Basant Shenouda

2020: No job. 200 rejections. Temporary living arrangements.
2023: I am now on Harvard campus as a Master's student while working at my dream company, LinkedIn
This is the ultimate step-by-step guide on how to gain any opportunity you dream of! (with free career, resume and networking resources!)

3 years ago, I had written 'I do not think I will ever achieve any of my dreams..' in my journal after many terrible circumstances. I decided I needed to crack the system and create a process for success:

1. Start with a very specific goal. I know this seems obvious but in moments of doubt, many people try 50 things at once. It's important to focus
🔑 Example: I only focused on tech sales roles and became an expert on that resume structure and interviewing process

2. Use your negative circumstances to your advantage! Most people shy away from discussing their hard times but it can propel you towards your goals when used correctly. It showcases your growth mindset
🔑 I wrote my Harvard admission essay on my rejections and how they changed my life positively. My LinkedIn content on my tough journey with what I was learning also caught the attention of my LinkedIn recruiter!

3. It's not money that makes the world go round, its RELATIONSHIPS. Any admissions process, any job application is amplified if you know someone. As an immigrant, I didn't have a network at the beginning
🔑 I focused on being a GIVER. I built business relationships how I would build a friendship. Not by asking for help but making it a two-way street. Reach out to people on LinkedIn with commonality and offer help

4. If its not working something NEEDS to change. Ask for feedback on your resume and interviewing and process. Send your resume to family and friends if you can. Constantly refine your process
🔑 I would send my resume to professionals I looked up to on LinkedIn and they provided the best knowledge from their experience!

5. Again obvious but critical - RESEARCH. Many people will reach out to me on what roles are open at LinkedIn. Become an expert on what programs and opportunities are out there. You then know what is needed and what your gaps are!
🔑 Did you know Harvard and Colombia have online master's programs? Look it up 😜

6. No one will really advocate for you more than YOU. In moments of doubt, you have to stay on your own side and believe in your potential!!

7. Have a look at the rest of my free career resources on all things interviewing, networking, and resumes in the comments! 👇

Its really surreal to be on Harvard campus now as a student.. As an immigrant from a small town in Egypt, I never thought this would be possible. Life can change from the darkest of place to the biggest dream come true when you just believe in yourself!

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I am incredibly proud to announce that I am joining Google’s sales team!!! I am beyond excited, it has been a journey to Google with 10+ applications over the last 5 years (with free career, resume, and networking resources in comments!):

Nov 2018: I first applied to Google as a university graduate. Reached the final interview but got rejected due to experience.

I had an amazing recruitment process and was encouraged to apply again.

Sept 2022: New grad experience at LinkedIn and reapplied to Google. I got one interview

Mar 2024: Now with 3.5 years of niche experience, it was time! I applied and got the job.

What I have learned:

📈 Your career is a ladder, not a straight line. Career planning needs to be long-term. Focus on steps, not destinations

💎 Networking should be the biggest priority in your career LONG-TERM. I am still in touch with my Google recruiter from 5 years ago!

💡Rejection is not the end. It is the beginning of learning towards THE BEST FIT

Philippians 4:11–13 ❤️ God is beyond gracious!

Follow Basant Shenouda to hear about the next step in my career and how I sent only one application for this Google job! #careers #personaldevelopment

After more than 2 years, I finally got to see my parents!! These last few years have been the hardest in my life and career and I am so grateful for this moment..

After finally receiving a visa to see my parents years ago, boarders closed due to the pandemic and I had to isolate by myself in a foreign country

Since then - I have gotten evicted from my apartment, a job postponed, constant visa issues.. I even immigrated to a new country

There were so many paperwork issues until we could meet, the only way was in a third country. I was so relieved in the airport, I cried so much!

Remember to be grateful for the moments you have with your family, you never know. Be present with your loved ones!

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Today is the best day of life! I was just granted permanent residency for the first time IN MY LIFE after 26 years of temporary paperwork!!

Throughout my life, I have always relied on my dad's job, university during undergrad, or current job to be able to live abroad in several different countries

Having permanent residency means I can live without being tied to my job + get unemployment benefits and relaunch my business that has been on hiatus due to my visa status

No more rejections because a job cannot sponsor my visa
No more anxiety about losing my job or the unknown
No more constant paperwork for temporary residency

Your residency and visa status affect all aspects of your life and career
The anxiety and fear of being a temporary resident is something millions have to deal with everyday. This isn't just a card, this is a HUGE privilege

I have never been happier or more relieved to see such an incredibly bad picture of me! 😂 Thank you Ireland for having me and being so kind, genuinely can't wait for my citizenship ceremony in a few years!

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2015, I moved to Germany for university with one suitcase and a one-way ticket.

Four years ago, I made the best decision of my life.

I struggled in gaining a visa for months and I was a month and half late into my lectures.

I couldn't seem to keep with the coursework I missed while trying to adjust to a new culture, language, and environment.

“But she persevered..“

I graduated!

More importantly, I know I am always making 18 year-old Basant proud.

Since then, I have become more confident in myself and more committed to my values and who I am.

Just look at that 4 year difference in stride!

And of course, there are still difficulties, I am aiming for a level entry job and there have been a lot of challenges without any major results yet.

However, I will keep making my community, family, and my high school self proud.

SO thankful for the growth through adversity.

#basantblast #studentvoices #careers

My heart hurt when I was informed that my job at LinkedIn was postponed until Jan 2021..

Last year at graduation, my worst nightmare was my temp visa expiring before finding a job. Now, paperwork is actually going to get complicated..

It's sad that the first thing that came to me was to blame ME. “If only I had done things differently“

I kept thinking: “You are going to be almost 24 next year, graduated a year and a half ago, you lost out on so much time.“

I am incredibly worried but putting myself down will not help my uncontrollable circumstances, regrets won't either. Taking the time to process that really changed my perspective

Instead, I will use this time and opportunity to continue to help my community thrive in these difficult times and to remind you that your circumstances DO NOT DEFINE YOU.

During my long job search, all I said to you all was: “my time will come“ and then I stopped..
Let me remind you again -
OUR TIME WILL COME. We will be okay ❤️

A huge thank you to LinkedIn for continuously sticking by their associates during this tough time, can't wait for Jan!

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#careers #personaldevelopment

This is the resume that got me interviews at LinkedIn, Google, Meta, & Salesforce without referrals - we do not gate-keep here! 😜
Here are ALL the resume tips have learned! (with networking templates + free career resources)

Recruiters will move you to the next round IF and only if you are a really good fit for the position. That means you need to sell yourself BASED on the job requirements. Only include things that are relevant to that

1. Find a job you are interested in (easy!). You should have a template resume that you change for EACH job (not so easy but necessary). This allows you to sell yourself based on what the recruiter is looking for!
🔑 I used jobscan(.)co to check for keyword gaps. I would then analyze how my past experience fits the role and rewrite my resume bullets to fit better

2. SUMMARY - many coaches say you shouldn't add this. However, Meta and Google recruiters have told me this helps them while they scan
🔑 Add in why you are applying and your passion for the company's values and the job

3. WORK EXPERIENCE - the most important section in your resume - I highlighted for you how I wrote each bullet point:
 📒 YELLOW: Starts with an action verb
 📕 RED: Includes a percentage or number that showcases your impact
 📗GREEN: Showcases the skills you used on the job

4. EDUCATION - Add in projects and activities that relate to the job you are applying to

5. LANGUAGES/PROJECTS - add any soft or hard language skills / projects that you possess in different sections

6. LINKS - Showcase your projects, LinkedIn, blogs, content, anything to feature yourself in a different self through adding links

7. SKILLS - ❌I actually have since removed my skills section with the scale 0-5 system because its not a great way of visualizing. I put more space for work experience bullets

8. CUSTOMIZATION - I also changed the blue / grey background colors in my resume to make it fit the company. For example for Google, it was green and grey. I thought it was a nice branding touch!

9. FORMATTING - It NEEDS to be a priority that your resume is ATS optimized in formatting. Otherwise, your resume could get rejected. Make sure that you can copy and paste your resume cleanly (mine is even with the 2 columns)

10. Have a look at the networking templates plus resources on interviewing and job searching in the comments! 👇

Disclaimer: my resume was for roles in Germany / Ireland. This is why there is a picture. So many things depend on industry / country and your resume doesn't need to look like this BUT
SELLING YOURSELF anywhere requires numbers and catering to what the job is looking for

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I remember how disappointed I was in myself 3 years ago when I graduated from university. No awards, no job lined up, I felt like I hadn't accomplished anything - 3 years later, everything has changed!

After graduation by 1 year, I won an award for my thesis from my university
After graduation by 1 year and a half, I landed my first job at LinkedIn
After graduation by 3 years, I started my Master's at Harvard University

The truth is.. so much can happen that will stop you from getting to your goals when you think, that's why you need to keep at it LONG-TERM and past your expectations!

It's only the end when YOU say its the end
Success is success no matter how long it takes, KEEP AT IT!

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Right before graduating last year, I got rejected after all final interviews at Google, Facebook, and more
I felt like I was a failure until one of the interviewers reached out

I thought I was too unqualified and inexperienced and the rejection was just a reflection of me but...

“You need to try again“ - the interviewer said
The thought hadn't even crossed my mind, I thought this was it.. That all the doors had closed

“Half of the team has actually been rejected from here before, including me! The circumstances just didn't line up this time. Use our feedback, analyze your interviews, and try again.“

I realize most will not get a message telling them this from their interviewers so...
I am here to tell you that this is not the end

I know how demotivating it is after all the effort
But trying again was the best decision I made, it led me to LinkedIn
I do not want you to give up before you have hit gold

So keep faith and trust in yourself, rejection is part of the process for everyone
You are qualified. You can do this.
YOU ONLY NEED ONE YES!

Community, we are going to get that YES
It's just a matter of time, stay strong <3

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#careers #personaldevelopment

❌ 2019: I got rejected by LinkedIn
✔ 2021: I started my role @ LinkedIn as a sales associate
Here is the strategy:

I didn't back down after the first no
Or the one after.
Or even the one after. I used them to change my strategy

I had so much in my way:
❌ Lack of visa sponsorship at the time to immigrate
❌ Lack of experience in a new field
❌ No idea how to stand out

I pushed on regardless:
✔ I found reasons for companies to sponsor me: in this case, I used my Arabic fluency and other rare skills
✔ I used the feedback I received and took a step back to work as an intern again and take courses
✔ I always changed my resume and adjusted it for every job, I sold myself differently for every job to stand out

Believe it or not, everyone I talk to at LinkedIn knows of the work that got me here because I persevered and I shared the journey

Never assume a rejection is an end, use it to your advantage

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#careers #personaldevelopment

2 years ago when I was 21, everyone was questioning my presence on LinkedIn, now I have 6 million views. Truth is, I was too scared to start posting.

Every job opportunity, connection, speaking engagement... All because of LinkedIn, it truly changed my life

Before, I believed I would waste people's time
All through my life, people told me I was too quiet, too small, too incapable. The problem was I believed them.

But then I decided to write through my year and a half of job searching, all my rejections until my job at LinkedIn, it built a community of 30k people who found hope in my words

BELIEVE IN YOUR VOICE AND STORY, you are capable of so much impact and do not realize it

Don't underestimate the platform LinkedIn can provide you.
Imagine going into interviews and not needing to introduce yourself.

I am beyond thankful I started
Rise above the fear of showcasing yourself
Trust me, it will change your life.

-
You can find a YouTube video on how I got millions of views on LI and how you can too 👇

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#careers #personaldevelopment

This year, I turned my life around from being unemployed and depressed. I gained a lot of weight back and became stronger again. Unfortunately, I found myself hitting rock bottom mentally again these last few weeks

I still haven't been able to see my family after 2 years. That feeling combined with a lot of everyday stress was chasing me for months. But the overwhelmedness finally reached me..

I found myself in a very negative spiral of my thoughts
It caused me to be stressed about the smallest of things in life and work. At the end of the work day, I was exhausted and I had no energy to take care of myself

It's okay if you haven't made progress on your goals in a while. One step-back does not take ANYTHING away from your progress
It's understand, we are still in very uncontrollable and stressful times

Be empathetic to what you're going through but we need to SLOWLY start building ourselves up again

I managed to do one workout this week again and eat more meals than usual while enjoying the good weather
It's like the game snakes and ladders, there's always a way up after one slip, you can do this!!

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