{
  "id": 9119245,
  "title": "I spent a year looking for a job in tech. This is what got me a role.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/i-spent-a-year-looking-for-a-job-in-tech-this-is-what-got-me-a-role",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-22T09:46:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/software-engineer-job-search-one-year-offer-2026-9"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Jinyoung Oh spent roughly a year searching for a tech job. Courtesy of Jinyoung Oh Jinyoung Oh recently secured a position at a software firm after a year of relentless job hunting. He submitted applications for hundreds of positions every month but concentrated on honing his abilities through practice problems. With unwavering determination, Oh expressed, \"I was locked in. I was ready for this,\" regarding the interview that ultimately resulted in his offer.\n\nThe 23-year-old Seattle resident commenced his job search shortly after graduating in May. During his college years, he harbored the belief that securing a job would be a breeze; however, as he progressed to his sophomore and junior years, he recognized the intense competitiveness of the market. By his senior year, he began to doubt the correctness of his choice to study computer science, pondering, \"I might be cooked.\"\n\nNevertheless, he had already invested four years in this pursuit, so he resolved to dedicate one year solely to recruitment. Just after graduation, he underwent a final round interview with a prominent tech entity. For an entire week, he confined himself to his abode, diligently solving LeetCode problems, a platform designed to prepare candidates for interviews. Despite his confidence in answering most of the questions correctly, he did not receive an offer. The lack of feedback left him disheartened, as he had ceased to receive responses from companies.\n\nMaintaining a spreadsheet, Oh submitted at least 300 applications per month, often receiving zero or one reply. To bolster his skills, he employed a variety of strategies. His brother, who also worked with computers, advised him to practice over the summer. Consequently, Oh began tackling problems whenever he had free time. Even while attending classes, he endeavored to solve at least a few problems each month. Once employment prospects dwindled, he intensified his efforts by solving practice problems and devising personal projects to further refine his engineering abilities.\n\nInitially, Oh relied heavily on AI, prompting the system to generate solutions. However, to ensure his coding skills met the standards set by potential employers, he opted to manually code projects, such as a reminder app, with minimal AI assistance. His philosophy was to rise early, consume breakfast, visit the library, and dedicate three to four hours to problem-solving. Following lunch, he would spend another three to four hours working on projects and then invest one or two hours in job applications.\n\nOh prioritized skill development over the sheer volume of applications sent out, as he believed that obtaining an interview without the ability to pass technical rounds was futile. By immersing himself in practice problems, he honed essential skills like pattern recognition and debugging, which proved invaluable during actual interviews. The \"dopamine hit\" of solving a problem correctly bolstered his confidence, instilling a stronger belief in his ability to tackle interview questions.\n\nAfter implementing his rigorous preparation regimen, Oh encountered a referral from a colleague at a software company. He subsequently took an online technical test, acing it. The subsequent round comprised in-person interviews spanning approximately five hours, involving multiple stages with different interviewers. Despite the grueling nature of the process, Oh felt prepared and ultimately secured the offer. Reflecting on his college years, he admitted to prioritizing grades and problem-solving over enjoyable activities. Upon receiving the job offer, he realized that his efforts had been worthwhile.",
  "summary": "After a yearlong job search, a software engineer says consistent practice helped prepare him for the offer he finally landed.",
  "key_points": [
    "Jinyoung Oh spent a year searching for a tech job after graduating.",
    "He secured a position at a software firm after acing a technical test.",
    "Oh honed skills through practice problems and a referral from a colleague."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}