600 Cold Emails, 80 Phone Calls: How Delhi's Vatsal Nahata Got A Job At The World Bank & IMF
"I developed thick skin by necessity. And I was getting nowhere", Nahata added, "Things became so desperate that I would often cold-call people in my dreams".
"A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." A Delhi-based SRCC and later, ivy league graduate proved this statement just right.
23-year-old Vatsal Nahata's inspiring journey began during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 he was about to finish his graduation at Yale University in US. Although excited to complete his education at one of the world's most prestigious universities in April 2020, the uncertainties about his employment gave him sleepless nights.
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His struggles
At that time, the recession was looming, and companies were on a spree to fire employees. Besides, former US president Donald Trump's stance on immigration propelled companies to hire only US citizens.
"I shudder every time I recall this (the story of how he got his World Bank job)," Nahata, who was 23 at the time, wrote recently on LinkedIn as he recalled the ordeal.
"I did not have a job at hand and I was going to graduate in 2 months. And I was a student at Yale," Nahata wrote.
Nahata told himself what was the point of coming to Yale when he cannot secure a job in the US. "It became harder to sound strong to my parents when they called and asked me how I was doing."
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Nahata was one of the many Indian talents in the US who found it difficult to find companies which would sponsor a visa. He would reach the final rounds of interviews but would be later rejected as they couldn't sponsor his visa.
"Trump's stance on immigration made it very uncertain for companies to navigate and predict US immigration policy. Everybody wanted to play it safe and hire US citizens," the Yale graduate wrote in his post.
Decision that changed his life forever
But, Nahata - who is currently working at the International Monetary Fund as a Research Analyst - didn't want to give up this easy. Two things he knew for sure: returning to India was not an option, and his first paycheck would only be in American dollars.
And, he made one of the most crucial decisions of his life - he decided to stop filling out job application forms or scanning recruitment portals. He decided to try out 'networking'.
His strategy, hard work & perseverance
In those two months, he sent over 1500 connection requests, wrote 600 cold emails, and got on 80 odd cold calls with all types of people. "...faced the highest number of rejections I've ever gone through. I developed thick skin by necessity. And I was getting nowhere", Nahata added, "Things became so desperate that I would often cold-call people in my dreams".
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"You could wake me up at 4 AM, and I could smoothly network and sell my skills to the most seasoned American executive, all while knowing that this call is probably going nowhere. Things became so desperate that I would often cold-call people in my dreams," his post read.
When Nahata felt discouraged he said 'The Gentle Hum of Anxiety' became his most played song on YouTube. Ultimately, Vatsal Nahata's hard work and strategy paid off.
His success story
"I ended up with 4 job offers by the first week of May and chose the World Bank. They were willing to sponsor my Visa after my OPT and my manager offered me co-authorship on a Machine Learning paper with the World Bank's current Director of Research (something unheard of for a 23-year-old)".
He started off as a consultant with World Bank's Education Global Practice. He is now a research analyst with the International Monetary Fund.
The intense two months taught Nahata, who is an Economic graduate from Delhi's Shri Ram College of Commerce, the lessons of a lifetime.
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Lessons of a lifetime
As he understood the 'true power of networking', it became his second nature. This experience gave him the confidence that he can survive in any given situation and figure out his way as an immigrant in the United States.
He also realised that an Ivy League degree could only take him so far. "Times of crisis (Covid and Trump's immigration policies) were ideal grounds to metamorphose into a more evolved person," he added.
By sharing his experience with the world, Nahata wanted to encourage people to never give up. "If you're going through something similar where the world seems to be collapsing on you: carry on - do not go gentle into that good night. Better days will come if you're learning from your mistakes and if you knock on enough doors."
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Senior Writer at Indiatimes. She writes on Lifestyle, fashion, beauty, astrology and health.
