immigration stability = Travel freedom.

And you deserve both.

Here's your opportunity to kick off that journey.


PS. If you ignore my bald head, you will see Detroit on one side and Windsor on the other 😅. I got flying lessons as a cool gift from Shirali.

🚨 Private Group Meetup, Sat Mar 7th
I am on my way to San Francisco tomorrow.
Super excited to get my Golden Gate Bridge picture 😆

I am going to be attending Manifest Law's Extraordinary Ability Gala on Thursday, the 5th. I am excited to meet the Manifest Team, creator friends, and top performers that I haven't met yet but admire from afar.

It is going to be great.

And there is one more thing.

Sohan and I are planning to hold private 1-hour group meetups on Saturday (7 people per group, max). 

He and I are collaborating on a project soon (more details to follow), and we would love to ask and answer questions for this small group.

If you are interested in meeting us in SF on Saturday between 2 and 6 PM, then please vote below, and we will send you invites based on the group you select.

Giddy in excitement for this trip.

-Varun 😃

Hello SF: Sohan & I are holding a private group meetup (7 people max per group - 1 hr) on Sat, Mar 7. Which group below is fit for you:

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

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