Shark Tank judge Anupam Mittal: My job search struggle sounds insane with 65 interviews… but that was my reality when I … – Times of India

Anupam Mittal – founder and CEO of People group has shared a post on LinkedIn, recounting his early career challenges, and how he sat through 65 interviews to land his first job. “I had to make >800 applications and sit through 65 interviews before landing my first job. Sounds insane but that was my reality when I graduated in the US – during a recession!,” he wrote in the LinkedIn post.Mittal goes on to state how he landed an entry-level job as a COBOL programmer with Keane which he “hated every minute of”.
In the post, he also shared advice for individuals facing career challenges, drawing from his own experiences. He noted “To every struggler out there, the road is tough, but every “no” gets us closer to a yes, and that one “yes” has the power to change everything in our lives”.
“So, keep pushing, keep learning, and keep fighting for what you deserve coz our breakthroughs are out there. Sometimes they just need a little time to find us,” he added.

Here’s the full text of Anupam Mittal’s LinkedIn post

I had to make >800 applications and sit through 65 interviews before landing my first job.
Sounds insane but that was my reality when I graduated in the US – during a recession!
The job market was brutal, and every door seemed to be slammed shut—especially in the tech and VC industry, where I desperately wanted to work.
And unfortunately, I wasn’t from Harvard, Yale or Stanford or any other Ivy League.
I watched as others walked into jobs I knew I was capable of doing, and honestly, it drove me nuts. Every application, email, and interview hit a dead end.
But quitting was never on the table although I was dead-broke and finding it hard to make ends meet.
So, when Y2K came around and COBOL became a hot skill, I rolled up my sleeves & taught myself basic mainframe coding.
Eventually, landed an entry-level job as a COBOL programmer with Keane – I hated every minute of it 😥
Fortunately, just before I completely lost my mind, I got a call from MicroStrategy in Boston and was quickly hired as a pre-sales consultant.
But I knew the real action was in their Washington D.C. HQ. So, I took a shot in the dark and wrote directly to Michael Saylor the founder & CEO, asking for a role in their new venture Strategy.com
I got the role 😅 > Moved to D.C. > 2 years later, I was Director of Strategic Partnerships at a company that was the toast of Wall Street and darling of the tech world💪🏼
We went from a $100m to $40b mkt cap in that time. Yeah, let that sink in🚀
That job & my time in the US shaped me into who I am today🙏
But here’s the thing – this struggle wasn’t just about landing a job- it was also about proving to myself that I was as good as the best.
To every struggler out there, the road is tough, but every “no” gets us closer to a yes, and that one “yes” has the power to change everything in our lives ✅
So, keep pushing, keep learning, and keep fighting for what you deserve coz our breakthroughs are out there. Sometimes they just need a little time to find us 🤗